Ohio's problem..we're becoming a BLUE state. (Columbus, Cleveland: middle-class, low crime)

[Slash83]

I hate to admit it - but this state is slowly becoming democratic. I wouldn't be surprised if it's blue come November. For some reason people like that idea yet this state has high unemployment, dirty rotten cities like Youngstown, all of our big cities are ran by democrats - yet people love those democrats! Tell me what these democrats running our cities have gotten us. Don't blame Bush like you want...it's our fault. How about the governor proposal..wants to tax groceries..what in the..?

All of our cities are pretty much dying, or are already in the graveyard (Youngstown..Canton..Northeast Ohio..it's slowly spreading throughout the rest of the state like a cancer). People are moving from Ohio so fast, it's like an asteroid is coming to kill us all and people want to move to survive.

The economy in the whole state is just bad. Face it - there are jobs here, but people are stuck for months, or over a year trying to find one. Those of us that have jobs here that are not flipping burgers are blessed. If you want to find a job you have to set sea like Christopher Columbus and search ages for new land.

Kentucky is south of us, Louisville and Lexington are both booming cities and have a lot of development. NKY as well (wonder where all those people that live in Cincy went to?). Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, and NKY are all BOOMING areas. Keyword BOOMING. Good economy, Clean cities, low crime. Now, I know Eastern KY is not the best, but the rest of the state is. Tennessee is south of that, it has Nashville as it's capital with a lot going on there and the rest of the state is beautiful. Nashville has some issues with crime from what I know, but it has a great job market as does most of the state. Don't get me started on places like Texas either. What recession?

The more blue this state gets the more blacker it gets. I just read through the "Leaving Ohio? Get in line thread" again. It makes sense now.

[hillside]

Originally Posted by Slash83

I hate to admit it - but this state is slowly becoming democratic. I wouldn't be surprised if it's blue come November. For some reason people like that idea yet this state has high unemployment, dirty rotten cities like Youngstown, all of our big cities are ran by democrats - yet people love those democrats! Tell me what these democrats running our cities have gotten us. Don't blame Bush like you want...it's our fault. How about the governor proposal..wants to tax groceries..what in the..?

All of our cities are pretty much dying, or are already in the graveyard (Youngstown..Canton..Northeast Ohio..it's slowly spreading throughout the rest of the state like a cancer). People are moving from Ohio so fast, it's like an asteroid is coming to kill us all and people want to move to survive.

The economy in the whole state is just bad. Face it - there are jobs here, but people are stuck for months, or over a year trying to find one. Those of us that have jobs here that are not flipping burgers are blessed. If you want to find a job you have to set sea like Christopher Columbus and search ages for new land.

Kentucky is south of us, Louisville and Lexington are both booming cities and have a lot of development. NKY as well (wonder where all those people that live in Cincy went to?). Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, and NKY are all BOOMING areas. Keyword BOOMING. Good economy, Clean cities, low crime. Now, I know Eastern KY is not the best, but the rest of the state is. Tennessee is south of that, it has Nashville as it's capital with a lot going on there and the rest of the state is beautiful. Nashville has some issues with crime from what I know, but it has a great job market as does most of the state. Don't get me started on places like Texas either. What recession?

The more blue this state gets the more blacker it gets. I just read through the "Leaving Ohio? Get in line thread" again. It makes sense now.

blacker? what does that mean?

compelling argument, but one problem - if the state is going blue, then wasn't it stagnant and pathetic in its current preference, red?

[yagisenin]

My response,

Cities are very limited in the parameters in which they can develop and enact their own economic initiatives. Democrats may govern Ohio's cities, but economic policy and direction comes from the State and Federal levels. Republicans held the Ohio governorship from 1991 until 2006. They still have control of the State Legislature, and therefore control over the legislation that is and isn't passed for the state. They held control of Congress from 1994 through 2006, and still hold the White House.

Republicans as a party don't have a great deal of vested interest in big cities, and in fact have been increasingly abandoning most central cities for the burbs since the 1960s. Most of the Republican constituency today exists in middle-class outer ring suburbs, exurbs and rural areas. Perhaps not surprisingly, much of the economic policy of the past decade has been directed towards these areas.

[Slash83]

Originally Posted by hillside

blacker? what does that mean?

compelling argument, but one problem - if the state is going blue, then wasn't it stagnant and pathetic in its current preference, red?

Blacker as in darker...into nothingness pretty much.

When Taft was in office we weren't this bad. Then this new clown was elected and he wants to propose to raise taxes on GROCERIES. What in the world is that!!!!! Why doesn't he comment about the GM and Chrysler plants getting shut down/getting ready to or the 11,000+ other jobs that are lost here.

[Slash83]

Originally Posted by yagisenin

My response,

Cities are very limited in the parameters in which they can develop and enact their own economic initiatives. Democrats may govern Ohio's cities, but economic policy and direction comes from the State and Federal levels. Republicans held the Ohio governorship from 1991 until 2006. They still have control of the State Legislature, and therefore control over the legislation that is and isn't passed for the state. They held control of Congress from 1994 through 2006, and still hold the White House.

Republicans as a party don't have a great deal of vested interest in big cities, and in fact have been increasingly abandoning most central cities for the burbs since the 1960s. Most of the Republican constituency today exists in middle-class outer ring suburbs, exurbs and rural areas. Perhaps not surprisingly, much of the economic policy of the past decade has been directed towards these areas.

Look, all of our cities are ran by Democrats. This state is in the crapper. Period. It's only going to get worse. Maybe the casinos can help. Maybe our mayors should take a trip to Kentucky, Texas, or Tennessee - just a few strong in this country - to see how real states and cities are ran and developed.

[southernnaturelover]

I don't live in Ohio but I can vouch for the fact that lower taxes equal more jobs. I live in Alabama and our state has a wonderful governor that has brought in many many new jobs to our state. So far we have Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes, Volkswagon, and several new steel mills. It's up to individual states to provide incentives for companies to locate there, not Washington. Low cost of land, low taxes, and low regulation will bring in jobs. Unions are a job killer, just look at Michigan. The non union auto jobs in my state pay a decent wage and the workers seem to be satisfied. You just can't expect a factory job to pay $30 per hour and stay in business for very long.

[yagisenin]

Ohio going "Blue" wouldn't be a bad thing, IMHO. We are rapidly approaching a point in history where cheap gas and the economy it fueled can no longer continue. Not because of any one person saying it can't, but because of the limitations imposed by reality. This IS a round planet, after all, and we're about out of the fossil fuel energy that we've taken for granted for so long.

Americans must demand urgent alternative energy development and infrastructure renewal as the bedrock for a new economy, and the Democratic Party seems to be a more open, viable vehicle for this kind of movement. The Republican Party, unfortunately, has increasingly become the closed, exclusive party of Christian, racist and homophobic fundamentalism, of the sort that cares much more about what two people do in their bedroom than about whether or not there is even the energy in a few years' time to keep the lights on.

[Slash83]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

I don't live in Ohio but I can vouch for the fact that lower taxes equal more jobs. I live in Alabama and our state has a wonderful governor that has brought in many many new jobs to our state. So far we have Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes, Volkswagon, and several new steel mills. It's up to individual states to provide incentives for companies to locate there, not Washington. Low cost of land, low taxes, and low regulation will bring in jobs. Unions are a job killer, just look at Michigan. The non union auto jobs in my state pay a decent wage and the workers seem to be satisfied. You just can't expect a factory job to pay $30 per hour and stay in business for very long.

They obviously don't want low taxes here. They keep electing these democrats for mayor offices and the governor office. Now they want Obama for president for higher taxes on SMALL businesses here. Ask, and you shall recieve. More job losses. More people leaving the state. More crime and dirtyness.

GM plants are getting shut down. The Chrysler plants probably next in Twinsburg. Over 11,000 jobs lost here. Is raising taxes on groceries more important than people losing jobs? This state has failed. Everywhere I go people blame Bush here. Yes..Bush!! Nevermind these bozo's running this place. Einstien could be president but with these people running our cities it wouldn't be different. It's so sad.

I bet if we got rid of these people ruining our cities our gloomy grey skies would turn to shiny sunny skies 365 days a year. And I mean that.

[hillside]

Originally Posted by Slash83

Blacker as in darker...into nothingness pretty much.

When Taft was in office we weren't this bad. Then this new clown was elected and he wants to propose to raise taxes on GROCERIES. What in the world is that!!!!! Why doesn't he comment about the GM and Chrysler plants getting shut down/getting ready to or the 11,000+ other jobs that are lost here.

taft was Governor Scandal. he had the lowest approval rating in the history of ohio governors, at 16%. you think this economic mess happened overnight?

[Slash83]

Originally Posted by yagisenin

Ohio going "Blue" wouldn't be a bad thing, IMHO. We are rapidly approaching a point in history where cheap gas and the economy it fueled can no longer continue. Not because of any one person saying it can't, but because of the limitations imposed by reality. This IS a round planet, after all, and we're about out of the fossil fuel energy that we've taken for granted for so long.

Americans must demand urgent alternative energy development and infrastructure renewal as the bedrock for a new economy, and the Democratic Party seems to be a more open, viable vehicle for this kind of movement. The Republican Party, unfortunately, has increasingly become the closed, exclusive party of Christian, racist and homophobic fundamentalism, of the sort that cares much more about what two people do in their bedroom than about whether or not there is even the energy in a few years' time to keep the lights on.

You live in Cleveland. I do too. Would you like to take a trip to somewhere like, I don't know - Louisville, KY? I'd like to show you a new building being built, a growing population within the CITY, that's right, people in the city MOVING and LIVING there. A new sports arena. How about Nashville, TN or around the smokey mountains? I heard people take pride in where they live there and have great southern pride.

Not here in Ohio. What's there to be proud of - unemployment, dying cities, businesses leaving the state?

This city (Cleveland) is the same thing. Nothing is changing here. Actually I take that back - the only thing growing here is the unemployment rate, job losses, and people leaving the state. Keep electing these stooges.