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Starting at the center 
Posted on: June 16, 2009
It's easy to become despondent reading the news, whether it's about crime or the economy. It's easy to name the challenges we face as a community, whether prevalence of prejudice or the state of education. It's easy to write off Youngstown as a lost cause and turn your attention elsewhere. But there's a problem, too: Youngstown isn't going anywhere.
Youngstown is still the seat of Mahoning County, and though that kind of designation might have been fluid a hundred years ago, that's not changing now. There will still be thousands of jobs downtown related to government administration and related sectors. And Youngstown's situation will continue to affect its surrounding townships, whether they choose to work with the City to improve its lot or turn their backs and ignore it.
If we had leadership at the County level that talked up regionalism and worked to build coalitions for the advancement of policies that strengthened the region, starting from the center and spreading outward, that would be an important step in moving us forward collectively.
Right now, we have a mayor crying in the wilderness, to the disdain of his counterparts in the suburbs. Ironically, however, by being unwilling to give up any control over their situation, they will lose it all.
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Comments
This area has severe chronic myopia. My father used to say that all the cemeteries in the area had corkscrews located there. It was to bury all the crooked politicians with when they died (or were wacked). Until people come to realize that the the politicians that keep getting elected are dirtbags in all too many cases and only there to feather their own nests or those of their relatives and cronies, will things get better. No one, it seems, has the backbone to call them out, turn in the crooks, the cheats, the liars, and the roaches that dwell here. The reputation of the valley is one of corrupt politicians, corrupt unions, strike-happy workers, and jailed public servants. I left this area many years ago and can say firsthand, that in conversations I've had over 35 years in other states regarding jobs, unions, workers, and the like, this area has a very deep hole to climb out of and with few exceptions, the politicians aren't helping. They won't accept consolidation of functions, tax equalization across school districts, elimination of duplicate services, etc. That cuts off their little politician favoritism games. The little chickens won't have their little barnyards to strut around in and fluff their feathers. Yo, people. If you want to know what's wrong with Y'town and the surrounding area, look in the mirror. Time to get busy. Throw the bums out, get educated on what's happening to your money, who's spending it, and what are you getting for it. Don't be afraid to go to public meetings and throw rocks. Hand grenades work fine too, if your representatives blow you off. You have to make it uncomfortable for them.
WE need to be more like our cherished computers -to advance and become. Certain factions need to quit acting like crabs in a bucket. And for goodness sakes, Ytown, at least pave your main corridors!
After I read your post Tyler, I kept thinking I would love to drop alot of the Valley 'leaders' into the middle of Tehran so they can see what true political courage is about.
I also think about a lot of these Valley buearacrats who may be decent people, but they try to hold on to their jobs to preserve their way of life. And that may include trying to send their kids to college, a noble cause indeed. But by holding on to their jobs, and ensuring inefficiencies stay in place, they are sure to do nothing to help their kids land a job in the Valley after they graduate. Its a paradox indeed.