Posted on 09/23/2004 11:26:02 AM PDT by RockinRight
CLEVELAND - Crushed by the loss of steel and other manufacturing jobs, Cleveland has ranked high for poverty before — but never No. 1.
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That changed when a report from the U.S. Census Bureau recently rated it has the nation’s poorest big city, putting it ahead of Detroit, Miami and Newark, N.J.
“To be ranked No. 1, that’s bad,” said Councilman Zachary Reed. “Let’s be honest, the fact is people in our community are living in poverty and just making it day to day.”
The unwanted distinction is the latest in a litany of struggles for Cleveland, which appeared to be on the rebound over the past decade, with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Browns Stadium, Jacobs Field and Gund Arena.
But this year the budget-strapped port city laid off hundreds of police officers and firefighters and reduced trash pick up and other city services.
Teachers, city workers laid off Hundreds of teachers and other workers were laid off from city schools and officials are pushing a $68 million tax increase on the November ballot to try to ease some of the schools’ financial needs.
With a poverty rate of 31.3 percent in 2003, Cleveland stands out even in Ohio: Cincinnati’s was 21.1 percent, Toledo 20.3 percent and Columbus 16.5 percent.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Cleveland's been voting Democrat for 50 years! Doesn't look like they've done much good!
That said, this article is a bit hard on Cleveland (whaddaya expect from MSNBC). The town has come a long way since the 70s.
According to Drew Carey, Cleveland Rocks!
The Flats area certainly does.
Find me a civilization run by RATS, and I'll show you a civilization in decline.
Take a bow Carl Stokes & Dennis Kuchinich.
You laid the foundation for long term decline.
Cleveland is a democratic stronghold and all it's gotten them in year after year is more trouble.
What they don't tell you in the article is that we have not only a large illegal alien population that swells the poverty numbers but also a significant middle eastern population on the west side that believes heavily in operating on a cash only basis for everything and in soaking up all the government programs they can get their hands on.
In other words they don't believe in paying taxes but they definately believe in taking government handouts.
The east bank is basically a ghost town these days. Lot's of empty restaurants/bars. Only the old tried and true are still there.
The city alone is responsible for that debacle as well.
WE'RE NUMBER ONE! WE'RE NUMBER ONE!
IN YOUR FACE, PITTSBURGH!/
In many ways it does. I like Cleveland. And Drew Carey is awesome!
As the joke goes, what's the difference between Cleveland and the Titanic? Cleveland has a better orchestra.
Maybe they should legalize casino gambling.
Crushed by the loss of steel and other manufacturing jobs
Most steel and manufacturing jobs are lost due to excessive OSHA, EPA, Lawyers etc.... It drives the cost of doing business up so much it's cheaper to pay shipping costs from overseas.
And while I can't speak for all the greedy companies out there, there is a desire to keep manufacturing jobs in the US. But the company has an obligation to it's stock holders to make a profit.
And don't you forget it!
(Former) Home town ping.
Another thing that they fail to mention in the article.
The old LTV plant was purchased by ISG (International Steel Group) who is running it so well that they are bringing a large number of workers back. I think the last round that came back was about 200.
ISG has also had the good sense to start knocking down a bunch of obsolete and unused buildings right next to the Jennings freeway that were inflating the property taxes for the site.
The company I once worked for owned a piece of property directly across the river from LTV Steel. People from the home office were always keen on developing this 5 acres into a nigh club, like what was happening on the Flats. One or two pictures of the site was all it took. I think the property was the site of John D. Rockefeller's first oil refinery--wells had been pulling petroleum out of the ground for 15 years or more.
Clevelanders have to get out from under the thumb of the unions. The unions are the reason that Cleveland lost the steel industry.
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