Mahoning Valley Forum

A City Council meeting to address the Board of Elections ward map proposal

What I want to see is a fully detailed ward map that shows both street names and precinct designations such a 7N; 4A; 5A etc. the map published in the newspaper tells us nothing ... it's worthless.

What I would love to see is that same kind of map - with two less wards on it.

I hope the petition gets enough signatures to force the idiots in city council to
grasp reality firmly in their hands.

I don't care!  At least it gets me out of Gilliam's control!!!  ;D ;D ;D     Who represents second ward anyways?

I wonder what happened to the Mayor's previous stance that the map's they (we) paid YSU to draw up were more than adequate and we didn't need more maps.
hmmm?

Quote from: Rick Rowlands on July 23, 2014, 09:04:58 AM
I don't care!  At least it gets me out of Gilliam's control!!!  ;D ;D ;D     Who represents second ward anyways?

rr watch what you wish for in your life. tj rogers is no better than the gilliams. his qualifications to take over dk seat was that he played football with dk while they were in  high school.

Notes from my friend who attended the meeting

Janet Tarpley still wants an ouside party to draw the maps.

Annie Gillam still wants prisoners to be counted as ward residents.

Various councilmen were trading off ward sections.  Trades were made between wards 4 and 3, 3 and 1, 2 and 7, and 4 and 5.  It sounds like kids trading baseball cards.

Prisoners should not be counted as residents.  They are prisoners, which is a state separate from resident or even citizenship.  These prisoners do not require representation on council; they may not even know what the city around them looks like.  They do not use city services aside from those sold to the entity running the prison.  The only representation needed is for the operators of the prisons. 

Good grief, what a mess.  Can't we just fire the lot of them, use the maps from YSU, have 5 wards, IF that many are needed, elect an all new council, and get on with it?

No?

Well, I thought it was a good idea.   :(


EDIT: And I agree with Rick.

And Jay wonders why most people do not attend those dog and pony shows.

If people have never attended a city council meeting to see the dog and pony show, then they will never know just how bad council meetings can be at times.

In my younger and more productive days, I wasn't able to attend council meetings for the very simple reason that I worked the night shift -- 11:00 PM to 7:30 AM 6 days a week, and took care of my parients during the daytime so that they would not be a burdon on society, for contrary to the way others deal with elderly parients with serious health problems, I didn't farm them off to a nursing home but kept them at home with me, now if that doesn't fit your idea of a good citizen and a responsable child, then I'm sorry, but that was the way I was brought up.

http://wkbn.com/2014/07/23/new-youngstown-ward-map-coming-soon/ (http://wkbn.com/2014/07/23/new-youngstown-ward-map-coming-soon/)

VIEW VIDEO

What would be really great would be a petition for a recall election for all of city council....


:(

My Councilman is my HERO!

Petitions are being circulated to reduce the number of wards from seven down to five.  I can't imagine how long it will take for council to come up with new ward maps if this issue passes.

I don't care what anyone says,  >:( I'M 100,000,000,000,000,000% AGAINST IT!  >:(  And 100% AGAINST all these convoluted so-called petition drives.  >:(  NO EXCEPTIONS.  >:(  Every time we turn around some malcontent is coming up with another petition drive that is as useful as a ---- ---- ---- (fill in the example)  >:(

This petition drive was not contrived by a malcontent.  Phil Kidd and Chris Travers are at the helm on this, and TT we will have to agree to disagree.
I am 100,000,000,000,000% FOR this one.


IMO the number of wards needs to be reduced to 5. Youngstown does not have the population it used to have, so there's no need to support 7 councilpersons.

This is what these blame fools want for Youngstown.

The wards are being redistricted to even out the population in each ward.
It doesn't matter, and should not matter, how much land or mileage each ward covers.

I actually love that idea.  The city naturally is split into five geographic areas and it makes perfect sense to have those areas as five permanent wards and forever rid us of the need for redistricting.  It is illegal because of some law that states that the wards must have equal population ,but that doesn't make much sense to me.  What really would it matter if one ward had a few more people than the other? Each of these five areas have unique needs that are better served by taking a geographic approach rather than a population approach.  For example, North side is dominated by an historic district.  East side is largely undeveloped, West side is somewhat stable and still heavily populated, and south side has two commercial districts and some crime problems.  And then downtown is, well, downtown.   Each has its own unique set of challenges and characteristics.

I think its time that we start seeing the city as five sections instead of gerrymandering lines just to grab a few residents here and there to meet some quota.

Go back to that latest news video and freeze it at 1:02.  Here is an example of the insanity of this process.  Is that Annie Gilliam's house there?  Look how the lines have to be stretched way up there to grab it and put it in the first ward.  Does that neighborhood have anything in common with downtown?  Buy I am sure that neighborhood has a lot in common with those living on the other side of Lansdowne. 

IMAGE

last night  meeting was more than a dog and pony show. it was a three ring circus. Gilliam and rogers were worried abt the prisoners in their wards not being represented. I would like to know when the last time they attended a cell block, block watch meeting at the pens that are in their wards. Gilliam went on record saying the current law director could be wrong on his redistricting interputation when he cited U.S. SUPREME CT RULINGS ON REDISTRICTING. Gilliam made a total arse of herself at last night meeting with her questions and comments.

THIS IS EXACTLT WHY WE MUST ABSOLUTELY OPPOSE ALL 5 WARD DRIVES!

It's the younger residents of our city (the next generation of leaders) who are pushing this issue.

THESE WET BEHIND THE EARS SLUGS NEED TO GET REAL WORLD JOBS, AND GET THEIR NOSES OUT OF POLITICS!

let us see what happens with this topic after november.

I like Rick's idea, for all of the same reasons he already mentioned.  It's just stupid to see
council being so blatantly self-serving with all of their bull sh%&.....the salaries for the
unneeded council positions could go back into the city's coffers.

One thing is for sure, Youngstown has too many freaking wards for their population
and it is clearly in violation of the laws governing such.  As for Gillam's wanting to
debate or argue with the city's law director it will be interesting to see how that goes.

:(

What law, state or federal dictates the number of wards a city can have based on anything or any measure?

As for Gillam vs. the City Law Director and the U. S. Supreme Court all this shows is she is totally incompitant ... a loud mouth that doesn't know what she's talking about.

I welcome and admire some of the young ones who are willing to "pick up the torch."  As I am tiring of

"fighting city hall,"  I look at the next generation as reinforcements.  Maybe some on this forum should get

to know these young people and learn of their motivations instead of being so critical of their efforts across

the board.

Certainly the younger adults voices should be heard, there's no question about that, and hopefully there will come some younger people who can purge this city of it's insanity, but among the current crop, I don't find that person or persons, and I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon of every Tom, Dick or Harry that comes down the pike. My standards for this city's future are too high to give my support to just anyone. All we have to do is look around us to see what the current crop of so-called leaders has given us. They've destroyed everything they've touched,with little or no hope of it's recovery any time soon. And don't blame every member of City Council for all the problems that Council has created.

There are a couple of really good people on City Council that I would like to see stay there.
Well, maybe 3.

Hopefully they are the same 3 that I'm thinking of.

Oh, and by the way, I have no doubt that there are young adults at YSU that could mand should step forward that could turn Youngstown around.

Quote from: Towntalk on July 25, 2014, 06:54:35 AM
What law, state or federal dictates the number of wards a city can have based on anything or any measure?

the wards were based on the charter language that was passed in 1927 with a breathing room that city residents can change with the times accding to the census.

Exactly and Council's feet must be held to the fire, especially old lady Gillam and her groupy Tarpley to shut their mouths after extracting their feet and make the vote 7 for 0 against.

ditto

I hope that the result of the law director's research into charter laws, etc.
show that the city can legally ENFORCE the rules and bring legal remedies
against council if they fail to follow the rule of law/charter.

It would be great to see him and Mayor McNally beat them over their heads
with the rules.....

Quote from: AllanY2525 on July 26, 2014, 03:08:35 AM
I hope that the result of the law director's research into charter laws, etc.
show that the city can legally ENFORCE the rules and bring legal remedies
against council if they fail to follow the rule of law/charter.

It would be great to see him and Mayor McNally beat them over their heads
with the rules.....

council knows that jm has the grasp of the law of the land in which upsets several council reps to no end. you have a mayor that has a law degree from georgetown and business master from mit. what education and governmental experience does council has over jm. :o

I'll bet my immortal soul that at least two council persons hate JM's guts and would do anything possable to hurt him, and if they say they don't, they're bigger liars than I think they are.

I think Mayor McNally is doing a good job as mayor, thus far.  He's a smart cookie, for sure....

Does anyone get the idea that I do not fear my tongue?
Well baby that is one of the benefits of old age. We grey haired old broads are not afraid to shoot from the hip so long as our canes or walkers don't get in the way. Some describe us as fisety old broads, and there is a grain of truth in that. (Fisety old broad that is.)

That's one of the many reasons I respect you, Towntalk - you call 'em like you see 'em
just like the umpire in a baseball game. 

You also do not mince words, or beat around the  bush......always refreshing in a forum
such as this one......


Lol

:)

Quote from: AllanY2525 on August 01, 2014, 12:40:32 AM

I think Mayor McNally is doing a good job as mayor, thus far.  He's a smart cookie, for sure....

I totally agree.

I also agree 100%?