Alarming new trend

[Towntalk]

An alarming new trend has been added to the already bleak picture for Ohio and the Mahoning Valley. Besides asking employees to take pay cuts, the mortgage crisis, business leaving the State and valley, and new businesses not wanting to locate here to take up the slack, now businesses are cutting back even more by cutting worker hours.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/business/18hours.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

If these trends are not reversed, how on earth can we expect to move forward, much less sustain what we have left here?

There are so many things that we need here over and above the frills such as the arts and new restaurants that can generate new income. but until these gloomy trends are reversed, we must all ask ourselves if we shouldn't demand serious cutbacks in our expectations, and demand cutbacks in public service employees both in city and county government and public education at least until this current crisis is over?

Youngstown is not alone in this crisis, other cities are facing the same problems, but because of our reputation, the chances of our solving our problems are more difficult to overcome.