Importance of YSU in this City's Future

[AllanY2525]

A good education is a valuable tool if one wants to find a good job after leaving College -
but it comes right back around to what I posted below:  A college degree won't help
you if the jobs aren't here in the Youngstown area when you graduate.

With regard to Cleveland, don't forget that Cleveland is a border town - as such, it does
a lot of international trade with Canada.  This is an advantage of location that Youngstown
does not have.

BP Oil Company alone has over 3,500 employees in the Cleveland area...there are lots
of other big corporations who have operations in Cleveland - another thing Youngstown
lacks.

Education is only a part of the "big picture" - you've got to have jobs, or else the area
will continue to suffer.  As I've already stated below, some people don't go to college...
this means that the area needs jobs for those folks, too!

[Youngstownshrimp]

YTownNews, Academia certainly has it's role in society, to educate and provide a foundation.  However the structure has to be constructed by entrepreneurs and risk takers, and this we lack or we do not encourage.  We can attract talent and risk takers but our greatest enemy is ourselves, our local leadership.  As a non native, I first noticed when I moved here that our blue collar mentality has always been anti-business, it evolved from when business did first exploit the worker.  However, big business has found inviting labor elsewhere.

The only hope I see for the Valley's future is to tap into what made us great before, OUR NATURAL RESOURCES , yes, inexpensive land, water coming out of our asses, natural gas.  My associates and I are following this known path but sadly our leaders are not out in front.

[ytowner]

YTown News, with due respect, your post really shows how young you are.  In simple terms, YSU and St. E's are not businesses, they are tax subsidized entities, they just regurgitate tax dollars and they cannot survive without subsidy.

This mindset is so prevalent in the Valley, this is why we are economically already a third world area.  Now we can't even describe "private sector", steel mills were PS, Pakard was PS, Phantom is PS, Cafaro is PS, people, without the Private sector, there is nothing left but socialism.  We in this area are kissing capitalism goodbye by being enept.

Notice the quotations around business. I knew that is not what you call them, I was simply making a point.

Secondly, a huge reason Columbus and Pittsburgh have really emerged as the growing cities in OH and PA is because of their strong college presence within their city, coupled with high tech business, financial firms, and other industries that employ thousands of people.

This area is stuck in the mindset that the manufacturing jobs are going to return. Unfortunately, you can keep dreaming because it will not happen anytime soon. THAT is why we need YSU to lead the way. People will need to get an education to find a job in this area. It is our hope that the graduates are able to succeed and some are able to start up their own businesses.

[AllanY2525]

YTownNewsandViews:

Youngstown State University provides a great education and valuable skills
that our young people will need as they begin their adult lives and go out
into the world, looking for a decent job.

Without other entities to help new start-ups and businesses in the area,
there will be no jobs for these new grad students here in the area.  This means
that they will continue to do what their predecessors have been doing for
decades now - leave the area for a place where there are jobs to which they can
apply their newly-learned skills.

Case in point: Tyler Clark attended Youngstown State University and met his
wife there - they both left the area promptly when they graduated, because
there were no jobs in the I.T. industry here for Tyler to apply his newly-aquired
skills to and make a decent, living wage.

The Youngstown Business Incubator brought Tyler Clark back to Youngstown.
His skills in Web Design, etc. can help others who are learning these same skills,
and encourage others to start businesses in the Tech sector - thereby creating
even more good paying jobs, right here in the Youngstown area.  The kinds of
jobs that could keep some of the best and brightest young minds from the
University from leaving the area, just as Tyler did, to look elsewhere.

YoungstownShrimp is right with regard to the University - it is not a business,
it is a public institution.  As such, it receives Federal and State funding from
us - the tax payers - to help it operate.

The "fringe-benefits" of having the University are that new buildings get built,
the city is beautified by their presence here, some (but not enough) jobs are
created, and students from out of town contribute to the local economy
by spending some of their money here.

The University's primary role is that of an educator - not an employer,
and not that of a tax payer

With regard to the small business incubator, I read somewhere that the new
Williamson Business College will be assisting those who want to start their own
business - I do not recall anything that said this only applies to Tech firms....

Just because the Small Business Incubator may not provide assistance to other
types of entrepreneurs [sp?], that doesn't mean it is unimpressive.  Tech jobs
are very well paid positions in the workforce - something that Youngstown
and the Mahoning Valley desperately need.  People who work these types of
jobs pay a lot of taxes - something else the area desperately needs.

These types of jobs produce products right here in Youngstown - which are
then sold all over the world.  Youngstown desperately needs to have an
"export economy" once again, ie: the product goes out of town, the money
comes into town!  Just try to think of Software Engineering as one of the
manufacturing jobs of the twenty-first century, folks.  It makes a LOT of
money - it just doesn't require a huge industrial plant to do so.

As a seventeen year veteran of the I.T. industry and retired programmer/analyst
I can tell you that tech jobs can play a vital role in Youngstown's renaissance.
A job that pays even $50K per year in Youngstown is equivalent to a job in my
area that pays $100K - or more, because of differences in the cost of living
between here and Youngstown.

[Youngstownshrimp]

YTown News, with due respect, your post really shows how young you are.  In simple terms, YSU and St. E's are not businesses, they are tax subsidized entities, they just regurgitate tax dollars and they cannot survive without subsidy.

This mindset is so prevalent in the Valley, this is why we are economically already a third world area.  Now we can't even describe "private sector", steel mills were PS, Pakard was PS, Phantom is PS, Cafaro is PS, people, without the Private sector, there is nothing left but socialism.  We in this area are kissing capitalism goodbye by being enept.

[ytowner]

Honestly, the two things this area has going for it are:
a) Youngstown State University
b) Humility of Mary Health Partners

For this city to ever make a comeback, or hell stop the mass exodus of people, we need these two "businesses" to lead the way.

I honestly do not know how anyone cannot say YSU is the single most important factor for this city's future. It is growing, pumps millions into this city via tax revenue, and continues to construct new buildings near downtown.

[Rick Rowlands]

Well I think that the City deciding to outsource the recreation dept. is a good idea.  Save the million or so that goes toward recreation, and maybe when the economy improves put that toward repairing streets and infrastructure. 

I'm not all that thrilled with the incubator.  I think the incubator should be there for more types of business start ups, not just high tech.  There are lots of small businesses that need secretaries, accountants, web design, regulatory compliance consultants etc.  Why not provide those services at low cost to any small start up in Youngstown?  That would certainly help out these small businesses that are just getting off the ground and can't afford the time and money to hire a secretary or accountant.

If you want to start a small manufacturing company in Youngstown you're screwed if you don't have tons of capital and connections.  I've been involved with two local manufacturing start ups and they really needed help to get going, but none was there.  One has since shut down and the other may be gone in another year or so.

[AllanY2525]

Rick,  I agree with that one entirely... the city basically gave Spring Street
to Y.S.U along with a block or so of Elm Street (south of I680).  It's amazing
how much better those areas look, now that Y.S.U. owns them.

As far as relying on Y.S.U. to effect a "come-back" for the entire area?   No.
YSU is already one of the saving graces of Youngstown, but not the only one.

Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley got into the state it is in now because
of a lack of diversification in the local economy , ie "a one horse town", or
"all of your eggs in one basket", as it were.

The Small Business Incubator is a good example of businesses partnering
with Y.S.U. and other entities to move forward and spur economic development
in the city.

If Youngstown does end up becoming a "college town", it wouldn't be the worst
thing that could happen by far... but Y.S.U. has already done way more for the
city than any other entity in the area - it's time for others to step up to the
plate and give them a hand.

In addition, the area needs more blue collar jobs - the kind of jobs that pay
a living wage to those who do not attend college, as well as jobs for those
who do - diversification is the key.

[Rick Rowlands]

If YSU is so important to Youngstown, then tell me why the City absolutely ignores the main artery through the campus.  Wick Avenue is full of potholes in the summer, and devoid of snow removal in the winter.  You would think that Ytown would at least want to make the roads around the campus presentable.

[ytowner]

I have been changing the focus of my site, MVRed.com, to discuss more with local issues and how we can improve our city, and away from politics for now.

Here are a few articles I'd like you folks to read...

Development Around YSU is Essential
http://mvred.com/index.php/archives/local/257-development-around-ysu-is-essential

Wolford: "We've got to change the perception of Youngstown."
http://mvred.com/index.php/archives/local/253-wolford-qweve-got-to-change-the-perception-of-this-areaq

Future of Valley Dependent on YSU
http://mvred.com/index.php/archives/local/252-future-of-valley-dependent-on-ysu