Wall Street Journal is wrong Big Time in regards to Youngstown

[AllanY2525]

Bellamy:

I would like to know what YOUR solution is with regard to saving historic homes and
buildings in Youngstown.  Buildings that NO LONGER HAVE ANYONE TO LIVE IN THEM.

You bi*** and moan about the city going broke...consider THIS:

1) It would cost the city/county MANY TIMES OVER demolition costs to restore,
monitor (to keep secure) and protect these "Historic Landmark" properties.
If you think the city is in dire straits NOW....they would be TOTALLY BROKE
trying to save all of these houses from the wrecking ball by getting into the
real estate business by fixing and restoring and maintaining them.

2) Youngstown USED TO HAVE about 175,00 people - most of them working,
tax-paying citizens who helped to fill the city/county coffers with their hard
earned dollars.  Youngstown NOW HAS about 82,000 people - MANY OF WHOM
are either unemployed, or underemployed (ie: low wage jobs, no benefits, etc)
and pay either little or NO taxes.  WHERE IN THE HE** are you going to find
people to occupy homes in a city where the current "master plan" was
designed to support an infrastructure for a population that was predicted to
reach approximately  250,000 people !?!?!   A city that now las less than ONE THIRD
of that projected population. 

In plain English:  THE TAX BASE TO SUPPORT AN INFRASTRUCTURE OF THIS SIZE
NO LONGER EXISTS !!  If the city is EVER to get UN-BROKE they MUST clear out the
built infrastructure that is un-needed, un-used and un-sustainable given the
population in 2008.  This is not an opinion, it is REALITY.  For you to bash Jay
WIlliams (or any other administration that might come after his) for wanting to
clean up and shrink-down the City of Youngstown to a size that can be adequatley
sustained with the amount of revenues the city/county NOW have is just plain
ignorant. 

Use of the term "Ignorant"  is NOT a personal insult or attack on you, sir - it means
that a person just plain "does not know" about something.  I don't think you are looking
at the big picture here.  MOST of the demolitions of old/overstock housing units was paid
for by GRANTS - NOT by the City of Youngstown.  It is clearing out neighborhood blight, removing
unsafe structures where drug dealers and other criminal elements can "hang out" and making
property values go up at the same time. 

It is making the city more attractive to any and all (commercial entities or private citizens) who
might even CONSIDER the idea of locating here.  If Youngstown is going to try and draw people
and BUSINESSES into this city, it has to market itself to the rest of the country - SUCCESSFULLY -
in order to do so.

3) If you are so upset by the demolition of delapidated ( and now UN-NEEDED and UN-SAFE)
homes and buildings - them PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS and
tell all of us here on the MV Message boards what YOUR SOLUTION to the
problem actually is.  WHERE is the money supposed to come from to save
all of the historic homes that you (and a lot of us here) wish could be saved
and preserved???

4) I am not just "talking out the side of my mouth" here... I currently OWN
four historic buildings in the Wick Park District - which I am (albeit ever so
slowly ) fixing up and restoring, with MY OWN TWO HANDS and my OWN
money - ie: I think I am qualified to voice my opinions here. 

I love the historic homes on the North Side as much as anyone - that's why
I BOUGHT FOUR of them. I even built a website dedicated to them (see
www.youngstownphotos.orgfree.com).

So how about it, Bellamy... what is YOUR solution to the problem?  Sitting
around and complaining (repeatedly) will fix....uhhhhhhhhh...ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
Why don't you do your part by purchasing, restoring, and bringing "up to
code" one or more of the buildings that you have (quite CORRECTLY) said are to
be demolished?


::::::::::stepping down off of my historic, rusty, creaky old soap-box now::::::::::::::

:/

[rusty river]

Demolition of Historical Homes and properties is an IGNORANT and SINFUL thing to do...and GOD will get you for committing these ugly acts.

I would still like to know which historical homes you are referring to

[Frank Bellamy, MAP Masters of Applied Politics]

and I told you so....What a Jackass thing to do!

Now the city is running out of money.

[Frank Bellamy, MAP Masters of Applied Politics]

I just did a detailed read of the Wall Street Journal article about Youngstown's Gross Mismanagement of City Resources and Assets...Some of the most insane comments were made by Mayor Williams, his director of Community Development Mr. D'Avignon and outgoing 2nd Ward Councilman Rufus Hudson. 

And my question to these guys; Have either of you ever tried to live, raise a family or even visit any other cities in America for any extended length of time?
You are basing your planning decisions for Youngstown, Ohio USA off of failing country models from Europe...are you guys stupid?  This is criminal for you to do this. 

We live in America and this Idea of Neighborhood Destruction in order to create Non Productive "Green Spaces" is not embraced by Any Other City Governments in our nation.

"Talk like that would be considered blasphemy in most cities, where officials are taught to promote growth and development and fight against population decline. Accepting that a city is going to shrink goes against conventional wisdom that a bigger city means more jobs, more taxpayers, more revenue, better education, and better services -- in essence, a higher standard of living."; From WSJ Article

[Frank Bellamy, MAP Masters of Applied Politics]

The Wall Street Journal is wrong Big Time in regards to Youngstown. 

This city unlike many other cities in America is a very Historic Town with finely constructed older homes...Jay will go down in history as the Mayor who demolished Youngstown's Rich History.

Vandalism must be stopped first to cure Youngstown's Blight Problem.  Vandalism will spread from house to house until they are all gone.

No Matter how you attempt to defend it;

Demolition of Historical Homes and properties is an IGNORANT and SINFUL thing to do...and GOD will get you for committing these ugly acts.