Vision of the future

[Towntalk]

What is the one most important tool that is lacking here in Youngstown?

I suggest that it is a real vision for our city's future that will keep our young folks graduating from YSU from leaving.

Aesthetics ... the arts ... restaurants ... Peace races ... and tree planting all have their places but they will not spur the kind of jobs that will use the talents of our youth.

As I have mentioned in previous posts a small Pennsylvania college town of 8000 people have a vision that will bring more jobs to that town by giving their full support to an Ethanol plant.

Now in terms of numbers, we'll not see a massive influx of people seeking jobs there, but that plant coupled with an Ethanol plant located in Curvinsville, Pa. just less than ten miles from Clearfield will spur new jobs not only in the plants themselves but in ancillary jobs.

An Ethanol plant here in and of itself will not solve all our problems, but it would be a good step forward.

It needs also to be pointed out that the Pennsylvania Ethanol plants have been fully supported by both the Pennsylvania and U.S. EPA, so pollution would not be an issue, so such a plant could easily be located in one of our Brown Fields areas.

Another benefit would be the tax revenue that the plant would generate for Youngstown.