The NYT & Youngstown

[irisblue]

Connie Schultz (@ConnieSchultz) Tweeted:
“There’s an underbelly of America that America doesn’t want to accept about itself, and [Trump] speaks to it.” - David Betras, former chair of the Mahoning County Democratic Party https://t.co/KdjcfUvdxa

Link to tweet

If you are paywalled out, try incognito mode

[Ohiogal]

1. I have issue with this.

And I suppose I will take some heat for saying this.

I think some publications like the NYT like to keep up this theme of what backwards and stupid people live here in the Youngstown area and what a shit hole it is.

And, I'm not arguing the fact that there are many people like that here. As long as you keep going to places where the older retired folk hang out drinking coffee and watching Fox news, you will find them. Certainly many are anti-immigrant and many long for the days of when the mills were running 24 hours a day (and pumping pollution into the air and water).....

But I wish some journalists would go into downtown Youngstown and look at all the building and development going on down there. We have a new ampitheatre almost ready for a slate of summer entertainment. There is currently $37 million worth of construction projects going on right now in and around Youngstown State U. New downtown apartment buildings are replacing old, abandoned eyesores. The Youngstown Business Incubator is humming right along. New restaurants are opening up. The recently renovated Double Tree hotel, lovingly restored to it's former brass and marble grandeur, is new on the scene. The world class Covelli Center hosts big name entertainment and we have a symphony orchestra here, as well. Our Butler Museum of American Art is a jewel. Our Mill Creek Park is a historic beautiful green oasis in the middle of the city with two lakes that offers canoing, biking, hiking, flower gardens, and much more.

I just get angry seeing my area always painted as some kind of crumbling rusted out backwater. We have our problems here, tis true, just like many other midwestern cities. There are definitely some areas in Youngstown that are struggling mightily with urban blight. But .... we are trying. And ..... Hillary won Mahoning County, where Youngstown is located. It was close, but she came out on top over Trump in 2016 there.

OK .... *rant off*

[SWBTATTReg]

2. And if you expand your good example across the country, there are lots of similar areas in ...

the Midwest where old industrial cities and towns (previous old mining towns, old factory towns, logging areas, etc.), you'll see the exact type / kind of development going on too, that you've described.

It's unfortunate that it takes a while longer to develop these underdeveloped areas, but I guess big money goes for the 'easy pickings' first (cities w/ large populations, lots of development, etc.), and then finally via the 'tickle down' policies (since money is already fully into all of the 'hot spots' etc., there is no where else to put money) except into these old industrial cities and towns.

Finding labor is a big problem too, since when the old economy died out, most people moved away, and the existing infrastructure suffered, another critical area needing redevelopment too.

Thanks for making good points.