The Observation Deck

See this:

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index ... _busi.html

"Top corporate leaders in Akron and Cleveland are quietly discussing ways to better align and fund economic development efforts in the region.

The strategizing is called NEO 77, in recognition of the Interstate highway that links the region's largest cities."

The name chosen by this organization betrays its purpose. I predict that this group will soon be renamed something like "Regional Interests Protecting Our Future", RIPOFF.

The State is embarking $500 million plan to expand I-77 and subsidise the Jacobs Group investment along I-77 and Route 82.

http://www.cleveland.com/sunstar/news/i ... xml&coll=4

http://blog.cleveland.com/plaindealer/2 ... ertra.html

There is noting in these plans that will bring one extra person or job to the "region" These plans are another example of the Jacobs Groups control over development decisions. Is anyone paying attention?

Bill

Maybe we can get the pushers of Regionalism LakewoodAlive/Team Neo to explain to us
one more time how these regional plans help Lakewood?

The way I see it in 10 years the regionalist have done nothing but talk and deliver NOTHING
but sleezy presentations about how great it will be for everyone when they get their way.

Maybe Lakewood/Alive could have Team Neo come back in with their hypothetical scatter
charts of possible success and misrepresentations.

Not one has ever been able to describe honestly how rebuilding Youngstown, Akron, Canton
will ever help Lakewood.

We are under attack, and the enemy is us.

Well some of us.

.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Not one has ever been able to describe honestly how rebuilding Youngstown, Akron, Canton will ever help Lakewood

I haven't seen one single economic justification for "regionalism".

Regionalism in practice seems to be:

Tax Cuyahoga County and the innner ring suburbs to

widen freeways and open new exits to

enable the Jacobs group to build new offices and hospitals and houses that will

help to hollow out and impoverish Cuyahoga County so

the region will prosper.

I can understand why Akron City officials and Summit County want to move the economic center of gravity from the center of Cuyahoga County to the boarder of Cuyahoga and Summit County but I can't see why Cuyahoga County is interested.

There might be some hope for Cuyahoga County if our new County Executive puts the interests of the County ahead of the interests of Youngstown and Akron.

Here is a great test of the regional spirit:

Lorain, Summit and Lake County can add 1% to their sales tax rate and give the money to Cuyahoga County to help support regional institutions like RTA, the Port Athority, the Cleveland Clinic the art musueum and more. It's all about the region right?

Bill Call wrote:

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Not one has ever been able to describe honestly how rebuilding Youngstown, Akron, Canton will ever help Lakewood

I haven't seen one single economic justification for "regionalism".

Bill

I am not so sure.

Went back through notes and found this representation of what Regionalism would mean
for Lakewood, and the residents as presented by Team Neo in a Lakewood Leadership
Breakfast sponsored by LakewoodAlive and the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce.


Before regionalism, and hypothetically after regionalism.

The difference is as plain as day.

Better times ahead.

Team Neo would be the same group that awarded LakewoodAlive for bringing 5 Guys
Burgers to Lakewood, and told us we were lucky to have one of their employees so
active in LakewoodAlive, the schools and every aspect of our community.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

Well I guess we are...

hypothetically.


.

Isn't the solution to this just scooping up all vacant and underutilized land in town and deeding it to Jacobs Group?

Just sayin...