Quote Originally Posted by Roadtrip View Post
Oy, my city is so messed up right now, the city leaders are incapable of doing even the simple things. They squabble over budget and every year they say they'll have to lay off firefighters and police, but end the end, they find money and the projects they are supposed to help the city flounder and not properly funded. We can't even agree on gargage collection for peats sake!

Many years (a decade ago!) ago the communities across the river hatched a plan to develop the riverfront and DID it. We have access to a nice theater, dining, and entertainment... Yet on this side we bicker about what businesses will be in the new development before a developer is even selected or a shovelful of dirt is turned in anger. A decade later and we finally have progress and dining options opening along the riverfront with condos and townhouses (wouldn't those have sold better before the housing market crash???) coming soon. With a few exceptions, we are the perfect example of Urban decay, empty downtown store fronts that used to be thriving local businesses.

We have a transportation 'master plan' that includes bike lanes, but I for one will not ride the local roads, at least until there is some serious education innitives. Drivers way too aggressive and that makes for unsafe routes for cyclists. There are niche areas that are more bike friendly and while I'd like to move, it's just not feeasible, plus I'm conveniently to bus routes and work at the moment.

Tax burdens in the city proper have only gone up while the suburbs have abatements etc, which mean way less taxes, causing the city population to shrink as people move to the burbs... meaning those remaining are further burdened in an economy already hitting the middle class so hard right now.

Guess this just fires me up a little and the rant switch flipped I honestly wish this city had a clue. Tourism is a small thought at the moment, but when there was more of a focus on our perceptions from outside the city, it almost always surrounded our two professional sports teams. Now, it's just trying to not have national sports writers mugged at gunpoint outside the stadium!

Shannon
I've been following the politics in Ohio, tax abatement's are not just happening in the suburbs but across the state. The state govt keeps cutting funding for cities and schools while giving concessions to corporations. This has been happening for years. This was one of the reasons I retired from Cincinnati Public Schools, I got so tired of being expected to "do more with nothing".

In the almost 7 years I've been here in Colorado I've been back to Cincinnati 5times, 3 for family obligations. Even though I was raised there and still have family there the city and state offer none of the attractions I have here in Colorado.

The only thing I ever missed was Graeter's Ice Cream and I can buy that here in Denver so, I'm sorry to say, there is no need to visit Cincinnati.

One of the problems is that the true treasures of the city (museums, Playhouse in the Park, CCM, School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Music Hall, parks, etc.) take a back seat to 2 major league sports teams. So much of the areas resources are tired up with the burden of 2 sports stadiums. The entire tri-state area and outlying counties should share the cost.

I could go on and on about Cincinnati and Ohio's problems but that's all behind me now. I do predict that many more jobs and residents will leave Ohio before things get better.