Journal should have followed up the Mayor's comments with a comment from the Lt. about his opinion on if the vast majority of criminals are mid to long-term Middletown residents or interlopers from out of town. That would have been interesting.

vET...YOU ARE RIGHT. LETS MAKE THIS JEFF FOXWORTHEISE.

YOU KNOW THERE IS A TAX LEVY IN MIDDLETOWN WHEN THE JOURNAL PRINTS INFORMATION AS TO HOW CRIME HAS RISEN AND SOMEONE ON CITY COUNCIL STATES ITS ALL ABOUT MANPOWER.

YOU KNOW THERE IS A  TAX LEVY IN MIDDLETOWN WHEN YOU SEE THE MIDDLETOWN STREET SWEEPER SWEEOPING THE CRUMBLING ASPHALT UP ON YOUR CUL DE SAC.

YOU KNOW THERE IS A TAX LEVY WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BRINGS OUT EVERY VEHICLE IN THEIR ARSENAL TO SHOW THE WORLD, THEY ARE PREPARED TO MAKE RUNS FOR ALL THE OLD FOLKS, THE 75% THAT MAKE UP MIDDLETOWN'S POPULATION, 65 AND OLDER, TO THE HOSPITAL.

YOU KNOW THERE IS A TAX LEVY WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TURNS ON ITS FLASHING LIGHTS AND SIRENS TO MAKE THEIR RUNS TO THE ATRIUM FOR A MINOR ISSUE, TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS, THEY ARE INDISPENSIBLE.

YOU KNOW THERE IS A TAX LEVY WHEN YOU ACTUALLY SEE A POLICE CRUISER IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD MAKING ROUNDS, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A YEAR.

YOU KNOW THERE IS A TAX LEVY WHEN ALL THE BUZZ BY CITY COUNCIL IS ON CINCINNATI STATE, AND WHAT YOU SEE IS NOTHING BUT FOR LEASE SIGNS ON BREIEL BLVD

YOU KNOW THERE US A TAX LEVY WHEN YOU SEE FOR SALE SIGNS POPPING ALL OVER IN EVERY MAJOR NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE CITY.
    

VietVet,

I agree with you that Middletown has more than it's share of problems but I must disagree with you on the connection that you are making between Section 8 vouchers, poverty, and crime.

You state that, via the Section 8 program, the city has created the poverty and crime problems that we are currently dealing with. However, this is just not factual. Section 8 did not cause the poverty, the poverty within our city was already here and qualified for the Section 8 vouchers. The Section 8 program pays almost $900,000.00 into Middletown's economy each month. Without these subsidies, the less fortunate citizens in our city would have to spend what little they make toward their housing needs instead spending it in our local economy. You state that Middletown's Section 8 program is attracting poverty and crime from neighboring cities like Dayton & Cincinnati. Again, this statement just isn't factual. Middletown's Section 8 program has a "locality preference", which means, for the most part, you can't get a voucher unless you are already a Middletown resident.

With that said, I hope that we can take the steps needed to turn things around for our city. I am all for the current strategy of tearing down what needs to be torn down, to hold banks accountable for all of the vacant homes that they are responsible for, and for making landlords more responsible for the properties that they own & lease. It will take many years to turn things around (even if we do it right), hopefully, during that time, we can improve our poverty levels so that so many aren't reliant upon it to survive. Only time will tell.