What a mess!!!

What a mess!!!

Butler/Warren Counties lead Ohio in population growth, but Middletown population shrinks to its lowest levels in forty years, and Butler County foreclosures Jump 70% from January (and 32%+ from last year)!!!

Yet all we keep hearing is how wonderful and great things are in Middletown, and about our brighter future.

All the positivism in the world will get us nowhere, unless we first:

• Face reality
• Identify the real problems
• Find practical solutions
• Develop a workable and realistic plan to implement those solutions
• Work the plan!!!

Once we stop trying to fool ourselves (and everyone else) and begin to do this, we will have an actual reason to feel positive, and things actually will begin to improve!!!

Today's Journal...

Census: Middletown loses 2,000 in 10 years

“We anticipated a slight population decrease given the history of Middletown and the state of the economy,” she (Gilleland) said, noting the city’s population in 1970 was 48,767".

"But Gilleland said the city is going through a rebirth this decade, purposefully “rightsizing” its communities by getting rid of housing stock and anticipating the completion of the Greentree Health Science Academy and the potential location of a Cincinnati State Technical & Community College branch campus downtown".

Nice spin Gilleland. A "rebirth"...."rightsizing"- What??? The population loss couldn't be the fact that you and others before you have made the decision not to concentrate on providing jobs for the people in this town, providing any semblence of a quality of life and they have left to seek employment, escape the ghetto mentality theme you are creating and are just plain tired of you people making this a ghost town. And, at the same time, no one wants to locate to this town for the same reasons. No Gilleland- look in the mirror. You have met the culprit and it is you and that circus you call a city staff.

Vet, every city council member and city leader would say they are addressing the problem, its all in The Master Plan! Then, they'd point to the magnificent projects at Cincinnati State, The Manchester, PAC, and the Atrium. Don't you get it, "they have a plan", its the "Master Plan" (LOL).

The economy is too far in shambles, infrastructure let rot for too many decades. Are $330Kk- $500 Kk still being bought? Sure they are, just not out at the Renaissance. Wasn't that the next big saving project? You have 1/6 of housing stock build to date, now the rest will compete with Sawyer's Mill, and the $100,000 homes inside 75 that 10 years ago, were appraised at $210,000.

The other areas began by tax incentives. Middletown is just far back to be competitive. I predict at the end of the day, Cincinnati State will have a small satellite office downtown. We have 20 years before the gloabl mess begins to even begin to turn around and it won't be anything like we have had in the past. No job recovery, decreasing income, and a > chasm between super rich, and those able to make a cell phone payment each month.

So what is the solution? There is none. Except avoid waste, tighten belt. Fix potholes. 

TonyB says "The real point is there are solutions to our problems. The first thing we need to do is have enough courage and confidence to participate in our future. If the future here is not what you want, change it".

TonyB- The city doesn't want you (us) to participate in the town's future. There are several on this site who have, over the years, tried to approach council with the intent to make suggestions, indicating to council that we were trying to participate in the future of this town. We have been on committees, spoken at council meetings, written Letters To The Editor, made E-Mail contacts, gone to forums giving our opinions, etc. We have been ignored time and time again and, with council making it perfectly clear that they do not wish the average citizen to participate in the direction of this town (with the exception of a small chosen number), we are out of options on our approach to the kingdom who runs the place. Exactly how is one suppose to approach a group of city officials who don't want citizen input as to their ideas to improve/change this town? If they won't listen, the effort is a waste of time isn't it? Your idea of the 7 council people resigning and being replaced by receptive replacements is a start. However, the job still isn't complete without the new council firing the city manager on down with receptive replacements in that area. THEN, we might start a two way dialog with our city government. JMO

Sure!!!

And I can just imagine if our city officials were in charge in Japan right now:

Don’t worry, citizens. Everything is fine. Just stay inside and don’t look out. There was very little damage from the 8.9 earthquake and we are taking the few people who were slightly injured to the clinics right now. The weather will be sunny and brighter tomorrow!!

Just stay inside. We had to blow off a little vapor from the nuclear power plant, but we have everything under control and everything is fine. There are no problems.

There will be an art show with free hot dogs on Friday!!!

There are no problems!!!

OK all, I get that you're frustrated with this council, this city manager and the situation in our town. Do you really believe there are no solutions? If so, what's the point of taking the time to even discuss this on this blog? Are you telling me that the only viable solution is to leave this town to its own devices? Maybe you're saying I should just move out of town and not bother. If that's the case, then the people you have identified as causing these problems have won. If this is the town that they want, and nothing can be done about it, why bother? I just don't see that as the answer. If this council won't listen, replace them. Is it that difficult to organize an effective message in this town? Please let me know because if that is the case, I will seriously consider moving out of town. I have no wish to live in a town governed without the consent of the governed!!!

Tony B- "If this council won't listen, replace them. Is it that difficult to organize an effective message in this town?"

Yes, it is that difficult to organize an effective message in this town. Nick Kidd tried to do it several years ago at the old Mont. Ward store on University. Interest went a meeting or two and fizzled. Had a small group meet on a Sunday afternoon at the library. Even had Mr. Marconi and Ms. Scott-Jones there one time. Discussed subjects ranging from the city finances to the road/pothole issues. Didn't take it any further. Had maybe 25 people at the first meeting. Then averaged about 6 to 8 people after that. Just can't get all these dissatisfied people off the couch to attend any attempt to organize. If you have any suggestions on how to combat apathy, let us know. We have talked about distributing petitions for recall on this forum. Even among the most "disgruntled" on this forum, we had apathy. The idea didn't get past making the trip to Hamilton's Board of Elections to pick up the petitions. Everybody is mad.......just not enough to do anything about it. Always has been the problem......and city hall is delighted. JMO

Vet, I think the meeting you refer had more to do with an ineffective message and rationale than dis-interest. I like many of Nick Kidd's ideas and observations, but I think this time around people are utterly disgusted with Middletown's direction. About 85%.

rem1187, thanks for your post; I guess my question is why do the members of council still support the current city manager? If morale is this poor; that speaks to leadership. Leadership in the public field is about inspiring employees to follow that job description and knowing that the job you're doing is important and valued. Without trust from the top, a public employee's job becomes an endless request for direction.

TonyB:

Along time ago in a galaxy far,far away we had a city manager who came up from the ranks of being a cop for the city of Middletown. Mr. Becker got kind of missed placed during the circus show better known as city council. Does city council really support this current city manager or have they become overwhelmed to a point that any warm body will do until they have to put the next fire out.  The problem IMO does have to do with council knowing their place and not creating more to do in order to close a issue and move on.  I bring Mr. Becker up to show how fast we go thru city managers. Trust and accountability is something all of use can "feel" when working around your peers. Ask your councilman if they believe in the city manager and the job they are doing, I have.

jag, I am not certain how to respond to your post other than I believe the majority on this site have stated that is what has killed Middletown for 25 years, the city manager focusing on a handful of people to tell he/she what to do. If she/he makes them happy, then they stick around. The problem began with Husemann as he was nothing but a puppet doing the bidding of the people you reference and  few others.

His interest was making a transitional buck while he found a position in Virginia, and accomplished little, other than recruiting a clone when she came into town. She was given a copy of all the key players and what they wanted done when she was hired. Before that, Becker was put in place as a means of getting his retirement pension up at a higher level by the "title", and the expectation he could pull the votes for the 2.25% tax. Next, the stop gap is the $75Kk temp that greased the skids for the few that run Middletown, including the names referenced.

Point: Ms. G is perfectly fine as long as these handful of people are happy. I suspect Mulligan, Picard, Becker, Allen, are very satisfied, with maybe a negative of one current council member. A friend happened to be doing some family historic research a few months ago and overheard Scorti talking to Martin that he was doing "grant research" for the courts. Now they have in place the system they want to have a few pull the strings. One assumes she'd throw Kohler under the bus if the few that she reports to, got a smack-down from LR.

End result- while Middletown melts like a nuclear rod in a power plant in Japan, life is cozy and comfortable for Ms. G and the handful of citizens she works for. This mess started with incompetent council people in the 80's that took their eye off the ball, it accelerated when Becker was put in a city manager, then H, then G, with rules to follow, and if you make these few happy, that's all that matters.

It worked for 7 years for the Super, it will work for at least 5-7 for the city manager.          

I don't understand why anyone would be encouraged by the track record of the "city leaders" mentioned . Despite being well-intentioned quality people, the end results of their direction have left the community on it's knees in many directions.