Millennials

Today's Journal...

Millennials the next generation to shape local cities

Several generations have had a hand in developing and advancing Butler County.
Baby Boomers and Generation X had the torch passed to them by the Greatest and Silent generations. Now that torch is being passed on to the Millennial generation.
This up-and-coming generation is tapped as confident, self-expressive and open to change, according to a study on Millennials by the Pew Research Center. The study says this generation is also steeped in digital technology and social media and “they are history’s first ‘always connected’ generation.”
It will be this generation that is the driving force in Butler County over the next 20 years.

“I think if people my age are going to have a meaningful impact on … the country, they have to be less self-centered and less self-focused,” said Middletown City Councilman Josh Laubach, a 31-year-old who is also production manager at AK Steel.

There’s a lot of good to talk about Middletown, said Laubach.
“I refuse to accept anybody’s negative premise about Middletown,” he said. “If I get that, I simply turn it on its head. Sometimes that’s not the easiest thing to do. But I’m always an advocate.”
Laubach gets where the negative discussions come from, but helping to reshape downtown Middletown and maintain its resurgence in the coming years will be his generation’s charge.
“I’m thinking and talking positive about Middletown, about the potential and the opportunities the city has, the history and the character the city has,” Laubach said. “The city was the heart of the American industrial revolution and there are legacies all over the place.”

“My generation is the generation that’s going to build (the platform for the next generation),” said the 23-year-old Middletown City Councilman A.J. Smith, who owns his own marketing and campaign consulting company, ASJ & Associates.
And while not having a formal education doesn’t guarantee a job, especially in the economy that’s still recovering from the Great Recession that ended in 2009, Smith said “work ethic, ambition and drive make up one’s ability to be successful.” He said his generation will be charged ensuring jobs are available.
“I think we’re doing a little bit of that here locally with health care, research and education,” Smith said. “Since I’ve been on council those have been our top key priorities and companies we try to attract here.”

HEALTH CARE, RESEARCH, EDUCATION? AN ATTEMPT AT EDUCATION IS COVERED BY CS. HOW ABOUT THE OTHER TWO? TIME FOR THE MILLENNIALS TO GET STARTED IF THE GOAL IS TO ATTRACT JOBS IN THIS TOWN. HASN'T BEEN A FOCUS WITH RESULTS IN OVER A DECADE.

I TAKE IT THAT GIVEN LAUBACH'S COMMENTS ABOVE CONCERNING THE REFUSAL TO LISTEN TO THE NEGATIVITY, HE HAS JOINED THE NON-REALISTS AS TO WHAT IS ACTUALLY OCCURRING HERE. I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO TURN OUT TO BE THE POSITIVE BEACON OF HOPE ON THIS COUNCIL. APPARENTLY, HE HAS BEEN CONVERTED. DISAPPOINTING.

Yes--with Josh and AJ and the rest of their generation(who else?)
at the helm, we should have a much brighter future.

Especially with Mr.Laubaugh intently focused on the former downtown area,
and no mention of the rest of our community. Can't wait to hear his plan for the
East end and the other business areas of our community! Maybe in a few years?

Anyone think that Mr.Laubaugh could be re-elected?

All aside--a nice young family man trying to do what he sees as best.
I don't see him in this for personal gain at all. Had a lot of hope for his term.

Jmo

Spider,