poverty
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown City Government
Forum Name: City Manager
Forum Description: Discuss the city manager administration including all city departments.
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5346
Printed Date: Nov 22 2024 at 10:56am
Topic: poverty
Posted By: spiderjohn
Subject: poverty
Date Posted: Jul 07 2013 at 9:34am
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holy moly We all knew that it was bad, but THIS bad? Poverty almost doubles in Hamilton to 20.9%, and here in Middietown, we now are at 23.2%!!!!(and that was a couple of years ago). Absolutely un-sustainable, and rising with no end in sight. Not only a local issue, however we always seem to be on the high end of these trends while on the low end of new living-wage job opportunities. Council/Admin is drowning under this---and our town is crumbling from the sewers, streets, jobs, crime---you name it. Can't lay fault with any one group of people, though these trends have to be broken. Obviously it is a national and global issue. I assume that a movie complex and a few more mid/low level restaurants is all that we can support. Still--we have the new owners of Towne Mall struggling for quality tenants---why couldn't that area transform to the movie restaurant complex, since it is already leaning towards low-end retail and vacant? This would leave the eastend still available for eventual higher-end jobs development as has been always planned. Where is MMF? We haven't heard from them since Admin handed them a check for $75,000. Weren't they trumpeting that they had been in charge of development of that east end area? They crapped out in the former downtown area---so why the need for cash if they have also abandoned east end planning? How was the $$ used? Expenses(lol--for what--meetings/lunches?)? When is their next meeting? Actually Council/Admin is well-represented there--maybe they could give an update at their next public meeting! Maybe the MJ could actually research this, and inform the readersip public. AND..... we have our annual ballon event next week-end. The entrances to Smith Park are still an embarrassing mess. The hydraulic is still a green, mucky disaster(haven't been down there since the rains--should be interesting), and the cement retainer walls along Verity have crumbled to non-existence. The weed growth has been ignored. Hope that the weather co-operates so that we have balloon flights and patrons. Either way--outsiders won't get a flattering view of our community, and will leave with that impression. Sorry for the rant--I don't have a great solution other than attacking these issues one small step at a time.
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Replies:
Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Jul 07 2013 at 10:34am
| SJ, No need to apologize, you're just expressing the same frustration that many of us here in Midd. are feeling. We see our opertunities sliping away and there doesn't seem to be answers how to fix it except we know we can no longer cater to a select few, this a city and it's time to act in the interests of what's best for the "entire" city. |
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: Jul 07 2013 at 8:42pm
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SJ, OTH I couldn't agree more. However, it will take more than 10 or 20 citizen daily chats on a forum catering to citizens. It will take 500 to 1000 active citizens who are willing to do a little work and kick in a few bucks to get the word out. Pacman 
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Posted By: Neil Barille
Date Posted: Jul 07 2013 at 9:46pm
| This town is too far gone. There is no hope within the next 20 years. We're far closer to Detroit than we want to admit. |
Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Jul 08 2013 at 1:06am
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Neil....you are absolutely right. I was driving around town today and just thought what an unsightly mess this city is downtown, east end, north, south. The streets are a mess, weeds growing through them, almost white in composition. This city is near being Detroit. It would be interesting to have a poll answered. What in your opinion, caused more decline in Middletown than anything: A) City council's decisions including the robbing of the annual pavement fund to pay salaries for employees for 25 years. B) Lack of "greenfield" sites. C) Reactive mindset of all leaders from city council, city leaders, school board, others. D) Poverty brought in by the city (ergo Section 8). E) Poverty brought in by the city (ergo- lack of economic development). F) All of the above. G) Will Middletown ever come back? A) Yes B) No My answers are F and B. Detroit version 2.0 is coming; Middletown is already in Mansfield, Youngstown, league. Brighter future? Hell no. ------------- 'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill |
Posted By: Richard Saunders
Date Posted: Jul 08 2013 at 5:29am
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Acclaro: Don't insult Detroit! Detroit wasn't stupid enough to pick a fight with HUD, as Middletown has done.
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Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Jul 08 2013 at 10:29am
| Acclaro, I also think it's F but i'm hoping there's still a chance for "the powers that be" to wake up though that will mean they will have to admit they may have made a mistake. Can you sue them for dereliction of duty. Just asking. |
Posted By: ktf1179
Date Posted: Jul 08 2013 at 10:48am
You were talking about grass in the streets here are some picture I took
when I went for a walk in the Ayrshire Neighborhood yesterday. After I
took these pictures I actually slipped and fell on a sidewalk that was
wet and had alga growing on it.   |
Posted By: blue7
Date Posted: Jul 08 2013 at 11:40am
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How about drugs. Would that be put on our police department? With poverty and rampant hardcore drug use going on in this city is it cheaper for our city not to prosecute these individuals because of the manpower and lost money taking to prosecute them. They don't pay their fines and keep on taking up room in our jails between robbing people and stores. Should our police step up and patrol these areas more? Or is that a tax payer drain? I don't see middle class folks getting arrested at walmart for stealing. |
Posted By: Bocephus
Date Posted: Jul 08 2013 at 1:26pm
| Acclaro you left out one of the main reasons for the decline of middletown/America, the loss of jobs that pay a liveable wage and have decent benefits. |
Posted By: Stanky
Date Posted: Jul 08 2013 at 2:16pm
| Bo, jobs just don't lose themselves. The question is why did companies leave Middletown, taking the jobs with them, and what could/should have been done about it OR whose fault is it that the conditions haven't been there for new companies to move in. |
Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Jul 08 2013 at 2:27pm
| Isn't it our city council and and revitilation dept. and our city manager's job to try to keep what business we have and promote new businesses to the area? |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Jul 08 2013 at 2:53pm
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Excellent point, stanky very telling ?
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Posted By: Bocephus
Date Posted: Jul 09 2013 at 2:40pm
For the same reason that the jobs left America to go over seas and down south where labor is cheaper and they have less rules and regulations to deal with? I think greed may have something to do with it. And don't mistake that I agree with our city leadership, I think they have did their share of damage, over the last 30 years or so we have had a lot of bad decisions. It just seems like that when we had good paying jobs before a lot of the industries left town that we had better leadership choices.
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Stanky wrote:Posted By: Bocephus
Date Posted: Jul 09 2013 at 2:46pm
What do you mean we have lots of new businesses too bad 90% of them are minimum wage and wont support the people that work there!
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Posted By: squeemy
Date Posted: Jul 10 2013 at 9:13pm
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Middletown's economy is more around the US than many realize. we don't lag the rest of the US - we've been leading America's decline for decades. during our "bright past" (and bright it was) - there were over 50 corporate headquarters in Middletown, many of whom traded internationally. many of these businesses operated in an economy that manufactured goods. Middletown, as in many other similar towns, created value by making stuff. it was capital intensive and employed a lot of people. since the mid-20th century, manufacturing in the US was replaced by finance. corporate profits in the US 1950 - manufacturing: 55%, finance: 8% corporate profits in the US 2004- manufacturing: 6%, finance: 41% the entire Nation is deluded into believing that moving money creates value and Middletown is among the first to see its results. |
Posted By: HdMechanical
Date Posted: Jul 10 2013 at 10:29pm
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Hmmmmmmmmm......Maybe look at it this way, lower paying jobs still fund the tax base........Being a consumer 100% is the goal. Taxes are not collected on self-sufficiently, they create jobs and avenues which provide for more tax collections based on population density. They want to tax the same dollar a 100 times.....A lot of smaller businesses do not want higher paying jobs to move in, they will be stuck with a less educated pool of employees or slob workers to choose from. It is a catch 22 in some aspects, I think CC is heading the right direction on fighting HUD....They need to decrease cost or increase revenue, if the Section 8 housing is a drain on resources then by all means cut it to the workable %.
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Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Jul 11 2013 at 6:05am
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Absolutly no proof that Section 8 tenents have increased crime or drained resources in Middletown. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jul 11 2013 at 7:55am
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Would be interesting to see the numbers on police responses - pre Section 8 lower numbers versus post Section 8 overabundance. Have read articles citing strains to city resources. Just comments, no data that I'm aware of. See the police briefs in the Journal everyday. Looks like we have a jump in theft from candy bars at the UDF to copper out of the air conditioners at businesses and residential. Can we tie this jump to the increase in the lowering of the income levels and all that that brings? Dunno. By inviting HUD to town in abundant numbers, have we made ourselves a target for influencing those connected with the criminal element here as well? Dunno. How about those "at-large" people we read about in the police briefs? Were they attracted here by the freebies initiated by the city? I would imagine that with the increase in Section 8 and the invite of freebie hand-outs, the trend that would follow would be a certain amount of criminal element that would also track to the city that normally wouldn't be here. No proof...just stereotyping I guess. Wasn't Parma the other Ohio city saturated with Section 8? If so, wonder how they are faring on crime statistics? ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Jul 11 2013 at 9:35am
| The police have stated the increase in theft has been directly connected to the increase drug use be it cocaine or even more so herion. Is that also connected to Sec 8, Dunno |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Jul 11 2013 at 10:08am
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Lay the crime activity maps over the top of the S8 maps. Scary--however S8 is somewhat scapegoated since the high- density crime areas are also lower- income non-s8 also. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jul 11 2013 at 10:21am
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Guess we can't compare Parma's Section 8 program with Middletown. Dug up an old post from Nelson Self and Vivian dated 2010 which stated that Parma is around 80,000 in population where Middletown is around 48,000. Parma has the allotted (correct) 700+ in Section 8 vouchers where Middletown has 1400+ or so. Gonna skew the data a tad bit if we try to compare. Spider: Section 8.....lower income....one in the same IMO. It is an addition of poverty that this city can ill afford. Guilt by association at best with Section 8. No matter how we slice it, it can't be a good thing to add to a city, especially in the inflated numbers asked for by the city leaders. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Jul 11 2013 at 11:56am
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Guess we can't compare Spider: Section 8.....lower income....one in the same IMO. It is an addition of poverty that this city can ill afford. Guilt by association at best with Section 8. No matter how we slice it, it can't be a good thing to add to a city, especially in the inflated numbers asked for by the city leaders. Spider and Vet I posted 2 maps on this blog several years ago showing Section 8 and high crime areas however now I can’t find the post. High poverty areas = high crime areas is a true statement in almost ever city. However the research and these maps clearly shows that City Hall over the past ten years did not use the HUD Funds in the areas of high poverty and high crime to help solve the problems. |
Posted By: HdMechanical
Date Posted: Jul 11 2013 at 12:47pm
So where did they use them....? Is there a mandate they must use the funds only for HUD housing........I don't think so, the funds go in the city budget to be used as they see fit. Sure some funds are used for maintaining the properties to HUD standards just like any other land lord who accepts Section 8...Rental is revenue regardless of who pays it, HUD or me. Unless I missing something, this is a for profit venture by the city ....Just so happens they also fund the other resources for the general public. Seems to me the city is policing itself and those who really don't understand the inner workings are crying... The city is under no obligation to stay committed to section 8 , whats keeps them from just saying kiss this and no longer accept section 8 vouchers......Apply for grants to make it greenspace or update for higher end housing and put the current tenants on the street......
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Posted By: HdMechanical
Date Posted: Jul 11 2013 at 12:58pm
Of course not, they chose to collect the HUD money and allow the tenants to self-police......Thus GangLand
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Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Jul 11 2013 at 1:08pm
| As I understand it, The hud funds are suppose to be used in the "areas of greatest need" which would be in the low income areas, Well, Doug Adkins and Judy decided to have Middletown declared 54% proverty level so they could use the funds in any area they choose. They decided to take advantage of the article stating "Middletown, One of the fastest dying cities" to cover their plan. |
Posted By: processor
Date Posted: Jul 11 2013 at 1:31pm
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In my opinion Middletown's failure is a result of many different forces. Squeemy points out one huge drivers. Middletown's businesses used to be locally owned and operated. Over time these were sold and became facilities within larger organizations. This resulted in the management staff being significantly reduced. As these people left town looking for opportunities the professionals who supported them, lawyers, accountants, etc also drifted off. I think that this was just a changing of the times and was no one in particulars fault but it did significantly reduced the talent in town. To witness this just look at many of Middletown's seniors. Many are world class in intellect, drive and achievement. Then look at the 30 - 50 year olds. There are still some high achievers, but not nearly as many as before. Then look at the 20 - 30 year olds. Certainly some high achievers, but an even smaller proportion of their age cohort. The city councils/administrators of the 1980's - 2000's certainly let us down with their lack of understanding of the underlying forces and appropriate counter measures. I think they were trying to hold on to what they had versus looking for appropriate replacements. For example they tried to hang on to the downtown retail by doing a "me too" and putting a roof over the place. All this did was postpone the inevitable and make things worse. They looked to keep the housing stock full and started us down this road of HUD money and Section 8. They sold our "soul" to an unthinking unyielding bureaucracy instead of tending to city basics...low crime, good streets and other infrastructure, good fire protection, and low taxes. Now we're in a huge mess with no easy way out. I think that about the only path out is to significantly reduce the poverty in Middletown by reducing, preferably eliminating, section 8. Then we'll need to tear down all housing stock, old factories, etc that are not being used. City council needs to forget all of their HUD type projects and work exclusively on basic city functions; infrastructure, crime reduction, beautification and economic development. We need to set the conditions that companies find attractive and then sell, sell, sell the city to them. Ideally they would find some real business people to do the economic development NOT government officials who really don't understand and can't get in to see the right people in the right organizations. If I was looking to expand my business in SW Ohio Middletown would not be on my short list because of the poverty, high crime, high taxes, etc. West Chester, Mason, even Fairfield would be on my list. Only once this was fixed, would Middletown be on my list for consideration. I feel bad for the low income people who would be displaced, but the boat is sinking and will drown everybody if not righted soon. No boat; no one can be helped.
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Posted By: Stanky
Date Posted: Jul 11 2013 at 1:44pm
| What gets me is HUD's boo hoo claim that the city has not properly considered the impact of reducing vouchers on the recipients. If I was getting a voucher, is it too much to ask that I may have to move somewhere else in order to continue my free lunch? The reality is most of these people would be able to move somewhere within 30 miles. This is a symptom of a larger problem, both in goverment and the population -- the ever expanding idea of "rights". I have a right to my free rent, I have a right to never move for that free rent, and on and on. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jul 11 2013 at 2:05pm
EXCELLENT!!!! BINGO! NOW, BEFORE THIS GETS ERASED SOMEHOW.....SOMEONE MAKE A COPY OF THIS. EXPAND IT TO BILLBOARD SIZE AND PLACE IT IN FRONT OF COUNCIL SO THAT THEY MAY READ IT PERIODICALLY TO REMAIN FOCUSED WHILE GILLELAND, LANDEN AND THE OTHERS TRY THEIR BEST TO DERAIL THIS MESSAGE. MIGHT TAKE A COPY AND TACK IT UP ON THE WALLS OF EVERY OFFICE IN THE CITY BUILDING SO THAT THEY STAY FOCUSED ON THE CORRECT THINGS ALSO. I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT RIGHT AFTER THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND THE PRAYER, THAT COUNCIL READ THIS VERBATIM BEFORE EACH MEETING IS STARTED. GOOD ASSESSEMENT PROCESSOR. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jul 11 2013 at 2:18pm
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STANKY: "What gets me is HUD's boo hoo claim that the city has not properly considered the impact of reducing vouchers on the recipients".... Personally, I don't care what the "impact of reducing vouchers does to the recipients" because we aren't suppose to have but half the number we have in the first place. The city is doing them a favor by offering the number of vouchers that they are as we are only suppose to be distributing around 700 rather than the 1400 offered now. HUD knows good and well that we are only suppose to have around 700 for a city the size of Middletown. They have found a sucker (Middletown) to take all the vouchers not wanted by reputable cities and will do anything to force this city to hold on to them. Makes it easy for HUD to dump them in one place rather than to have to scatter them all around Butler County. And, put a time limit on those so-called "rights" too. Then, ready or not, you're on your own, paying your own way like the rest of us have to do. Handouts should never be "forever". JMO ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Jul 12 2013 at 12:20pm
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Gentlemen I hope the following information will help you better understand the poverty levels in From City of Middletown Section 8 Analysis June 2010 Page 12 POVERTY LEVELS 2006 - 2008 % Families Below Poverty Level Middletown 13.5 % Ohio 9.7% U.S. 9.6% % Individuals Below Poverty Levels Middletown 19.0% Ohio 13.2% U.S. 13.2 |
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Jul 12 2013 at 12:39pm
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Gentlemen |
Posted By: Perplexed
Date Posted: Jul 12 2013 at 12:40pm
| Say what you will about the negative impact of the Section 8 program. What most of you continue to ignore is the waste of HUD funds (CDBG, NSP, HOME, Stimulus) and misguided planning of the occupants of the fourth floor of the municipal building. Consider the opportunities foregone by Judy, Doug and company. |
Posted By: Perplexed
Date Posted: Jul 12 2013 at 12:44pm
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Vivian - Thank you again for providing MUSA with relevant documentation. There's nothing more important than hard evidence that fully back up your assertions.
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Posted By: processor
Date Posted: Jul 12 2013 at 3:33pm
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Vivian, Isn't your post circular logic? The poverty numbers increased in Middletown because the section 8 vouchers increased. As more of them are filled the poverty will go up again and there will be need for more vouchers and on and on and on. Regarding council requesting more vouchers..who here is satisfied with the logic, or lack there of, that council uses? My guess is that we can continue to increase the vouchers and increase the poverty until Middletown is one big subsidized housing project. Then people can argue that the government needs to build more housing to take care of the poverty needs. If we have a chance to turn Middletown around those in need must look somewhere else for their help. A community can only support so much charity until it brings them down too. Middletown is well beyond the limit. Perplexed...I totally agree that the city has wasted HUD money and has sold the citizens out with the "price" to receive HUD money.
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Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Jul 12 2013 at 4:19pm
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All are missing what is occurring in Middletown. It is a stated GOAL within the Master Plan, which is poorly done, it is the goal-state within Middletown, to be about 28,000 in totality. The city, in time, will reach that goal, but its premise is false. Larry Mulligan made a pronouncement years ago, if you did not want to be part of the solution, just get out of Middletown. By that, he meant, "cheerleader." The vision is there will be a haven of public paid employees at MUM, C State, the city, elsewhere, to sustain Middletown. The circular logic to that vision is in the interim, as more get out, fewer move in, this adding additional glut to housing stock. That is where the Section 8 battle line in the sand is drawn. With the loss of influx of residents in, more housing stock sits. To fill the void, as the higher base of professional employees has no interest in living in Middletown, Section 8 is used. It is needed to fill the excess capacity of inventory. The circular logic is not Section 8 is the problem, the circular logic is the city wants to reduct population, to get down to a baseline of income it deems acceptable, with mostly Middletown residents working in Middletown, while there is no influx coming in. This is precisely what has happened to the Middletown School District. It is not section 8 causing poor performance, it is the need to allow open enrollment for trouble makers, others, whom were booted out (at least many), from other districts. MCSD is safe haven. The only reason the HUD battle was taken on is the Master Plan. The city wants to be a town of 28,000 or so; and will accomplish that inadvertently, as influx out is greater than influx in. IMO, most are simply focused on the wrong issue of Section 8. Middletown is a city that has become what it is by its own manifestation. Too big of a geographic area to maintain, total disregard for its own core mission, too wide, and not deep enough, and left in the dust by other communities. Section 8 was a solution for the city's excess housing stock and will be for decades. Economics drove the need for Section 8, not poverty driving Section 8. In turn, those with cash move out, those with limited cash driven in. Just as the school system has done, keading to "stuck on continuous improvement." Why move to an area that cost you $8,000 to send kid to private school when public school has problems, and a poor reputation? You don't....you go to West Chester, Mason, Mariemont, Hyde Park, etc. ------------- 'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill |
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Jul 12 2013 at 6:43pm
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I would like to share with you the faces of Section 8 tenants that have lived near me in the past 15 years This is the face of poverty in our country.
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Posted By: Bocephus
Date Posted: Jul 12 2013 at 7:38pm
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Vivian I have no issues with any American that needs help getting it through tax payer funded Government programs, from what I have seen in the last few years there are lots of people that are cheating the hell out of the system and wouldn't work if they had a job handed to them. Too bad that the good ones get tainted by the bad ones maybe the answer would be if they had better checks and balances on their tenants. |
Posted By: HdMechanical
Date Posted: Jul 13 2013 at 7:45am
Vivian , we can find those same faces in mugshots, This isn't about ppl ....It is only numbers......Thus, that is the problem with charity whether it be for animals or people, when they decide to pull the plug because the numbers don't work, then emotion enters the picture and chaos begins.
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Posted By: HdMechanical
Date Posted: Jul 13 2013 at 8:08am
BottomLine ....Poor Management, no long term goal to address current assets in place............Instead just assumed growth would provide funds. Growth stopped, money slowed...........Now the core has to be maintained , but no funds in place to support the core or assets.........Now they are trapped, it will take an aggressive player to get out of this mess..And many will not like it. It will happen regardless if anyone makes decisions or not, No funds = No options.....They can sit and watch it happen or they can control the break....But it will happen.
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Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Jul 13 2013 at 10:14am
| hd: you are right," Desperate times call for desperate measures" Let's see who can rise to the occation. |
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Jul 14 2013 at 1:23pm
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HUD Response Letter to the City of |
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Jul 14 2013 at 1:34pm
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Gentlemen |
Posted By: HdMechanical
Date Posted: Jul 14 2013 at 1:35pm
So who is going to fund those programs and leave the city in control...........Once you accept those grants and monies, there are mandates which must be followed and not always funded by those grants or federal funds.... Dig deeper and read the fine print...................
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Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Jul 14 2013 at 1:52pm
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HD
HUD funds all the above programs plus several others. City Hall receives this money every year so maybe you need to dig a little deeper and find out where City Hall has spent all these funds… |
Posted By: HdMechanical
Date Posted: Jul 14 2013 at 2:27pm
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Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Jul 14 2013 at 2:56pm
| Isn't some of Mr. Adkins salary paid by HUD funds and is ALL of his secretary's salary paid by these funds? Just wondering. |
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Jul 14 2013 at 3:10pm
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HD If this was private entity like HD Housing LLC and the locale was using excessive resources of the city....You , others and the city would be on the phone, forum or wherever trying to shutdown the nuisance... The city is policing itself and cutting costs on a for profit venture...... |
Posted By: Perplexed
Date Posted: Jul 14 2013 at 6:23pm
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Is the city paying Nelson Associates as much (or even more) than was paid to CONSO??? How much is the city spending on staffing from the Section 8 administrative funds? If so, whose salaries are subsidized??? Is it true that the city is spending a sizable percentage of all HUD grants for program administration plus program delivery??? This means salaries, fringe benefits, etc. Help anyone??? |
Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Jul 14 2013 at 6:50pm
Isn't doug adkins salary partially paid through HUD money and his secretary's whole salary paid by HUD funds? If the program is turned over to Butler Co. then will the secretary lose her job and what about adkins salary? Will the city keep paying him the same amount for his job of Community Revitilation, It's not like he's done a whole lot of "revitalizing"that you can see. Unless it's the "green spaces" he created with all the tear downs. 
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Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Jul 14 2013 at 7:21pm
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Is the city paying Nelson Associates as much (or even more) than was paid to CONSO??? I’m sorry but I do not have the breakdown on the numbers for this department. You will need to request these records from Mr. Adkins |
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Jul 14 2013 at 7:50pm
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Posted By: HdMechanical
Date Posted: Jul 14 2013 at 8:12pm
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Middletown is also a landlord on some properties....for which they receive vouchers. They also adminsiter the HUD program thru another entity which exists on paper and trail is muddled.....You can trace middletown housing authority back to being owned by hamilton housing authority...Then you can pull the scattered housing up and find many different landlords which have partners. But you will find very little info on middletown public housing in regards to filings, tax id or other identifying documents.... The only way you can pinpoint properties owned by city of middletown and being rented is to enter the addresses and find them on Butler county website. But I could be wrong......... |
Posted By: darcy1969
Date Posted: Jul 15 2013 at 11:46am
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We have a masonry company with good workers right here in Middletown. The city is not ADA compliant I know, but if we start listing out specific areas that help our special needs be able to get to the grocery or local park if there is one in their neighborhood then provide that list to the city we can start to make baby steps in the right direction. I suggest any left over material from commercial jobs be used to fix the curbs and sidewalks in many areas. I ride a bike now since my van broke down and just from my temporary home to Save A Lot I had to get off my bike a couple times and walk to avoid side walk curbs that were not ramps. If I can't ride a bike then I know those with special needs cannot get very far. Now when I rode in the Sherman area it was much better, but there are a boat load of places surrounding Sherman that need work. We have to start volunteering ourselves to help, or call on family, get prices to repair, talk to businesses, because many curbs can be fixed by local business person who owns the property where the sidewalk is, and the ones in neighborhoods perhaps they can have yard sales or baked goods sales or request churches to help make a difference? These are all ideas that everyone on here can use to help change it. We need to take initiative for our own communities. We need to make a list and prioritize it, and take baby steps toward improving. It's all good to identify the problems but complaining doesn't make anything change, action does. So we need to take pictures, print a map, identify the locations and need. Then provide that with a change request and if no response from the city then see what we can do to change it ourselves. Does that sound reasonable? ------------- Darcia |
Posted By: darcy1969
Date Posted: Jul 15 2013 at 11:52am
 I have limb clippers, and am going to cut back an area of growth over the sidewalk on Breiel Boulevard that you have to duck and bob to get past. I will do what I can with limited time and resources and this is something I can do to help. One of the big issues with the city is they contract out a lot of work like mowing because they only have 6 employees I think I was told a few weeks ago. So there's too much work to be done and not enough employees. I can draft a letter to give to local businesses and see if they can change some of the sidewalks or perhaps work with the city regarding the ADA Compliance. I will see if I can post the letter here for others to use if they want to do the same. All we can do is ask the city with detailed information, or ask the local businesses, and then if they won't step up to the plate then we see if we can do it ourselves by getting creative with fundraising. The worst response we can get is No, or no response. I have heard that a ton in the past and am sure I will hear it more in the future, but it doesn't stop me from asking and eventually you get tired of hearing it and begin speaking publicly or try to solve the problem with your own ingenuity, creativity, and determination! ------------- Darcia |
Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Jul 15 2013 at 2:04pm
| I salute you,Darcy, I hope your post can encourage others. |
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Jul 15 2013 at 3:13pm
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Darcy |
Posted By: lrisner
Date Posted: Jul 19 2013 at 1:37pm
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Debate the causes of Middletown's poverty all you want, but you will not find the answer as it has already been given to you and you ignored it. Thank you squeemy (?). Poverty is growing in the US and will continue to grow as we have a systemic political problem that looks hopeless in my opinion. As was stated earlier, Middletown is just ahead of the curve, more than likely due to it's proximity to I75. We had been in decline since the 60s when all the economic development had the lure of the interstate corridor pulling it to the I75 area away from Middletown proper and thus were already in decline high gear when the "destroy the middle class" project started. The world Economy simply offered too much opportunity to the big money people of the World to pass up even if it meant that the middle class would take a hit. Unfortunately, as American Business has done of late, the long term consequences were ignored. When a Nation's economy exist with 70% of economic activity due to domestic consumer spending, how in the world can we ignore the the financial hit the middle class has taken and NOT expect that economic activity to wane? Additionally with a disproportional amount of the profits now coming from the financial area, as was mentioned earlier, we have the event of "paper" profits verse concrete profits that are associated with manufacturing. Can any of you educate me as to how things could be different given our current economic structure? All the tax cuts in the World and even more free trade than we have now are going to do nothing but make matters worst, yet that is all you hear out of Washington. THAT is why Middletown has so much poverty. Also...be careful about how much you bash the poor as you may find yourself there faster than you ever expected. I know many people in just that position. |
Posted By: Bocephus
Date Posted: Jul 19 2013 at 2:22pm
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Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Jul 19 2013 at 3:00pm
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both good points still--you have to do everything possible to make it all as minimal as can be not sure that we have done that around here do the simple math--no way that it can work and probably only gets worse jmo
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