tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5366199.post5984847762559717286..comments2023-12-24T00:27:57.613-06:00Comments on Kole Hard Facts of Life: Drew Carey Series SoonMike Kolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17573721231319244630noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5366199.post-41208837185601853172010-03-10T09:57:50.266-06:002010-03-10T09:57:50.266-06:00Yeah, government regulation and corporate & un...Yeah, government regulation and corporate & union liabilities are some of the legacies. But, there are also other brownfield issues - pollution and old structures come to mind. It's usually easier to build new than to renovate old. That's why I was interested in whether cities with similar legacies as Cleveland had been able to rebuild to the benefit of its citizens by letting markets work more or less unfettered.Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11424730556609713021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5366199.post-45493483845096983742010-03-10T09:50:07.977-06:002010-03-10T09:50:07.977-06:00Well, for that matter, are rust belt legacy heavy ...Well, for that matter, are rust belt legacy heavy handed gov't problems?<br /><br />My observation of the decline of steel mills in Cle puts blame on both management and labor- something most people are very unwilling to do. In my view, both sides took and took, never looking to the future. Labor priced itself out of the global market, while management failed to modernize plant. That's a simplified view, but boils it down pretty well.<br /><br />The 90s Cle resurgence? Well, there were three new sports palaces built downtown. These wiped out a lot of run-down property, replacing it with shiny, new skyline landmarks. Coincidentally, the Indians were a great ball club in the 90s, and sold out Jacobs Field for consecutive seasons, bringing people downtown. Restaurant and club business rose tremendously. <br /><br />As the Tribe has faltered, Cle looks like a ghost town at night again. The Cavs draw well, but it isn't the same for a winter sport in a city like Cle. People linger far longer in the Summer when the Tribe is hot.<br /><br />The Flats was the big entertainment district. It's vacant today. Main reason? Lack of police visibility and patrols. Too many murders and smash-and-grabs led to suburbanites staying home. Even Fagan's is closed!<br /><br />The schools are awful. Unemployment is high. Taxes are exceptionally high. Big wasteful projects are the norm, such as the Euclid Corridor ($100m to redesign the road so as to make it car-unfriendly, with bus stops in the middle of the road. Green! Yay!) <br /><br />Pittsburgh is one city that changed, embracing newer technology. I don't know to what extent that is the result of private action or public policy. I'll have to look into it, because that seems to be one place that isn't clutching the non-existent past. They razed Homestead Works and moved forward.Mike Kolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17573721231319244630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5366199.post-1557370305785169672010-03-10T09:25:23.490-06:002010-03-10T09:25:23.490-06:00I wonder if Cleveland's ailments are heavy han...I wonder if Cleveland's ailments are heavy handed government or just rust belt legacy problems generally. <br /><br />Are you aware of any manufacturing cities that have gone the free market, limited government route and saw the lot of their middle class improve as a result? <br /><br />Also, seems like Cleveland had a resurgence of sorts in the 90s. Any sense of what caused that improvement? (Or maybe my premise of improvement is wrong.)Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11424730556609713021noreply@blogger.com