come from behind the closed doors!

[rnojonson]

Where is Lorain in the scheme of things? Does anyone have direction or vision? Is there a plan us folks can get behind? Seems Lorain is not a tourist stop like Vermilion, or a shopping mecca like Elyria, maybe we are a product producing town.

Gov Strickland is pushing the green Ohio thing, can we get into that? Green products, recycling, conversions, a long list of opportunities can be immediately developed here. Maybe big business is not the answer, maybe a slew of smaller businesses. Maybe officials and experts need to come from behind the closed doors and tap the community. Maybe trained experts and big business is not the way to kick-start Lorain. A crew of folks with an idea only needs a business manager to organize the business, set thing in motion.

High technology is wonderful but not necessary to turn us around. We shoot too high hoping something will fly into our bullets path. Using the people and stuff around us is closer to reality.

Is there anybody listening?

[keithg]

Where is Lorain in the scheme of things? Looking at this question realistically, Lorain at this point may not be the most attractive city to start or locate a business. Why? Although the city may offer some attractive tax incentives business are still reluctant to move here because of the high crime rates, the deteriorating infrastructure, and the lack of overall economic wealth. So a business looking to start or relocate in this area will overlook the city of Lorain for the newer, wealthier, and safer city's and villages such as Avon, Avon Lake, and Westlake. This is not to mention the location is more attractive because they are closer to the city of Cleveland where there is a greater population.

So what about new families that are looking to relocate to this area? Again the lack of security, the deteriorated infrastructure, lack of economic wealth, and poor local school ratings all discourage many families from moving to Lorain and may be in-fact why many people left the city.

What can we do? Well one of the positives for Lorain is that we have nothing to lose. Things at this point can only get better. As long as the city focuses on tearing down the old and deteriorated buildings, rebuilding our schools, and making the city and the schools safer things will get much better.

The problems that face Lorain don't only exist in Lorain, many other cities have faced similar challenges some have had success, while other are not doing as well. Even the city of Cleveland has many of these issues if not all of them. However, Cleveland is a major U.S. City that Big Business will always support whereas the City of Lorain is not such a bookmark on the map.

It is up to the people of Lorain to make a difference! Have you looked a the demographic stats on median income in the city of Lorain lately?

(The median income for a household in the city was $33,917, and the median income for a family was $39,454. Males had a median income of $34,120 versus $23,065 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,340. About 14.2% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.)

This has to be one of the lowest median incomes in America. So it takes the people of Lorain to change this as well. So we need to focus on providing the best education so families of higher income and education will want to relocate here. We need to get the drug dealers, thieves, and trouble makes off our streets and send them packing out of Lorain letting them know that they are not welcome here. We need to encourage the people of Lorain to create new businesses in Lorain. It takes the people that already live here to make a difference we can sit around and wait for someone else to move in a make it all better, because that just isn't going to happen.

It is important that we keep a positive outlook and that each one of us does our part to make Lorain a cleaner, healthier, and safer place to live. We have may great opportunities that we can take advantage of at some point if we can clean things up. Just look at all the under-developed lake-front opportunities that could potentially exist. Not many cities have such a great opportunity siting in-front of them.

We are listening and we can make a difference!

[rnojonson]

Hello keithg, glad you have ears. I know there are efforts to bring big business with lots of jobs that seem to elude us in Lorain. I don't think that kind of rescue will work either. But, what does it take to recover a small city? I've been here 6 years and I've yet to see the kind of groundwork to encourage people who live here into action.

The education you mention, to do what? So far we think high technology and university training is what is needed. Yet a small seed business could be a tee-shirt printing shop that could grow into a clothing line manufacturer. A view of the goods and services needed in the community rather than the "global economy" might create a local capital flow. What will turn the backyard mechanic, gardener, neighborhood handyman, doodle artist into a small seed business? What will turn the personal passions into an economic engine? This is what I think is being overlooked. We have too many big box stores that ship in goods from other places, not enough local sources and resources. Jobs are just part of the equation, local sources, local resources, local goods, local services are overlooked. Walk through Home Depot or Walmart and ask what here can be made here and not trucked in from out of state. We here in Lorain have too many imports and nothing to export! A big box store may bring some jobs but also kills jobs because it ships in goods and services that could have been sourced from here. We are told that big business will invite a community of support business but I think it is the other way around. A community or infrastructure of small businesses allow bigger businesses to thrive.

Seems the kind of talk we do today encourages the wait and see attitude. The only way to fix the problems in Lorain is have a vision, direction and goal of what could be that people can move toward. Even if it is slightly fuzzy in the details folks can get behind it and envision a future. For instance green is not just solar and wind and recycling. Green is also locally grown fresh food. Green is demanding stores sell more low energy consuming products and people getting tax credits for buying them.

You have to ask the question, is it easier to raise local wages or lower the cost of living? If you want both, there must be a plan to do both and information made available for the public to implement. If we only each have a dollar to circulate, what gets us to move that dollar instead of hoarding it? How can we double our dollar?

And speaking of small business, I worked for a job recruiter as a 1099 contractor for a week project. Because of that 1099 status I was taxed as if I was running my own business and even though I didn't make over $10,000 that year, I had to pay business tax rates. How can small business get started and sustain themselves if they are taxed out of existence? There should be another category of 1099 for temporary and part-time contract workers so we don't have to be paid under-the-table to make it. And better incentives for small business to sustain themselves.

I hope there will be more Lorain specific talk and solutions out in the open where folks can get a handle on it. The Lorain web pages by the city and county reps are too vague and brief. The views from LCCC shoots too high over our heads and the grassroots efforts down here on the ground in our neighborhoods are invisible or non-exists. The local paper should be full of local efforts and attempts and aspirations if they exist. This would be better that obituaries and police blotters and news from Cleveland.

[keithg]

Hello rnojonson I can appreciate your enthusiasm and concern regarding Lorain. Obviously if it was just a simple answer to the question you pose "What does it take to recover a small city?" we would certainly make these changes immediately! Obviously it not a easy task at hand. Lorain at one point in time was a successful, prosperous, manufacturing city. So what happen to Lorain? Well many things, so I will just focus on a few of the major issues. Back in the day when Lorain and other manufacturing cities relied on themselves they made the products that were needed within the U.S. Itself. We also had these great Unions that “protected our jobs” so no one had to worry about ever losing their job. On top of that they were paid very nicely for their work. What we didn't realize is that a few years down the road communication, and transportation would become much easier and abundant. So as a Ford Plant Worker making 20+ an hours back in the day to screw a bolt to the frame of a truck or van was great way to make a living, and our Union was in place to give us job security. Then the reality of a globalization set in, and Ford realized that they could easily relocate their business to another country like Mexico and they could manufacture the same product at a fraction of the cost. Ford also realized that they didn't have to deal with the Union which only made the move more attractive. Obviously Ford and all the other manufacturing plants left Lorain and other U.S. Cities for other countries where they could cut cost, and eliminate the dreadful Union. So what happened to the workers? Many of the factory workers were left to find other jobs of which didn't pay close to what they had been making in the factory. During this time of struggle our crime rates when up, and the city began to deteriorate. Since this time we haven't had anything to bring Lorain out of this slump.


It would be nice if we could have a city that worked solely on local businesses. However, this is impossible. You can't beat the Big Box Store. (Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc.) Why? Because they can offer the same products that the local store does at less cost to the consumer. I realize that the customer service isn't there, but most people would rather pay-less and forget about the great service. Not to mention the Branding that Big Box Stores have created for themselves so you can go anywhere and you already know what to expect. In fact many stores like Home Depot and Lowe's look almost identical when you walk into them. So people have a sense of comfort with them. I'm not saying that someone locally can compete but they have to have a new concept or idea of the product. It has to be something that makes the public want to buy. For instance, your tee-shirt company concept. If you just plan on making tee shirts or becoming another clothing line, the odds are against you. How can you compete with nationwide or worldwide clothing lines that can produce and sell their products for much less than you. The answer is you can't. However, if you are able to create a unique clothing line that has a greater meaning or value than just a piece of clothing and you can brand it to create a demand for it, your clothing line will succeed and price isn't as much of a factor.


The main point here is that starting a businesses is not an easy task. Depending on the business it could be a great investment that will take many years to recover even if it is successful. In fact most businesses will fail within the first year. So if you can make it past the first year the odds of having a successful business become greater. So knowing this would you pick the city of Lorain to start your new businesses? Well this depends on the business but in most cases you are going to look for more attractive locations instead.


With this being said lets not lose all hope for the city of Lorain! There are many things we can do to make it a safer, cleaner, and better place to live. I just want to take a realistic approach to rebuilding a broken city. We need to take baby steps at this point to help encourage our entrepreneurs to locate in Lorain. Home owners need to fix their property, keeping curb appeal and taking pride in what they have. Lawns need to be well manicured, businesses need keep their property looking attractive so customers feel comfortable in their establishments. The people of Lorain need to keep a close watch of their neighborhood, and criminals, vandals, and trash need to be removed from the city. This is not an easy task that I propose but it doesn't require anyone to come and fix our problems, it only requires the people of Lorain to fix the problems and then, and only then will people get behind starting their new business in Lorain.

[rnojonson]

I really hate chicken and egg scenarios, it means people in Lorain will have to look past what they physically see and experience, the present Lorain. What will generate the faith in Lorain's future? What will cause us to plant seeds now and be patient until they bear fruit? My realization is that thoughts are easy to come by and one person can't do it all. My power, my energy only goes so far. If I get involved, will I be drawn away by things and matters for which I have no interest in or ability to effect? So now I wait for someone to stand up before me to do their part so that I in turn can do mine.

Maybe we are all just unemployed people waiting for the next big company to come rescue us. Maybe we are all what is left after the opportunity makers have gone to other cities. Maybe instead of empty promises, there should be more talk of open possibilities. Talk to the point we take stock of ourselves and decide to risk what we have.

Custom tee-shirts is a small business, printing on any and everything becomes an industry. Digital image design from fine art to technical drawing is a support industry and entertainment industry. The display of images on printed venues and video is a market. Supplies and equipment for all the above is big business. It is not just the buying and selling of goods, it's meaningful work, paychecks and interdependent services. There are lots of ideas, a string of green sustained lakeside bed and breakfast places coupled with a business center where telecommuting and teleconferencing are the main draw (come away from the big city, please!). A gallery/museum/school of digital art. An Oberlin extension university to match the LCCC extension here all ready, where people taking online classes can meet, discuss and get counseling, thus capitalizing on the virtual university.

The city news paper should have a hope generating possibility blotter that's more pages than the crime blotter. Who is standing back from us enough to say what we look like? Who recognizes our potential? Who gives us incentives to spark our interest in saving ourselves? Can we afford to wait for a big rescue?

The problem is we have not seen the plan, don't know the direction and don't trust in the promise of unspecified results. The city we live in has to be sold to us first.

[keithg]

Good to hear from you again rnojonson :)


Starting the Repairs! Now your talking! This is exactly what the city of Lorain needs, but the question that we must ask is, “What can I do to make the city of Lorain, OH a better place to live?” We cannot just sit around and wait for new businesses to arrive at our doorstep, this will never happen. So I challenge those that really want to make a difference to ask themselves this very question. In fact maybe we could start a blog that would allow people to tell their story about what they did to make Lorain a better place to live!


The crazy thing about Lorain is that there are so many people that say they truly love this city, and that its hard to look at what it has become. The problem is all they do is talk, and criticize anything and everything that the local politicians try to do. The truth is that there isn't any one person that can come in to the City of Lorain and turn it back into the city it once was. So the politicians are going to do what they do, and all us citizens can do is vote, but that isn't enough for a city in dire straits! We need to come together as a community and start making a difference, not just talking about making a difference, or being a critic. Its pretty easy to criticize what people do, and there are always two sides to a story, but making a difference for yourself is a totally different story. So the bottom line is its start with you, and I, and every other individual that makes up the City of Lorain.


I welcome anyone to tell their story about what they did to make a difference today in the City of Lorain. For those that like the city just as it is, well keep talking, and criticizing, and nothing will change on behalf of you. We can make a difference together as a community, we just have to put for the individual effort!

[rnojonson]

Hello keithg,
I am looking for work these days. I think about this 24/7, constantly wondering about opportunities that could happen here. I know it takes money to do things but money is only part of the equation. You can't throw money at it if you don't know what the target is. It is not a secret process, many ideas are already being discussed. Can the people grouped around those ideas push to the level of realizing a business potential?

I was just on a web site about a small and new Digital Art Museum in Winnipeg Canada. It was different than what I envisioned, but thrilling none the less. The coolest part was how some works could be printed on demand. I am not knocking traditional art methods and the art establishment but accessible it is not. Digital art and printing is a new world. We could start by having a group at the Main Library, a PC/Mac artist group, then come up with display opportunities around town, a poster contest, web site and look for a permanent collection place. Like in art itself, it is the process then the final piece. Maybe we don't want to center on just digital art, I just thought it was a unique focus. And we have a number of printer businesses in the area upon which to build a web of industry support. I am not trained or experienced in the art business and consider myself only an art dabbler, but I can't help thinking there are other people with the similar ideas as myself. How do you put the right people together? The by chance method is not working.

So, I put it to you Lorainites who might be interested, what do you think? What do you think could happen here in Lorain? Even if we have to start from scratch we should move forward.

[rnojonson]

At this point I guess I have to reiterate the seemingly closed door approach to develop Lorain. I usually find out after the fact on the TV news. Maybe the local news paper should put out an update section about happenings in Lorain besides crime and the Lorain promotion people put out a magazine selling Lorain to us residence and to our neighbors. It's not about attending the planning meetings and having an input or criticism. It is about being informed, being encouraged by apparent progress, getting prepared for what's coming and being hopeful about Lorain.

The raised bridge was a flipped bird to many in Lorain, but did anyone recommend a practical drive around, the city is not that big. There is a difference between complaining about an inconvenience (making a stink) and making the best of a bad situation (a business saving solution). And if the bridge is so important a link, why didn't the news paper have a continuing news from the bridge report? From the now famous bridge there are a number of observations very interesting. The new housing development next to the bridge and river is very interesting. And we got the Lighthouse, BRL (Black River Landing) and the Boat, er Ferry. It is quite a boat, MJ Newspaper, please report, give an in depth tour, sneak preview longer than 10 seconds on channel 5.

Let's see, new housing, glorified dock, cruise boat, oh yeah, temporary housing. Do we have in our dreams a Lorain Hotel? At least a string of very pleasant Bed & Breakfasts and not motels renamed as drive-through travel lodges. A couple of nice smallish, scaled to this town hotels would make Lorain a travel spot. Please drive here, put your car in our secured parking facility, take the boat, relax, don't worry, then spend the weekend, sample the food, our "little" beach-front, (we need more stuff to do!).

OK, the tourist buck attractor is progressing but if you drive one block past the facade of Lorain you begin to see lots of neglected properties because Lorain folks are hurting for jobs to sustain and maintain. And if you think we just need a paycheck to make things better, please go away. We already have gladiator sports (football, soccer, etc), but no arts centers. It's not even a category on any of the Lorain web sites. How you can think cultural without art, music, movies is short, it is not just diversity of origins.

And since the era of the blue collar town is over, how do we in Lorain awaken to the fact that blue is not the only collar we can wear? or look forward to? or expect out of life here in Lorain? The neighborhood just behind Broadway & downtown is ripe for all kinds of "better life" activities. The store fronts of Broadway will never solely support the flow of people and traffic folks are hoping for. The Main Library for instance is a hot spot, no one can doubt that. Lorain's "off Broadway" sector could be a better boon if we weren't stuck on Broadway.

[kamran]

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