Wow, we seem to never learn! I guess Jimbo was a fighter, but wouldn't it be better to be a smart winner than a dumb loser when you fight. What a legacy beyond corruption and scandal - saving or starting the airport and the Center - two of the biggest financial losers draining the Valley still today!
I am a deer hunter. I have been since I was 20 years old. I have one registered rifle for hunting. I don't need a whole collection to hunt, and I certainly don't need a handgun to hunt. I don't fear government confiscation of guns when they want us to register them. I certainly don't fear a government takeover. If the government were to try to take over, we would need a lot more than guns in the house! What I DO fear is ANY ignorant clod - criminal or "honest" redneck - owning high-capacity, semi-automatic assault weapons for "protection" or "hunting, or carrying concealed handguns for "protection." That is BS and dangerous!... the same way letting a chronic drunk who thinks a few six-packs don't count is dangerous behind the wheel of a car. We all need to be more sensible and reasonable.
It seems that Chrysler is only closing down the worst dealers... those who can't sell enough cars or who have horrible service complaint records. Maybe Frederick should try improving his business instead of seeking community support. Showing support for, and continuing to buy from, weak businesses is what got this valley into the shape it's in
I would love to see a casino in Mahoning County, but if my business was building and running profitable casinos, this might be the last place to put one! Think about it. Our population is dropping as people leave to find better jobs; the remaining population and local governments are struggling to keep their heads above water, and we can't even support or pay off our sports arena. It seems like putting casinos in or near growing cities with enough people and money to support them is a good idea.
We are part of a global economy whether we like it or not. We CAN compete, but not the way we did things 60 years ago. Hagan seems to again be suggesting isolationism instead of solutions. Look how well that practice has served the Valley so far!
We need to separate American workers from labor unions when we talk. Our workers are the finest and want a decent living like all of us. The labor unions (not their members) are the real problem. They have driven away most good paying jobs in the Valley; they ended the steel industry; they are about to kill off auto manufacturing and healthcare also. Their corruption and needless workplace waste policies hurt everyone and help no one. Let their workers earn a decent wage (give the workers their union dues as a raise!) and be a part of making industry strong and competitive. I'll bet that most of our quality UAW workers would gladly keep their jobs and be proud of helping to make better companies if given the chance... without paying worthless union dues.
"We should thank the Republican party for making our lives so pleasant."... Are our lives so pleasant?
I think irishfan91 is onto something... "We need change that I fear neither party has the will for." Our traditional 2-party system is what has failed. We seem to think that politicians will make thing better for us. They won't and they can't. They are politicians!
I wouldn't mind paying the higher taxes if I actually got my money's worth. All you have to do is look at our local government and you will see the real failure that exists - even more at the federal level.
Tyler, you really awakened the "pride of the Valley" with this one. You should know better than to get in a battle of wits with defenseless people! The responses are more frightening than the gunshots! I guess I'll never understand what sensible, law abiding citizens need semi-automatic weapons or those with high capacity magazines to hunt. If they are such bad shots, they should hunt in the meat counters at Giant Eagle!
Let's all try to understand the real issue here. It's not as much about what league is right, or which one offers hockey worth paying to watch... the issue is really about keeping the Chevy Center open. I don't see anyone proving that there are enough ticket-buying hockey fans in our market to make any team in any league viable over time (it's not just marketing, Todd). Maybe we are just not a viable hockey town. If not, let's find something that will work here instead of trying to make hockey work. We have had enough failures and don't need any more. We also need to find something of QUALITY that we can be proud of... not just more crap that is "all we can get here." Wouldn't it be better to to have fewer teams/events that are at least good at what they do than a lot of everything - even if it shows that we have no quality nor pride? I like what Eric Ryan is doing at the Chevy Centre and want him and the facility to succeed - if they can, but not by trying to push poor quality sports with little chance of success into a market already saturated with that (YSU sports, Scrappers). No matter what seed you use or how many times you plant... it may be impossible to get grass to grow in concrete!
We should all thank Eric Ryan for a new direction, quality events, and a great quarter... maybe he can get planes with passengers to land at the airport too! Unfortunately, it's annual results that determine success. We all need to ask how many "sell-outs" will be needed every year to pay off the debt - not just the interest. Eric is right that warm weather months are down times for any arena, but we still need to find events for those periods as well. The Centre will never succeed as a 4-6 month a year operation. Keep up the good work Eric - you are doing a great job!
In the whole scheme of things, Bertram, you have really found an excess worthy of exposure! I'm still waiting for you or someone to actually identify and tackle REAL issues that have meaningful impact. The issue of paid vs, free parking has nothing to do with private vs. public sector "perks"... rather, it is about location. Businesses and government offices in the suburbs have free parking; both sectors in downtown areas have to pay. You need to be careful what you wish for... would you like to see more businesses and government operations move to the suburbs?
By the way, what local government employees have free parking anywhere here in the Valley? If you are upset about "the excesses of government — in the Mahoning Valley," why don't you at least find a valid example?
Posted on June 8 at 9:17 a.m.
Wow, we seem to never learn! I guess Jimbo was a fighter, but wouldn't it be better to be a smart winner than a dumb loser when you fight. What a legacy beyond corruption and scandal - saving or starting the airport and the Center - two of the biggest financial losers draining the Valley still today!
Posted on May 25 at 6:44 a.m.
I am a deer hunter. I have been since I was 20 years old. I have one registered rifle for hunting. I don't need a whole collection to hunt, and I certainly don't need a handgun to hunt. I don't fear government confiscation of guns when they want us to register them. I certainly don't fear a government takeover. If the government were to try to take over, we would need a lot more than guns in the house! What I DO fear is ANY ignorant clod - criminal or "honest" redneck - owning high-capacity, semi-automatic assault weapons for "protection" or "hunting, or carrying concealed handguns for "protection." That is BS and dangerous!... the same way letting a chronic drunk who thinks a few six-packs don't count is dangerous behind the wheel of a car. We all need to be more sensible and reasonable.
Posted on May 20 at 9:21 a.m.
It seems that Chrysler is only closing down the worst dealers... those who can't sell enough cars or who have horrible service complaint records. Maybe Frederick should try improving his business instead of seeking community support. Showing support for, and continuing to buy from, weak businesses is what got this valley into the shape it's in
Posted on May 20 at 9:07 a.m.
I would love to see a casino in Mahoning County, but if my business was building and running profitable casinos, this might be the last place to put one! Think about it. Our population is dropping as people leave to find better jobs; the remaining population and local governments are struggling to keep their heads above water, and we can't even support or pay off our sports arena. It seems like putting casinos in or near growing cities with enough people and money to support them is a good idea.
Posted on May 17 at 8:15 a.m.
We are part of a global economy whether we like it or not. We CAN compete, but not the way we did things 60 years ago. Hagan seems to again be suggesting isolationism instead of solutions. Look how well that practice has served the Valley so far!
We need to separate American workers from labor unions when we talk. Our workers are the finest and want a decent living like all of us. The labor unions (not their members) are the real problem. They have driven away most good paying jobs in the Valley; they ended the steel industry; they are about to kill off auto manufacturing and healthcare also. Their corruption and needless workplace waste policies hurt everyone and help no one. Let their workers earn a decent wage (give the workers their union dues as a raise!) and be a part of making industry strong and competitive. I'll bet that most of our quality UAW workers would gladly keep their jobs and be proud of helping to make better companies if given the chance... without paying worthless union dues.
Posted on May 17 at 7:44 a.m.
"We should thank the Republican party for making our lives so pleasant."... Are our lives so pleasant?
I think irishfan91 is onto something... "We need change that I fear neither party has the will for." Our traditional 2-party system is what has failed. We seem to think that politicians will make thing better for us. They won't and they can't. They are politicians!
I wouldn't mind paying the higher taxes if I actually got my money's worth. All you have to do is look at our local government and you will see the real failure that exists - even more at the federal level.
Posted on April 28 at 8:58 p.m.
Tyler, you really awakened the "pride of the Valley" with this one. You should know better than to get in a battle of wits with defenseless people! The responses are more frightening than the gunshots! I guess I'll never understand what sensible, law abiding citizens need semi-automatic weapons or those with high capacity magazines to hunt. If they are such bad shots, they should hunt in the meat counters at Giant Eagle!
Posted on April 26 at 10:05 a.m.
Let's all try to understand the real issue here. It's not as much about what league is right, or which one offers hockey worth paying to watch... the issue is really about keeping the Chevy Center open. I don't see anyone proving that there are enough ticket-buying hockey fans in our market to make any team in any league viable over time (it's not just marketing, Todd). Maybe we are just not a viable hockey town. If not, let's find something that will work here instead of trying to make hockey work. We have had enough failures and don't need any more. We also need to find something of QUALITY that we can be proud of... not just more crap that is "all we can get here." Wouldn't it be better to to have fewer teams/events that are at least good at what they do than a lot of everything - even if it shows that we have no quality nor pride? I like what Eric Ryan is doing at the Chevy Centre and want him and the facility to succeed - if they can, but not by trying to push poor quality sports with little chance of success into a market already saturated with that (YSU sports, Scrappers). No matter what seed you use or how many times you plant... it may be impossible to get grass to grow in concrete!
Posted on April 26 at 9:03 a.m.
We should all thank Eric Ryan for a new direction, quality events, and a great quarter... maybe he can get planes with passengers to land at the airport too! Unfortunately, it's annual results that determine success. We all need to ask how many "sell-outs" will be needed every year to pay off the debt - not just the interest. Eric is right that warm weather months are down times for any arena, but we still need to find events for those periods as well. The Centre will never succeed as a 4-6 month a year operation. Keep up the good work Eric - you are doing a great job!
Posted on March 23 at 9:18 a.m.
In the whole scheme of things, Bertram, you have really found an excess worthy of exposure! I'm still waiting for you or someone to actually identify and tackle REAL issues that have meaningful impact. The issue of paid vs, free parking has nothing to do with private vs. public sector "perks"... rather, it is about location. Businesses and government offices in the suburbs have free parking; both sectors in downtown areas have to pay. You need to be careful what you wish for... would you like to see more businesses and government operations move to the suburbs?
By the way, what local government employees have free parking anywhere here in the Valley? If you are upset about "the excesses of government — in the Mahoning Valley," why don't you at least find a valid example?