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Leadership Award: Regional Chamber 
Posted on: August 29, 2009
The Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber gets this week’s leadership award. For at least the last two weeks, the Chamber has facilitated meetings for negotiations in the V&M Star deal. The headlines evolved from portraying a breakdown in communication to declaring a breakthrough in the deal and a commitment from the company to leave the window open, based on a review of the progress in talks between Youngstown and Girard.
Then, Friday, Tom Humphries issued a statement urging Traficant to accept a retiring life, rather than listen to pleas for a return to Congress.
“Mr. Traficant has served his sentence and will be coming home on Sept. 2. He has paid for his crimes and deserves to be with his family and friends. He deserves to be free and enjoy the things in life that are important to him. I do wish him well.
However, it’s one thing to wish someone well, someone who has completed his debt to society, but quite another thing to celebrate his release and homecoming. Celebrating James Traficant’s return, as some in the Mahoning Valley are doing, is inappropriate.
He is a convicted felon, someone who brought shame and ridicule to his office and to his community.
Admittedly, Mr. Traficant was a longtime leader in the Valley, and he had his accomplishments, including such legacies as securing funding for the Covelli Centre and two courthouses in downtown Youngstown
Nevertheless, his failure to be an honest public servant far outweighs those accomplishments.
Now, there is even talk of him running for Congress again. I think that is inappropriate as well.”
This is an important statement to be officially issued from the Valley. I realize there are those who see this as the Chamber overreaching into a political issue, in the same vein as its leadership in the push towards regionalizing local school district administration.
These issues, however, go straight to the heart of the business climate in the Valley. “It was difficult for entities like the Chamber to bring business to this area when Traficant was our Congressman,” a local business leader told me this week. “People thought this area was a joke.”
The same goes for the school issue. The news this week that Youngstown is the only district out of 610 in the state to be put in academic emergency and the first to receive a visit from the state Department of Education’s Academic Distress Commission is an untimely setback as the city looks for ways to capitalize on its status as a Top City for Entrepreneurs.
To realize the business potential in the region, we need leadership on these issues, and if the Regional Chamber is willing to lead, I say let them. Can we recognize together that in these difficult times we need all hands on deck? Whether you’ve been here your whole life, ten or twenty years, or two weeks, solving our challenges requires creativity, energy and talent. Whoever is offering to provide it, we should recognize and welcome the help.
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Comments
There are many of us out here who are crying for leadership, who do we follow?
You once wrote that you hear a lot of complaining but no solutions and yet when solutions are offered, it falls on deft ears.
I'm waiting to be led.
Not sure where you're going with that, Ron, but I smell a non sequitur. The topic here is whether the Chamber overstepped it's mandate and, if so, is it justified under the circumstances. Do you have an opinion to share on that?
Yes, I remember Lee Iacocca once saying: "You either lead follow or get out of the way".
Many of us small business people have at one time or another been approached by the chamber to join their membership by paying a fee. Those who accepted and paid the fee complained that all they recieved was a ribbon cutting ceremony and nothing more to help their businesses.
Politically, yes I see how the chamber overstepped their mandate, but truthfully I see no productivity wallowing into the "Taficant" dialoque. In regards to the chamber's onslaught in regionalism, I smell advancement there. However, the only way streamlining will evolve in local government is by way of funding. One example is the library system, right now they are scrambling, as with all subsidized institutions seeking more funding from a dried up well is just a band aid.
Individual members of the Chamber of Commerce are well within their rights to express their political views - and while identified by his title and position, Tom Humphries appears to be speaking as an individual. (which I believe he would have to - the Chamber is a non-profit, and as such, is probably limited to informing about political positions, not advocating for or against specific candidates). So the Chamber, itself, doesn't look like it overstepped its mandate.
However, youngstownshrimp, why are you waiting to be led? Hasn't that been the ongoing problem in this area- that perfectly capable people are always waiting for someone else to take the lead?
Tyler, the larger and much more significant issue in your blog this week is the school district going into academic emergency status. This issue, much more than Traficant, is going to seriously impact the area. Can we start a serious conversation about this?
I am not sure who has a "mandate" to speak about Mr. Traficant. Perhaps a political scholar. What I find interesting is the relative silence, except for the media trying to create a story that does not exist and a thousand people meeting for dinner.
I am a member of the chamber. Some activities I applaud, others I detest. I would be wrong to belong or not belong because of one or the other. Agree or disagree, I am glad one voice had the courage to speak out in a rational, thoughtful and precise manner.
the larger message from Mr. Humphries rings clear to me, and perhaps Mr. Traficant is nothing more than an appropriate conduit that allows this message to ring clear. Mahoning Valley, it is time to move on. Moving on means looking forward.
leaveusalone, I'm glad I am not the problem as is obvious by my user ID. I can't be the worker and the leader at the same time. We have leaders, isn't that the role of the elected officials? Majority of the masses are waiting to be led simply because they are not leaders.
I'm with you on the school system problem. I spent most of the 80's and 90's in the inner city rental business so I learned quickly why the inner city is so backwards. BTW, once I learned being a landlord was no way to make a living for me, I switched gears. However, I did learn why Youngstown is the way it is.
The school system is really not to blame, the problem begins with the family unit or better the no family unit. A child in the inner city most likely will have a mother who is present and a father that isn't. The mother's only means of support is thru the system. Actually it is not bad compared to most, less say the Philippines. The child has shelter,food,heat, medical insurance, etc. The child does not witness any of it's elders being productive so this is what the child will become unproductive.
So the child gets sent to school, he is surrounded by children who come from the same type of non-family unit. These children, only know that everyone around them are not required to be productive. They experience that the state will and has always provided for them, what is education for.
The only solution to most of the the problems in Youngstown and I say most, is to follow thru and really implement welfare reform. You read that it is reformed, sadly only on paper. The Jobs and Family Services, were mandated to have recipients off the system in 36 months, that was inacted in '96, didn't happen, can't happen. Recipients are required to do Work Experience Program hours, where are they? In my estimation, it should be like the WPA, thousands of them being productive.
Simply put, the education, demo.,crime,jobs, are all the results of leaving our Judeo-Christian teachings that, "from the sweat of thou brow thou shall eat".
youngstownshrimp - I have never viewed politicians as leaders - they are followers. This country was set up as a republic, where productive citizens (leading their own lives!) were expected to elect their representatives - to go to the government, and do the will of the people. Not the other way around.
You may view yourself as just a worker, but I bet you lead more than you know - just by setting the example of working, running a business,etc.
As to welfare reform: I largely agree with you - it needs to be implemented. However, educational reform does not need to wait for that. I am in my late 50's - and went to public school at a time when teachers held the attitude that whatever was going on in your personal life, was to be left outside the door of their classrooms. The social ills affecting our students are not new. They were around in the 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, etc. In fact, some were worse than they are now. There were kids going hungry in my school. There were kids getting beaten by parents on a regular basis. There were kids going home to empty houses, as their parents were off working to scrape a living. All the problems of now, existed then, as well. What has changed is that we now accept these factors as excuses for poor academic behavior.
Responsible adults need to gather together, and stand against those who traffic in these excuses - the administrators who think that education is all about re-structuring the society, or the teachers who have grown bitter; or the parents who think no one should tell their kids what to do. The educational system needs to return to the idea that it exists to prepare the individual to live life.
“When I get out I will grab a sword like Maximus Meridius Demidius and as a gladiator I will stab people in the crotch.” - James Traficant
Who will get it first?
Our government is followers all right - following whatever will keep them elected and get their lobbying monies, even if it's not what's right for America as a whole.
Herein lies the problem as stated by northsideperson: As a boy living in the Philippines, I remember our government being critical of politicians in foreign coutries buying votes. We have digressed so much that isn't our politicians buying votes from the bottom up? Some corporations buy influence thru lobbyist, citizens who live off the system sell their votes to the politicians who continue the dole.
Let me get back to why we are blogging here.
Tyler, I revisited your article and i have these questions:
1. Why did you make a statement that if the chamber wants to lead, why don't we let them, weren't they suppose to lead for the past few decades? Why are we now only approving their leadership?
2. You stated that the city is trying to capitalize on it's position as a city for entrepreneurs, how?
Thank you in advance for your answers.
To youngstownshrimp
Ron, if you're waiting to be led, how about if I show you to the auditors office and you pay tens of thousands in back taxes you owe..think of all the good, you can do if you just pay your taxes. I'm sure the school system could use the money end Jay Williams would have no problem putting some of it toward police protection.
You shouldn't be here blogging about improving the community. When you're one of the. biggest problems in this community
DEAD BEAT absentee property owners
Ron Eiselstein has 50 records of lawsuits on the Mahoning County Clerk of Courts website, all but one in which he is the defendant. Many are judgements for money that remain open. He owes money to the city of Youngstown for demolition in the thousands according to the clerk of courts website.
He is also affiliated with Firepearl, which has 20 records listed, again as the defendant, and many are judgements for money that remain open.
Aside from numerous tax LIENS under his name. He also has many listed under this name Caraga Ltd.the following pages from the Ohio Secretary of State shows his name as the statutory agent.
More Ron info
3210 SOUTHERN BLVD
YOUNGSTOWN, OH 44507 USA
Mail Information
CARAGA LTD
3210 SOUTHERN BLVD
YOUNGSTOWN, OH 44507 USA
http://www2.sos.state.oh.us/pls/portal/P... <http://www2.sos.state.oh.us/pls/portal/P...>
This link shows the secretary of state info
http://www2.sos.state.oh.us/reports/rwse... <http://www2.sos.state.oh.us/reports/rwse...>
Numerous tax liens under that name are listed here
Some back ground on Ron:
Aside from his shrimp farms scheme, which by the way he's looking for investors. He also is in a club called the Inventors Club they meet at the Poland Library once a month. I refer to it as the Scammers Club their main function is to meet potential investors and show off their inventions [SCAMS]
One of the members of this club is a Mr. Bob Jadloski. together with Ron's encouragement many people invested $3000 into a hydrogen car project
Date Line video enclosed here shows what a scam that was
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29899191/ <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29899191/>
I can see why Ron likes Traficant two peas in a pod
I think you owe it to the members of this community that you expose Ron
before he hurts your groups credibility and all that good works, you're trying to do.
I realize Ron must be upset at me for exposing his facts. But they are, what they are, court records
Please follow the links and you'll stay away from any project that he's involved in
WATCH THIS VIDEO AND REMEMBER ALL THE OTHER SCAMS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvPAH75Zj... <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvPAH75Zj...>
Taxedoff isn't even worth debating, he's just trying to promote his video with 0 comments.
Funny, if he wasn't hiding behind his user ID, I could make a good case for slander, the only meetings I attended in the Poland library is to volunteer to show free movies to the public on the bridge wall, I'm very proud of it. Wow, I wish I did know something about a hydrogen car, neat.
Oh, about your Bubba Gump Shrimp Video, "obsolete" shrimp have grown big since then, make another video.
"Some people like to kick good people in the behind because they are in front of them".
I will not be dragged into the cess pool that this creature lives in.
Just pay your taxes just pay your taxes. That's all you have to do to be a good citizen. Just PAY YOUR TAXES
Have you scammed any investors yet. I hope some of them are here to see your court records
How do you show your face in town?
If you want to help this area you've got to pay those property taxes. You're directly cheating, the Youngstown school system
You talked of your involvement with the scammers club on the Louis Free show I have the tapes. you also braged about your stupid sandstone scam
It must be difficult when you tell so many lies to keep them all straight.
I have nothing personal against you it's, just I don't want to see other innocent people cheated out of their money
See you at the fair
Would Humphries get this kind of reception after 7 years in jail? No.
I bet 75% of the people here don't know who he is.
Hey red, maybe thats because Humphries hasnt done anything to actually warrant GOING to jail.
I'm going to take a break to offer a suggestion to the Vindy.com leadership.
For the most part, this forum is really doing a great job in bringing good community minded people together to brainstorm and express thought. I even believe that stimulating conversation and ideas is lifting the Valley towards a common front to better ourselves. That being said, I and I bet many, will agree that expression of freedom of speech is parcticed here. However, it has always been taught to me that freedom of speech comes with responsibilities. "You can throw your fist anywhere in the air as long as it comes only an inch from somebody's chin".
Wouldn't it be a better format if everyone who expresses freedom of speech here be required to back up their comments by putting a name with their mouth? Isn't freedom of speech suppose to be backed up by knowledge rather than uneducated thought or better yet fabrication?
The law of our land is that the accused has a right to face his accuser. I read many of the comments on the Vindy.com and many times the dialogue will spiral down into mudslinging which most likely will not be the case if the mudslinger wasn't hiding behind anonimity.
In my case above, this Taxedoff individual, whoever he is, resorts to half truths,distortions and outright fabrications. I'm not sure but I can consult my attorney and determine if Vindy.com has a judiciary responsibility to devulge who this person is so he maybe held accountable for what I know is slanderous. I am sure that Vindy.com does not promote character assassination and threats, but that is what results when comments can be anonymous.
These type of people can do a lot of harm in the name of free speech. For instance, the little I know about this person is he admits to producing a video (Youngstown Strippers), and though the video starts off with a good topic it rapidly turns into a film insinuating that blacks are responsible for plundering property. The footage even infers that a local business (US TRADING CO.) purchases stolen property. Furthermore this video incites racial hatred as can be read in the comments it has recieved with such remarks as: "I hate n s" and " They should be caged like animals".
This community blog can continue it's popularity and many good citizens will gravitate to it and let their voices be heard. But sadly, if personal attacks are not policed, many will remain silent.