Op-Ed: Priorities in the Valley

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Samantha Torrence for Digital Journal- The March 28th edition of the Tribune Chronicle blared its front page headline in bold black letters for all to see, " Valley Population Loss Leads Nation." The story chronicled that 1 per cent of the 570,704, that is 5,898 people in the Valley have relocated to other areas of the nation between July 2006 and July 2007. While the number itself is trivial compared to bigger areas like Detroit-Warren-Liviona, Michigan which lost 27,314 people that was only .6 per cent of the over all population.

One would think that a depressing headline like that would worry me, however I was strangely pleased. If the trend continues that would mean jobs in skilled labor would open up for many of the educated in the area who are stuck in dead end jobs in a stagnant economy. The article went on to explain that Texas was receiving 16 percent of the state to state immigrants, the reason stated was the low cost of living yet the high quality of living. Houses in Texas are spacious yet cheap and the growth in business is attractive to people in depressed areas.

The current situation highlights the different ways NAFTA has affected the nation, the North American Free Trade Agreement has hit Ohio hard while lifting border states like Texas. Ohio is not the only state in the north that is losing residents to the Sun Belt.

Despite my rationale that a release of pressure would help our economy others are expressing ways to fix the illness this symptom addresses. Anthony Cafaro Jr, vice president of Youngstown real estate development firm The Cafaro Co., said " There's an opportunity to attract more workers based on competitive advantages we have - our low cost of living, the roads and other infrastructure, our proximity to Cleveland and Pittsburgh, New York and Chicago and an airport that's an untapped asset."

While Mr. Cafaro is correct in his assessment he is also missing a major issue, even our low cost of living cannot be met by the paltry wages given to many in the community. Those who escaped from this area are ones who were able to afford a move, the rest of us here face minimum wage jobs, being underpaid with extreme job schedules, and foreclosure. In Trumbull County Ohio there are current around 520 homes on the list of those foreclosed and for sale. This number does not reflect those in foreclosure proceedings or those whose banks have decided to sit on the property, use it as a tax write off, flip it and sell it when the market returns.

One GM Labor Leader Jim Graham, president of United Auto Workers Local 1112 at General Motors Corp. Lordstown Complex, had his own impressions of the population loss. "I don't see too many people trying to keep jobs here. We need to start promoting this area and bring jobs back so young people have jobs to go to."

GM is one business attempting to keep some jobs in the area. Even though its treatment of loyal employees is poor at best, the logic behind the buy outs and lay offs is to keep jobs here at a lower wage to attempt to compete with foreign markets. GM is offering another round of buy outs to production and skilled workers. Production workers are looking at a $45,000 buyout and Skilled workers are being offered $65,000. Workers set to fill in those jobs will receive $14-$15 dollars an hour for non core positions. The amount may seem small to some, but that wage is probably one of the highest in the area.

Our legislators are also trying to bring jobs into the community by offering tax exemptions and write offs to companies who are willing to sign a contract indicating they will provide a determined amount of jobs to the area. However, some legislators seems to have their priorities skewed.

While many in the area face foreclosure and uncertain times legislators in Warren, Ohio have taken a tactic of Rome, "distract with entertainment." Of course we are not going to be getting a vomitorium, public bath and orgy house, or fresh blood at the Coliseum any time soon. Our very own Packard Music Hall has been granted $2.2 million for a project to update the music hall. These updates include a new stage floor, new house curtains, and various other updates to help improve and give the theatre more appeal to traveling shows. Some of the money for the project will come from a $1.5 million federal earmark that Timothy J. Ryan D-Niles and $575,000 in state fund provided by former state Rep. Randy Law R-Warren.

First off let me just say I am sickened that our area is being provided money from an earmark. It is shameful to me, but what's done is done. Secondly I love the arts. I attended an arts program on Fridays during high school called Arts/EXCEL. All day I was taught acting, singing, dancing, and various types of visual arts. I have participated in community and school theatre for years as either an actress or in production. I have even volunteered at the Packard Music Hall as an usher when a production of Bye Bye Birdie came through and got to hang out at the after party with Troy Donahue. The arts have defined much of my life and I support them. I just see the city of warren spending money on a very functional playhouse that could be spent on a community center that would keep kids off the streets, or on creating businesses through grants that would provide jobs and lower poverty rates thus lowering the crime in the area. When you can buy a 5 bedroom house for $20,000 in a city because of the crime there are bigger problems than the stage floor of a theatre.

The jury is still out on what the Valley will do to save itself.