Please Run For City Council

spiderjohn wrote: pretty comical, new guy no one has forced you, or anyone else to read this forum--or accept everything posted here as gospel many here have served on numerous boards , commissions, public service groups--and donated countless hours and $$$ to improve and support virtually every aspect of this community--what have you done?   a lot of what you read here is opinion, and a lot of what you read here is unfortunately true most of those here didn't make it this way, and have consistently supported opposition to our current leadership   you don't know me at all, and definitely don't know how I think about much of anything but I have posted here for close to 6 years, and believe more of what I read here than I do of what I read in the MJ or from the mouths of Council/Admin   If someone read the postings here, and decided to avoid this area, then obviously they found some grains of validity in what was said here. If it was me--it would take a LOT more than that to make a serious decision about this community.   You have over-stepped yourself here, and are somewhat naïve and insulting. Maybe fix your new home, and leave this place alone? Or go shill for the dark side somewhere else(or here if you like--all opinions are welcome)   Why should anyone take you seriously or authoritative?

Historic House Guy wrote: Maybe if you'd had the opportunity to live in a few different states during you life time and see this isn't just happening to Middletown you'd see the big picture.

Excuse me...but I'll bet you a dinner at ANY place in Middletown that is regularly open past 10 pm (just for your info, restaurants in booming cities are open past 10 pm in most states) that I have lived in more states than you have...and more big cities, too!!!

Mike, Over 3000 posts and you didn't realize my comment was directed to the person I quoted above the text?

HHG, you need to focus upon your restoration wood business, and not being a crisis management plant for the city of Middletown.

While it is understandable you defend your decision to move into the city, I have owned two properties in my career, that have been listed on the National Historic Registry, as stated, lived in virtually all of the top cities in the country, spent a few years at Middleberry College teaching in business school, skiied at Kellington Mountain, and  gave Ben and Jerry's m/a advice when they expanded.

A few comments: firstly, your shots at Mr. D. is wrong and misguided. He has done more to support Middletown than 40 years of cumulative city council members combined.

For those that have 25 years in the city that is in ruin, than 2, we know what terrible leadership has been demonstrated for a lengthy time, how corrupt Middletown is, and how they play the game. You should ask yourself, as you espouse you take care and are improving your property; if the ciy takes money for streets to pay their salaries, what does that say to others, about pride of owndership? It says you don't care.

Middletown will be overcome by waves of tax increases with no services to come, no value, failure.

You liked New England and taxes; you'll be seeing soon what a small town looks like as it will have taxes to rival Mass, Vt, NH, NY. 

acclaro wrote: HHG, you need to focus upon your restoration wood business, and not being a crisis management plant for the city of Middletown. You really don't need to tell me what I need to do. All I am doing is reminding all the naysayers here that you public comments are read by many and in it's own way is discouraging people from wanting to move here. A few comments: firstly, your shots at Mr. D. is wrong and misguided. He has done more to support Middletown than 40 years of cumulative city council members combined. Please quote the text where I supposedly took a shot at Mr. D. I believe he took the shot at me and I gave a reasonable response to it with no name calling Middletown will be overcome by waves of tax increases with no services to come, no value, failure. You liked New England and taxes; you'll be seeing soon what a small town looks like as it will have taxes to rival Mass, Vt, NH, NY.

Well, it's been fun. Gotta go pull some sashes in Lebanon that need to be restored. More income tax money for Middletown... ;)

HHG
    I have learned a great deal from all the people that post on this blog, even if I disagree with them. As a researcher they have caused me to question what I thought were fact and truth and to go in search of the real truth and the real facts and many times I haven’t liked what I found at the end of the road.
    My research is revealing that about 30 years ago something happened in the leadership of Middletown that set this town in a downward spiral that continues to this very day. It seems that City Hall made one bad decisions after another and we are just now seeing the full effects of these decisions on our community.
    City Hall keeps telling us that we shouldn’t dwell on the past but work on the future of Middletown. Well that’s a great ideal however they continue to ignore the past and make the same mistakes over and over again. We need to learn from past mistakes and build a better future for Middletown. We must change the way City Hall is doing business.
    I truly believe that everyone on this blog wants a better Middletown.
   

HHG
Here are a few little doom and gloom facts for you…
Your home is located in one of the highest crime and poverty area in Middletown.
Mr. Adkins, of City Hall, has stated that your area will not receive any HUD funds because it is just too far gone.
You may not want to hear these facts but they will have on your property investment.
You need to stand up and demand that City Hall use these HUD funds in the areas of great need so we can bring back the older neighborhoods.

HHG....with all due respect, your statements are just wrong.

You state comments which are factual on this board keep folks from looking at Middletown, moving in?

I disagree.

What keeps an influx in is the terrible reputation the city has, from the school district, poverty, crime, runaway taxes, lack of pride in maintaining infrastructure, outrageous salaries for public employees, clique mentality, robbing peter to pay Paul- a few friends of friends, and a rough and tumble area many find objectionable. Moreover, the city leaders and council make terrible decisions, investing downtown because of one owner that own a stained glass shop, and being led on a belief, that is the core competency of Middletown, an art town for God's sake.

Here's what and why potential residents are kept away, and its sure as heck not this forum:

1) Taxes going up, on income, and property- with limited to no benefit in return. Its called ROI.

2) Quality of Life-In a 50 mile radius, one could move to 100 neighboring cities offering 10x the quality of life, and safety, than afforded in Middletown.

3)  More taxation-  since 2000, the city and a few select residents got together to put together a select city council that would be able to pull in the votes (the only reason Bill Becker was put in as cit manager in my opinion), a 2.0 tax rate, and pass non ending levies. In return, this folks get benefits in many ways, which in most circles, would be politely be considered a kickback, albeit cash, ego stroking, favors.

4) Falling apart at seam infrastructure. Have you driven to the canal and seen the problems stagnant water which causes the Nile virus, malaria, and other very significant health problems?

5) Lack of development and failure-  have you seen any biomedical expansion after the Atrium Hospital moved? That was the basis of the city (wink, wink), giving them about $5.5 Mm to spend to move into a new county.

6) People running the city making 135 Kk and above, that are inept, make poor decisions, and are kept on board to take care of the whims of the city council put in, to accomplish what Bill Becker failed to do when he was city manager; pass levies. That's it. Council passes levies- city dumps $$$ on Main Street, into the 'historic' areas where K, M's, others, reside. I bet there's lots of work in Highlands now for you.

6-100 (Why bother).    

  

bumper wrote: bumper wrote:  HHG maybe you your call channel 5 news and the Middletown police dept.. to stop talking negative about your stinkin neighborhood               http://youtu.be/YNS9uK2SaBY    HHG maybe you should call  ...

Historic House Guy wrote: acclaro wrote: HHG, you need to focus upon your restoration wood business, and not being a crisis management plant for the city of Middletown. You really don't need to tell me what I need to do. All I am doing is reminding all the naysayers here that you public comments are read by many and in it's own way is discouraging people from wanting to move here. A few comments: firstly, your shots at Mr. D. is wrong and misguided. He has done more to support Middletown than 40 years of cumulative city council members combined. Please quote the text where I supposedly took a shot at Mr. D. I believe he took the shot at me and I gave a reasonable response to it with no name calling Middletown will be overcome by waves of tax increases with no services to come, no value, failure. You liked New England and taxes; you'll be seeing soon what a small town looks like as it will have taxes to rival Mass, Vt, NH, NY.  You're assuming again... You know, I haven't called anyone any names here. I've merely pointed out something that you may not see from your point of view yet you've all proven the facts that was posted by another forum. You guys come off as down right rude. Don't believe me? Go to this post below. The first 2 posts pretty much sum it up... Your legacy   http://www.city-data.com/forum/cincinnati/1914816-middletown.html

OK HHG, I WENT TO THIS SITE. READ THE 6 PAGES OF POSTS FROM PERHAPS 3 OR 4 REGULARS ON THERE LIKE OHIO58 AND WILT AND A FEW MORE. THEY BASHED MUSA PRETTY WELL. ONE HAD SOME HARSH THINGS TO SAY ABOUT ACCLARO ON THERE. I REALLY LIKED THE ONE POST THAT MENTIONS THE REGULARS ON MUSA. THE DESCRIPTION WAS SOMETHING LIKE A "BUNCH OF ANGRY TEAPARTY, OLD GUYS WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME AND HAVE INVESTMENTS AND LIVING IN THE PAST"....... WRONG DESCRIPTOR. SHOULD HAVE READ, "A BUNCH OF ANGRY LONG TIME CITIZENS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR TOWN TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM BY PEOPLE RUNNING THE CITY WHO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE LIVING THERE AND WHAT THE PEOPLE WANTED FOR THEIR CITY". DAM RIGHT WE'RE ANGRY. WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR ONCE HAPPY HOME, YOU GET A LITTLE 'TESTY". THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ACCURATE. THE ONLY THING THAT THE 3 OR 4 POSTERS ON THIS CITY-DATA SITE HAVE RIGHT ARE SOME OF THE STORIES OFFERED ABOUT ARMCO MOVING OUT, THE UNIONS DEMANDING TOO MUCH AT THE WRONG TIME AND THE TOWN GOING THE DIRECTION OF APPALACHIA WITH NO HOPE RIGHT NOW. I NOTICED SOME OF THE POSTS DIDN'T HAVE KIND WORDS TO SAY ABOUT THE CITY LEADERSHIP EITHER. YOUR CITY-DATA SITE BASHES THE LEADERS JUST AS WE DO HERE, MAKING YOUR "OBJECTIVE" SITE NO BETTER THAN WHAT YOU ARE ACCUSING US OF BEING HERE. YOUR SITE HAS A SMALL CORE OF CONSTANT POSTERS JUST AS WE DO HERE. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE "ATTITUDE DEPARTMENT". YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A SITE FOR YOUR BUSINESS WITH A RADIO STATION LOCATION IN THIS AREA. WHY? WITH DAYTON AND CINCY SO CLOSE, THE AREA IS ALREADY SATURATED WITH RADIO, ISN'T IT?

VietVet, respectively I think the difference is that the worst attitudes about Middletown are coming from a very small minority on this forum. Aside from the bashing we got about Middletown itself. The only point I'm making is that in a short amount of posts on this forum, you folks made this guy believe Middletown was bad and he was stupid for even thinking about coming here. You read it.

Hey HISTORIC HOUSE GUY and this is JUST MY OPINION in response to VIETVETS post for you. Basically what you have discovered is a forum for predominately one-sided thinking by a bunch of old farts hanging on to the past and not taking any responsibility for the future. They get on here and post everything as if it is the word of God and then type JMO to relieve them of any guilt or longing to be better people towards unfortunate situations.

Those days that VET talks about were enjoyed by more than just the few that continue to bash everyone and anyone associated with the city. So yes there are people that live here that still enjoy living here and have a fairly positive outlook. I still love my hometown. While Vet is also smacking your hand for being rude and even perhaps ill-informed you will soon discover that you can’t argue with the management. And while we know they can’t move out of this town, blah, blah, blah sometimes some of us wish they would. Negativity is like a cancer but some on this forum have not figured that out yet, IN MY OPINION.

Also, you’ll notice that they love to speak for the populous of our city and by no means, IN MY OPINION do they. In fact, if you are around town and speak to people, most of the time the conversations on this forum are the brunt of laughter and that most people think, IN THEIR OPINION, that they are basically crazy. I don’t think their crazy just angry, IN MY OPINION, that is the only way you could have so much discontent for those that try to do what they can to make the place they live a little better.

So HISTORIC HOUSE GUY, while I am just giving you MY OPINION about this forum and I do enjoy it for its entertainment value I am sure to be raked over the coals or ignored. That’s a tip for you.  If they can’t figure out a way to respond to you they just ignore you. You’ll notice that if you go back and read some of the threads.

HISTORIC HOUSE GUY, in no way shape or form is Middletown doing great. In fact there have been plenty of poor decisions made and yes there are a few people that should not be on council or working for our city but that’s  been going on ever since I can remember. So my advice to you is stick to your guns, renovate your home, join a group of social elite snobs and by all means support someone associated with the city and then see how you can really get these guys fired up. It’s one good laugh after another…IN MY OPINION. But overall embrace Middletown, because if you do you might find it’s not that bad of a place to live IN MY OPINION. And to quote your old friend VET "THAT IS AS BLUNT AND PLAIN AS I CAN MAKE IT ALL." JMO