poverty

both good points

Debate the causes of Middletown's poverty all you want, but you will not find the answer as it has already been given to you and you ignored it. Thank you squeemy (?).

Poverty is growing in the US and will continue to grow as we have a systemic political problem that looks hopeless in my opinion. As was stated earlier, Middletown is just ahead of the curve, more than likely due to it's proximity to I75. We had been in decline since the 60s when all the economic development had the lure of the interstate corridor pulling it to the I75 area away from Middletown proper and thus were already in decline high gear when the "destroy the middle class" project started.

The world Economy simply offered too much opportunity to the big money people of the World to pass up even if it meant that the middle class would take a hit. Unfortunately, as American Business has done of late, the long term consequences were ignored. When a Nation's economy exist with  70% of economic activity due to domestic consumer spending, how in the world can we ignore the the financial hit the middle class has taken and NOT expect that economic activity to wane? Additionally with a disproportional amount of  the profits now coming from the financial area, as was mentioned earlier, we have the event of "paper" profits verse concrete profits that are associated with manufacturing.

Can any of you educate me as to how things could be different given our current economic structure?   All the tax cuts in the World and even more  free trade than we have now are going to do nothing but make matters worst, yet that is all you hear out of Washington.

THAT is why Middletown has so much poverty.

 Also...be careful about how much you bash the poor as you may find yourself there faster than you ever expected. I know many people in just that position.

I salute you,Darcy, I hope your post can encourage others.

We have a masonry company with good workers right here in Middletown. The city is not ADA compliant I know, but if we start listing out specific areas that help our special needs be able to get to the grocery or local park if there is one in their neighborhood then provide that list to the city we can start to make baby steps in the right direction. I suggest any left over material from commercial jobs be used to fix the curbs and sidewalks in many areas. I ride a bike now since my van broke down and just from my temporary home to Save A Lot I had to get off my bike a couple times and walk to avoid side walk curbs that were not ramps. If I can't ride a bike then I know those with special needs cannot get very far. Now when I rode in the Sherman area it was much better, but there are a boat load of places surrounding Sherman that need work.

Isn't doug adkins salary partially paid through HUD money and his secretary's whole salary paid by HUD funds? If the program is turned over to Butler Co. then will the secretary lose her job and what about adkins salary? Will the city keep paying him the same amount for his job of Community Revitilation, It's not like he's done a whole lot of "revitalizing"that you can see. Unless it's the "green spaces" he created with all the tear downs.

HD
I’m confused about what we are discussing??????
HUD does not fund.. upkeep , maintaining windows, HVAC, R-values, ..
Are we discussing the Section 8 program and the landlord obligations?
There are many mandates that HUD places on a entity who receives HUD money.....
Are we talking about the HUD Funds received by the city or rent received by landlords?
HUD don't pay for snow removal, salt , trash , taxes and host of other items.
HD these are the obligation of the landlord
Nor do they pay for the administering of services, this is a business ,the numbers do not work, you cut cost..
Are we talking about HUD funds paid to the City for the Section 8 Program?
The city receives about 1 million dollars a year and Nelson and Assoc received about 1 million dollars a year to administer the Section 8 Program

If this was  private entity like HD Housing LLC and the locale was using excessive resources of the city....You , others and the city would be on the phone, forum or wherever trying to shutdown the nuisance...

The city is policing itself and cutting costs on a for profit venture......
I do not understand the above statement.
However there is no proof that the HUD Section 8 Program is using excessive resources of the city

Vivian Moon wrote: HD HUD funds all the above programs plus several others. City Hall receives this money every year so maybe you need to dig a little deeper and find out where City Hall has spent all these funds…

HUD does not fund.. upkeep , maintaining windows, HVAC, R-values, ..There are many mandates that HUD places on a entity who receives HUD money.....HUD don't pay for snow removal, salt , trash , taxes and host of other items. Nor do they pay for the administering of services, this is a business ,the numbers do not work, you cut cost..If this was  private entity like HD Housing LLC and the locale was using excessive resources of the city....You , others and the city would be on the phone, forum or wherever trying to shutdown the nuisance...The city is policing itself and cutting costs on a for profit venture......

Vivian Moon wrote: HUD Response Letter to the City of Middletown 96 Page Report Dated: July 16, 2010 Pages 4-5       The housing and neighborhood conditions identified in the City’s analysis are real. Blaming the voucher program for these conditions however, is, in the words of former HUD Secretary Dr. Robert C. Weaver referring to claims about the public housing program, “like blaming the doctor for the disease.” The City has several tools available to address its obsolete housing stock and concentration of poverty. A well administered housing choice voucher program in conjunction with a targeted Neighborhood Stabilization Program and Community Development Block Grant funding can certainly help revitalize neighborhoods and help the City meet its long term goals. The Department has many resources to assist the City in meeting its goals to work with City staff to develop and design programs that are consistent with HUD rules and regulations and in the best interest of the City.

HUD Response Letter to the City of Middletown 96 Page Report
Dated: July 16, 2010
Pages 4-5

      The housing and neighborhood conditions identified in the City’s analysis are real. Blaming the voucher program for these conditions however, is, in the words of former HUD Secretary Dr. Robert C. Weaver referring to claims about the public housing program, “like blaming the doctor for the disease.” The City has several tools available to address its obsolete housing stock and concentration of poverty. A well administered housing choice voucher program in conjunction with a targeted Neighborhood Stabilization Program and Community Development Block Grant funding can certainly help revitalize neighborhoods and help the City meet its long term goals. The Department has many resources to assist the City in meeting its goals to work with City staff to develop and design programs that are consistent with HUD rules and regulations and in the best interest of the City.

acclaro wrote: All are missing what is occurring in Middletown. It is a stated GOAL within the Master Plan, which is poorly done, it is the goal-state within Middletown, to be about 28,000 in totality. The city, in time, will reach that goal, but its premise is false. Larry Mulligan made a pronouncement years ago, if you did not want to be part of the solution, just get out of Middletown. By that, he meant, "cheerleader." The vision is there will be a haven of public paid employees at MUM, C State, the city, elsewhere, to sustain Middletown. The circular logic to that vision is in the interim, as more get out, fewer move in, this adding additional glut to housing stock. That is where the Section 8 battle line in the sand is drawn. With the loss of influx of residents in, more housing stock sits. To fill the void, as the higher base of professional employees has no interest in living in Middletown, Section 8 is used. It is needed to fill the excess capacity of inventory. The circular logic is not Section 8 is the problem, the circular logic is the city wants to reduct population, to get down to a baseline of income it deems acceptable, with mostly Middletown residents working in Middletown, while there is no influx coming in. This is precisely what has happened to the Middletown School District. It is not section 8 causing poor performance, it is the need to allow open enrollment for trouble makers, others, whom were booted out (at least many), from other districts. MCSD is safe haven. The only reason the HUD battle was taken on is the Master Plan. The city wants to be a town of 28,000 or so; and will accomplish that inadvertently, as influx out is greater than influx in. IMO, most are simply focused on the wrong issue of Section 8. Middletown is a city that has become what it is by its own manifestation. Too big of a geographic area to maintain, total disregard for its own core mission, too wide, and not deep enough, and left in the dust by other communities. Section 8 was a solution for the city's excess housing stock and will be for decades. Economics drove the need for Section 8, not poverty driving Section 8. In turn, those with cash move out, those with limited cash driven in. Just as the school system has done, keading to "stuck on continuous improvement." Why move to an area that cost you $8,000 to send kid to private school when public school has problems, and a poor reputation? You don't....you go to West Chester, Mason, Mariemont, Hyde Park, etc.

Vivian I have no issues with any American that needs help getting it through tax payer funded Government programs, from what I have seen in the last few years there are lots of people that are cheating the hell out of the system and wouldn't work if they had a job handed to them. Too bad that the good ones get tainted by the bad ones maybe the answer would be if they had better checks and balances on their tenants.

All are missing what is occurring in Middletown. It is a stated GOAL within the Master Plan, which is poorly done, it is the goal-state within Middletown, to be about 28,000 in totality. The city, in time, will reach that goal, but its premise is false.

Larry Mulligan made a pronouncement years ago, if you did not want to be part of the solution, just get out of Middletown. By that, he meant, "cheerleader." The vision is there will be a haven of public paid employees at MUM, C State, the city, elsewhere, to sustain Middletown.

The circular logic to that vision is in the interim, as more get out, fewer move in, this adding additional glut to housing stock. That is where the Section 8 battle line in the sand is drawn. With the loss of influx of residents in, more housing stock sits. To fill the void, as the higher base of professional employees has no interest in living in Middletown, Section 8 is used. It is needed to fill the excess capacity of inventory. The circular logic is not Section 8 is the problem, the circular logic is the city wants to reduct population, to get down to a baseline of income it deems acceptable, with mostly Middletown residents working in Middletown, while there is no influx coming in. This is precisely what has happened to the Middletown School District. It is not section 8 causing poor performance, it is the need to allow open enrollment for trouble makers, others, whom were booted out (at least many), from other districts. MCSD is safe haven.

The only reason the HUD battle was taken on is the Master Plan. The city wants to be a town of 28,000 or so; and will accomplish that inadvertently, as influx out is greater than influx in.

IMO, most are simply focused on the wrong issue of Section 8. Middletown is a city that has become what it is by its own manifestation. Too big of a geographic area to maintain, total disregard for its own core mission, too wide, and not deep enough, and left in the dust by other communities.

Section 8 was a solution for the city's excess housing stock and will be for decades. Economics drove the need for Section 8, not poverty driving Section 8. In turn, those with cash move out, those with limited cash driven in. Just as the school system has done, keading to "stuck on continuous improvement."

Why move to an area that cost you $8,000 to send kid to private school when public school has problems, and a poor reputation? You don't....you go to West Chester, Mason, Mariemont, Hyde Park, etc.