clevelandrocks2008

correction, i have only lived on the westside and southside. not the eastside.

Pope, I know what you're saying and I don't want this to turn into a debate. I am just wondering why some people like the east side versus west side and southside more. I ask this because I have only lived on the west side and east side and am interested to know why people like the eastside better.

Biz, why do you love the eastside more than the west side and a lot more than the south side? Just curious.

MYNYC, I agree with you on all points. It's a shame that Clevleand isn't pressing the feds harder of being a destination for refugees. I've seen what the Somalis have done for C-Bus and it was positive. NE Ohio and Cleveland has so much to offer, but for some reason is not being proactive.

David, does being a monotonous city mean being a failing city? The answer is no. Also, how does attracting an immigrant class to Cleveland make Cleveland monotonous? It does not. It makes it more heterogenous!

"(Immigrants need to be attracted) But not at the expense of the city's current residents." What is the worst that is gonna happen if immigrants come to the city? They will help build up areas that are down trodden? It's not a zero sum game. Gaining immigrants does not mean that people of Cleveland will somehow have a lesser degree of living. Everyone wins when immigrants come and rebuild neighborhoods.

Jpop, the bottom line is the bottom line. I'm a hardcore liberal democrat, but I'm a reliast. I'm not saying neglect Clevelanders. What I'm saying is that there are doctors, lawyers, architects from Eastern Europe who have the degrees and are working minimum wage jobs in the area. I know. I talk to them and am friends with them. Why isn't Cleveland courting immigrants who have degrees in skilled fields? The entire city of Cleveland is not gonna have a college degree. You know it and I know it. I'm not saying we should forget about them, but that deals more with the Governor of Ohio and the federal government in regards to money to go to school.

Freedom, I agree with your comments and concerns. I just do not like the mayor of Cleveland saying he will not participate with attracting immigrants to this region until the plight of Clevelanders are solved. That is not a viable solution to solve the population decline. I do agree with you that there are other ideas floating around and my idea isn't the only one on the table, but I think it is irresponsible for the mayor to say he will not court immigrants to the city.

I disagree. While it is important to help the poor, you need to be realistic. The poor in Cleveland do not have College degrees and never will. It's socio-economics. Don't kid yourself. Factory jobs are long gone and in its place are service jobs. You need to go to college and at the very least have a high school diploma to have a good job. The demographics are not there in the city of Cleveland. If you are at the Cleveland Clinic and you are looking for qualified employees, you are not looking in Cleveland. I'm sorry, but that's the truth. This ain't Boston or Chicago or other gentrified cities that have college degree people living in the city. It is what it is. A blue collar town. You're not gonna change that. That being said, I think the leaders of Cleveland need to read some of the works of the top urban development planners in the country. You need immigrants, artists, and gays to energize a city. The leaders of Cleveland need to stop living in the past and think about the future. Clevelanders aren't gonna go to college in record numbers in the future. You need to think about outside resources.

MayDay...sorry for the post if it offended anyone. It wasn't meant to be. I do believe that attracting immigrants is an important issue for Cleveland. Mayor Jackson has said that it is not important. He says its more important to focus on the plight of Clevelanders. This is backward urban development. That is the point I was trying to make.

I guess my last post was banned because I called the mayor of Cleveland stupid, so I will refrain from name calling. That being said, why isn't Cleveland investing themselves with immigration?