TBideon

You do know her quote was taken wildly and deliberately out of context there

Nice. Sam and Liz are great people

Or CSU's expansion

All stadiums could use improvements, especially with other people's money. But unless they're falling apart - and I mean literally falling onto people's heads - then their repairs/replacements can wait. Somehow older stadiums have survived many decades without having to replace 10-20 year old scoreboards IN ECONOMICALLY DEPRESSED CITIES, no less And I vaguely recall the excuse being there is a concern that certain parts won't be available in x number of years, hence the immediate need for new scoreboards. Well gee, couldn't that apply to every single mechanical structure that exists today and works well.

A friend of mine and his wife are moving to New England and just put their house on the market http://m.realtor.com/?source=web#details?property_id=4482255681

You're being far too kind. The job proclamations are borderline parody. Hell, it's like they're using the same boostering, nonsense rhetoric as Health Line reps, just with a few alterations. East 4th and downtown living being a direct result of Gateway? Sure, why the hell not. Of course Tower City was losing high end retailers left and right during and after Gateway constriction. Makes me think if they take credit for the good, they should also take blame for the bad, regardless of logic. And why do the stadiums need new scoreboards again? In what universe is that basic upkeep?

You know, I want to villify the guy for his actions, but then there's this: http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/out-of-darkness/Content?oid=2013468 "To get to this point, he's been driving the streets ten hours a week and logging another ten at his computer and phone. He maintains color-coded charts to remind him which lights he's called about, whether CPP has responded, and whether their repairs have been successful. If not, he calls again. In six months, he's phoned in exactly 1,433 malfunctioning lights to Cleveland Public Power's automated streetlight complaint system... Senyak pockets not a penny in his quest to ensure we get our money's worth. " A rare case of a so-called community activist ACTUALLY being a real community activist unlike the usual self-proclaimed community activist lunatics/criminals.

Charming first paragraph there. Remember, the rule is every PD/Cleveland.com article that dares discuss a positive must be prefaced by detailed negative imagery of the city.

They have significant economic momentum unrelated to professional sports, and aren't burdened with nonsense maintenance costs

If these teams are unwilling to renegotiate the contracts and instead continue to ignore economic realities while preaching about intangible benefits, then I say let the state/city/county impose enough draconian fees and taxes and fines on then to make up the difference. Cleveland should pay hardball, and if the teams threaten to leave, then let them. I don't see Austin or Columbus suffering from a lack of professional teams Loyalty goes both ways. Publicly funded new scoreboards is a slap to everyone's face. F-k them.

But if the bill is defeated, wouldn't the money just come from general fund. I mean, we owe what we owe. And if we renege or try to renegotiate the contract, won't there be potentially millions in litigation fees and other ancillary costs. The teams have a lot of leverage; the city has virtually none. No one likes this bill, but you really have to pick your battles.

I can't believe how ignorant I am; I didn't even KNOW there was a second New York Chinatown. I just knew about the Manhattan one.

Both - the two groups were part of feuding "anti-racist" gangs, the Friends Stand United and Swing on Sight Family.

Who knew that anti-racists were so violent

Are these fools the same people who attend those concerts across the street from the Stephanie Tubbs Center. Whenever I'm at that station, I always see some neo-nazi'esque/biker types hanging out. I'm thinking, what is this, Ashtabula in the 70s?

I have to disagree with your disagreement. There are many significantly healthier cities with two, one, or even zero professional teams. Was Cleveland any worse off when the Cavs played in Richfield or the Browns left? Hell, wouldn't you say that things were a lot better for the city as a whole those years. More middle and working class families around; more middle class jobs and Fortune 500 companies those years, but only one or two teams playing downtown. And I'm not saying the Cavs' and Browns' downtown absense was a good thing but rather there probably is no real connection to stadiums, teams and a healthy economy. So let them leave if they want to - whatever intangibles they're providing doesnt seem to be really doing all that much for Cleveland. If anything, you just see a lot more negativity.

That was one hell of a movie. Far better than the original.

^^is Legacy struggling? It seems the restaurants keep busy, the parking lots full, and that microbrewery at the old bookstore is hugely popular.

These articles are regurgitated nonsense that fail to address market realities and employer disconnect. The companies won't train employees for these specialized positions, yet attach all sorts of ridiculous criteria for applicants. If these openings really exist, and no applicants can satisfy the unrealistic requirements, maybe the problem goes beyond a lack of relevant experience and training. I suspect, and have read, that many (most?) of these jobs are simply fiction. They are falsely advertised to demonstrate a company's momentum (whether it's real or not) to calm investors, clients and potential clients. Of course we deserve your tax credits/investments/purchases, we're a company on the rise. And we are giving opportunities for local employment! Support us!!!! It reminds me of Steris. They have searched for advanced blue collar employees for years. Mind you they haven't managed to fill these jobs, but still Steris broadcasts openings all the time. Every 6 months the PD/Cleveland.com brings them up in these kinds of articles. What a great Cleveland company. They're hiring! They're not leaving (greater) Cleveland. Jobs of the future! Good wages! ....and then they lay off 100+ employees with more to follow. And still the same jobs remain unfilled.

Think of it as an April Fools/clairvoyance hybrid :-)

Holy crap!!!! Masterson just signed a 5 year, 85 million contract! Guess management was pretty pleased with last night.

now THAT is an amazing commercial/ad

I'm fine with carpetbagging if the result is positive. The problem is the video seems generic, something that with a few tweaks could be used in any number of struggling mid-sized cities, and focuses on the wrong things. Restaurants and hipsters/attractive young professionals are the predominant images you see instead of neighborhoods and families. Grit and water and parks and steel and hospitals and theaters and schools and churches and people over 40 and actual residents and RTA -- more of those things we need. Show us names of neighborhoods alongside images of homes and construction as opposed to over-sized text that says nothing of importance. The more times I watch the video, the more I dislike it.

Wasn't Cedar Point in the video somewhere? Which isn't remotely a 'burb, obviously.

^^I don't understand their reasoning. They couldn't get any attractive shots of people playing volleyball in Whiskey Island or barbequing at Edgewater Park? Those are huge attractions today, regardless of some bizarre concern with overpromising? The whole ad is about overpromising - that's the very nature of such videos. My guess is the Kansas City company didn't do its homework, and Gilbert didn't want to rock the boat.