According to the Census Bureau, Toledo made it into the top of 10 large cities (based on population) with the lowest median household income in 2007 - despite the fact that our income was up .5% over the previous year.
Here's the list:
Detroit $28,097
Cleveland $28,512
Miami $29,075
Buffalo $29,706
Pittsburgh $32,363
Cincinnati $33,006
St. Louis $34,191
Newark, N.J. $34,452
Memphis $35,143
Toledo $35,216
While elected officials and media bemoan the fact that our city is not gaining like other U.S. cities - and we have increasing needs as a result of higher prices, they are all supporting increased property taxes in the form of new and replacement levies on the ballot in November.
Does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture?
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
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7 comments:
Maggie - I see many problems with this. But, alas, what I see doesn't count for much nowadays.
All the proposed new construction and what-not is admirable. In a solvent economy.
Our leaders either don't understand, or don't want to understand, that the jobs that the new construction brings in are transient in nature. Without sustainable employment it doesn't matter how many new condos are built, how many new malls are built, how many new schools are built. If there is nobody to live in the condos, shop in the malls and attend the schools ...
If as much effort was put into building a solid, long-term, decent paying employment base as there has been in creating a marina district, warehouse district, arts district, etc. ... well, those things would naturally follow the money.
Instead we insist on spending money we don't have on projects that are doomed from inception. It's sad, it's disappointing, it's frustrating and, above all, it's extremely bass ackwards.
I'm surprised that the median income in Toledo is higher than the other cities on that list.
Maggie,
I think that I have figured out how we made the list (other than our economy sucks, of course). I call it the "New Toledo Math", as taught by Mayor Carty Finkbeiner.
Take the total of the already lousy median income of the residents of the city of Toledo, add in the homeless people that our mayor insisted be counted by the Census Bureau to bring up our population, factor in that as homeless people they make no recorded income, then redivide the totals based on the newly expanded population base.
Voila, we make the top ten!
It's a good thing that the Mayor straightened out the Census Bureau, or we might have missed the list all together.
Tim - that might be a good explanation except for the fact that our median income actually INCREASED over 2006. It was only .5%, but an increase nonetheless.
Maggie,
I've made no secret of my desire to move elsewhere just as soon as Mrs. Thunkit retires.
In the meantime, I have been looking at/for places, based mostly on the local climate/weather.
As of know though, I'm also beginning to look at places where the residents are active in their local governments and where the politicians both understand and DO their jobs.
We DO get the government that we deserve.
Sigh. . .
Maggie,
I can come up with only two explanations for that:
1. All of us are working harder than ever to keep up, and it's working.
(sarcasm on)
2. The exhorbitant compensation that you are being paid for "Eye On Toledo" has skewed the numbers.
(sarcasm off)
Tim may have something....
Maggie, in 2006, we didn't have any homeless....
s/off
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