Stark County, Ohio is suffering a diverse recession and shares with the nation the fusion of dilemmas. Starks distress stems from an increasing graying community, housing troubles with an increase in foreclosures, family credit crisis which adds to delinquency’s, a rise in cost of overheads for businesses, manufacturing loss in which has incurred a labor surplus, a rise in crime, medical insurance plight, oil woes, mounting college debt without many local jobs to support graduates, food inflations, war and the continual decline in the strength of the US currency. Things have gone pear shaped.
These abiding factors have contributed to Stark County’s three year economic development decline.
There is a great undertaking of challenges for Stark County to effectively adapt the region toward the combined synchronization of focuses that are necessary to curb these hideous differences. The strategies require the utilization of the counties current abilities which include short-term to permanent implementations, well as the exploitation of global opportunities for our areas overall economical fortitude.
We repeatedly see businesses close around us. Hoover Company, FYI, Owens Corning, Macy’s and the closing of three Canton City schools. All of which creates a displaced labor force. Ever time a business cease, a rippling effect throughout the region feels its sting. It’s the idea of a general economic ecosystem. If people are not working to generate an income, there’s no money going into any of our local commerce. One helps the other. It should be a crime for political misinformation. Especially when it relates to the citizens of the community and how some local politicians wish only to give you surface level information or find new creative ways to spin the reality.
Forbes is right and wrong. I don’t agree we are a dying city, but one has to agree with facts and how Stark and Carroll County’s economical hardships significantly and persistently burden its citizens.
Take a look at the Ohio Economic Analysis Report for 2008
http://lmi.state.oh.us/research/2008OhioEconomicAnalysis.pdf provided by the Department of Job and Family Services. This information states the comparable years of 2000, 2003 and 2006 of employment in major metropolitan areas such as Canton-Massillon. Our region had the greatest relative job loss, a -7.9% and never recovered from the 2001 recession.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that Canton-Massillon when compared to the State and National unemployment rates beginning from 2002 has been notably higher than averages.
http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?series_id=LAUMT39159403&data_tool=%22EaG%22
http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.oh.htm
http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&series_id=LNS14000000
The Bureau of Economical Analysis verifies that the Real GDP of 2005-2006 released September 25, 2008 for Canton-Massillon has decreased since 2004.
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_metro/2008/xls/gdp_metro0908.xls
I have spent countless amounts of time, personal sacrifice and person finances designing an assortment of efficient stability's for Stark County and its citizens in order to curb the current mixture of recessions that continue to accrue and weaken our area. By my research there will be a continual decline in manufacturing and a rise in medical, education, and service industries. FDI investment will stall do to small profit gains unless companies from stronger currency countries approached and new incentives are in place.
We as a community need to stop being complacent and tell our public servants enough is enough. It’s a slap to our faces and a shameful display of thier cowardly character. The energy they use to bend, twist, and misshape facts for their personal quests should be employed toward providing new and supportive economical foundations for our locale. How much longer do the citizens of Stark County have to suffer until someone steps up with a strategic plan toward economic growth? Who are the people selling our communities availabilities to attract business from other parts of the nation as well as the world? Do we fit in your business cycle dear political leaders of Stark? Or are we again just your political springboard for your personal gains?
