Cincinnati's inferiority complex produces Acid Rain (Dayton, Louisville: apartment, condo, how much)

[SWOH]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

I have tried to stay out of this thread, but am throwing in the towel. This whole concept of a Cincinnati inferiority complex just leaves me cold. I have never felt Cincinnati to be inferior, in fact just the opposite during my living experience, one of the greatest cities in the country. I have had the fortune to travel to most of the cities in the US of any size. Never had one entice me to move from Cincinnati, and that includes Florida and Arizona, no thanks, they are not like where I grew up and raised my family - Cincinnati.

And the statement of lack of progressive thought. The is another one which leaves me absolutely cold. Of course I go back to the definition of progressive, to foster progress. Right there and then you have an argument. What I consider progress you consider regressive, etc.

I readily admit I do not consider Cincinnati to be broke and needing a radical fix. It has served me well for over 70 years and I believe will serve the next generation well. I have already spawned 3 generations here and they seem to be relatively stable.

And I believe that because Cincinnatians are not prone to a knee-jerk reaction to either political or social fixes. My observation is outsiders want to tell us how backward we are. My reaction is go someplace else and tell them, because the majority of us are pretty content with our lives.

That is my opinion. If you want to grind the inhabitants of society against each other, please do it somewhere else, as much as you want to stir discontent, the majority of Cincinnati is happy.

Now if you object to my comments, please publish the documented results of a poll which states Cincinnatians want to leave in droves.

This post well-emphasizes the two extremes of Cincinnatian thought.

One is the one characterized in this post, the one of a progressive urbanist like myself or many of the other people who post on this site.

The other is the more conservative / libertarian viewpoint which the majority of Cincinnati area residents (like Kjbrill) possess.


Viewpoint 1 generally wants more, because they see getting it (or "progress") as achievable.
Viewpoint 2 is happy with what exists and has no interest in pursuing more amenities (and therefore does not want "progress").


Most cities lean strongly one way or the other. For many years, Cincinnati has leaned strongly towards viewpoint 2, although that is changing with the initiatives (and the people who lead them) in places like OTR.


... and there's the issue. Which viewpoint will win? Right now, the clear winner is Viewpoint 1, and unless we see some major leadership change or economic hardship, I don't see that changing soon.

[TomJones123]

Originally Posted by neilworms2

The city is getting better than when I lived there

Oh, I am not trying to discredit personal experiences. I've chatted with others regarding the corporate culture here, specifically in IT, and was very surprised at how crappy it is. Sorry for the terse response, I could have elaborated more but didn't have the time.

I have had it pretty easy here because I am a very outgoing individual. It's very common for me to stop and have conversations on the street with complete strangers. My advice is hang out places that seem welcoming to you and just get to know folks. There are a lot of really cool people in Cincinnati, especially downtown.

[kjbrill]

TomJones123 ...
Somehow I did not get the feel this thread was about IT opportunities here in Cincinnati. They may be entwined with the subject. But I took it much more to mean Cincinnatians feel inferior, and I take great objection to that.

I know I never felt inferior living in Cincinnati - in fact the direct opposite. During my travels when people asked where I lived I said Cincinnati. If they expressed never having been here, I would say you should really visit, a truely great city.

I really object to this idea Cincinnati is not progressive. As I have said progressive by definition implies progress. This is a matter of opinion. What you consider progress I may consider liberal government intervention. So we have a difference of opinion.

As another respondent said, Acid Rain results from pollutants mainly emitted from Midwest power plants and then captured in rain which falls on the East Coast. So what is your answer to that? Shut down all of the coal power plants in the Midwest? And replace them with what? Everything in life requires a tradeoff, particularly in consumption of natural resources.

If we pass a resolution you will have to put an outhouse in your backyard, and if you don't have a backyard a Port-o-Let out on the street to solve the sewer predicament, just how happy will you be? I don't have an outhouse in my back yard and the majority of the people I know don't have a Port-o-Let on the street they have to use.

So what is the argument over progressive? In my opinion, I feel the the ability to prevent the requirement of outhouses and Port-o-Lets in most of Greater Cincinnati is a very progressive achievement. I also feel the ability to provide water and energy to heat and cool my house is also progressive. So where exactly is the argument?

[TomJones123]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

TomJones123 ...
Somehow I did not get the feel this thread was about IT opportunities here in Cincinnati. They may be entwined with the subject. But I took it much more to mean Cincinnatians feel inferior, and I take great objection to that.

I was under the impression that we were talking about civic pride, not necesarrily Cinicnnatians feeling inferoir. But hey, I've been wrong before and will be wrong again. Maybe the OP could clarify, or if we are too far gone, we can just keep posting away. We are usually way off topic this late in the game.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by TomJones123

I was under the impression that we were talking about civic pride, not necesarrily Cinicnnatians feeling inferoir. But hey, I've been wrong before and will be wrong again. Maybe the OP could clarify, or if we are too far gone, we can just keep posting away. We are usually way off topic this late in the game.

You are right, we are usually way off topic. But from both the topic and the jist of most of the posts I got the idea than Cincinnatians have both a great desire to leave and also bash living in the area. I just want to express this is not what I have experienced in my lifetime. There is no other place I would rather live than Cincinnati, and I hope those who believe Cincinnati is backwards, etc. would just leave so we can live in peace.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by TomJones123

We are usually way off topic this late in the game.

It's part of our charm.

[enofile]

I think many of you have either misinterpreted my entire point or are not aware of what an inferiority complex is. No one is saying Cincinnati is inferior for god's sake! An inferiority complex by definition means that you feel inferior even though it may not be true in any manner or context. Thus, when I spoke to Cincinnatians about moving here, most of them were hardly glowing about the city and questioned my wisdom. It seems to me that people living in the "Queen City" have a low opinion of the town and carry an almost atavistic shame about living in Cincinnati. This is hardly true about other cities. Louisvillians constantly brag about living in Louisville and they think it is superior in almost every way. I believe they're delusional since most folks living in Louisville never get out of the city and have no valid comparison. People living in San Francisco are smug about the city and believe it is "heaven on earth." Most Milwaukee folks are very proud of the Lakefront, River Walk, Third Ward and East Side. They are in constant competition with Chicago and love to scrap about the relative worth of each town.
I think Cincinnati is under appreciated by the people from and living in the city. There is an amazing future ahead for Downtown that needs the impetus and support of the city itself. be proud of Cincinnati and let people know it! That can only help its growth. That was the gist of my post. I do not comprehend how anyone can interpret what I said into a criticism of the city and what it has to offer. Yikes!

[kjbrill]

enofile ... The title of your thread immediately got some people on the defensive and others on the offensive. To tell people their inferiority complex results in acid rain, what did you expect?

You did entice several to express their dislike of Cincinnati and the people who live here, with all the cliques, short sightedness, and other attributes of those who do not agree with others but cling to their own interests.

How do I know this? From my lifelong experience of living here. People who live in Greater Cincinnati are among the most friendly, forgiving, and generous people anywhere in this country. Just because we harbor a great feeling for the values of our ancestry does not mean we are either backward or retarded.

[enofile]

Negativity results in a figurative acid rain. It may have been a provocative title, but there was nothing that suggests a criticism of Cincinnati itself. I was expressing DISMAY at the overwhelming lack of enthusiasm for the city. Honestly, I have never experienced folks so willing to destroy my enthusiasm for where they live and I am quite well traveled.

[natininja]

It's hard to miss the deficit in civic self-esteem.

enofile, I think this article might be of interest to you in your mission to locate the root of this phenomenon:
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