Youngstown 49.7% poverty rate - highest in the nation (for sale, house)

[Yac]

Back on topic everyone, please. We have separate forums for religion, history or politics discussions, try there. Here focus on local issues.
Yac.

[Cleveland_Collector]

Originally Posted by RomaniGypsy

You didn't read everything I wrote. Between the company's share of the payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare, and the employee's share, it's already 15.3%. Then there is the regular federal income tax on top of that... makes it really easy for the Feds' take to be 20%. Ever heard of the Alternative Minimum Tax? More people get zapped by that than you'd think. That raises the effective tax rate well above 30% when you add in the company's payroll tax share.

And, at the payscale of $11/hr, most if not all of the income tax that is withheld is refunded. The SS and MC taxes provide the revenue for valuable services that are wildly popular among most Americans. Do you advocate eliminating the both of them?

FYI, nobody earning in the $11/hr range is even close to the AMT threshold.

No. What I'm promoting is the abolition of federal employment and income taxes (which we never even had, until 1914) so that when the company shells out $11 per hour to keep an employee, the employee gets........ drum roll...... THE FULL ELEVEN BUCKS AN HOUR.

Ok. How about sparing the dramatics and divulge which interstates, military branches, airports, national parks, etc. you would like to also do away with along with the tax revenue.

Depends upon your living situation and where you live.

True, on that kind of bread, you would be the king of Appalachia.

The people who use it. Pay for the roads and bridges through gas taxes, because people who buy gas are using the roads and bridges. Pay for airports through airfare, seaports through seafare, and the military through some sort of federal tax. (I understand that you have to have SOME tax, to pay for the military. But the military is only a small percentage of the America budget.)

Everyone, in one way or another, uses every aspect of the infrastructure. Imposing regressive taxes on all aspects of use (including delivery surcharges) is a fine way to drive up cost and, therefore, prices while offering nothing in return.

FYI, the military component of total federal spending is between 20-25% of total federal expenditure on an annual basis. That's not exactly what most would call a small percentage. Factor in the long term costs of 2 wars and the number gets even higher.

It's simple mathematics that that is the case. However, I prefer the worker getting $11.00 per hour. If a company has to pay $11.00 per hour to get a good employee, that means that the employee is worth that much. Stands to reason that that money should go to the employee, not the thieving federal government.

To the simple mind, it's simple mathematics. The simple mind never takes into account what else is involved in a person actually being able to obtain and retain employment. It refers to the federal government as a thief for "taking" their money but, at the same time, gets angry when the basic infrastructure that needs to be in place in order to even have robust employment breaks down. Just imagine what would happen to that infrastructure if the revenue was slashed by 60%.

The truth is that all companies have to pay a wage that will be accepted by a capable worker if they want to get capable workers. That is capitalism at its finest. If I can pay $5.00 per hour and get a capable, willing worker for that money, why should the thieving Feds tell me that I MUST pay that person $7.15 per hour (which will cost me almost $8.00 per hour anyway and will only net the employee maybe $6.25 per hour)?

A living wage is a living wage and $7.15/hr is well below that threshold. Just because you may or may not be able to "find" some desperate soul to work for less does not mean that you should. Pure capitalism is no better than communism. Thank the lord above that our system isn't purely capitalistic.

And yes, there are tax refunds for low-income people. But there is no refund for the business that hired that person.

Low-income workers get nearly full tax refunds. Businesses get tax deductions. If you're employing people at less than $15/hr., the most you're paying is FICA, MC, and a tiny amount of UI (which is a state imposed premium) (fed total: 7.65%). That comes right off the top of your reported revenue and, therefore, lowers the amount of taxation.

Basically, at $11/hr, the MAXIMUM paid between the employer and employee is 15.3% and this goes directly to the employee's retirement.

[alphamale]

So what?

Ohio will continue to flounder as long as the public sector unions hold the state hostage.

[CortlandGirl79]

^That's funny because this state was doing pretty well when I was growing up in the 80s and 90s (save some inner city areas which in my opinion are doing much worse now) and there were a lot more private and public employee union members back then.....

[Cleveland_Collector]

Originally Posted by alphamale

So what?

Ohio will continue to flounder as long as the public sector unions hold the state hostage.

Yeah, 5% of the workforce is responsible for 100% of Ohio's economic woes.

[RememberMee]

Ohio's towns & cities were holding tanks of manufacturing labor. Owning & shareholding class found that Chinese, Mexicans etc. cities and towns are more attractive receptacles for the labor. Problem of mass urban & rural poverty has no solutions in the current economic & ideological paradigm. It will get worse. The end.

[BelieveInCleve]

Here's an interesting map of the vacant map and substandard housing units in the city:
(Green is vacant land, yellow-red is bad housing, white is good)
http://www.mvorganizing.org/images/content/maps/youngstown-2008-vacancy-sur.jpg (broken link)

It's crazy how much vacant land there is especially on the Southside and Eastside, not really a surprise to me from driving down Hillman st (Southside) and Wilson ave (Eastside) before. And it looks like the far Southside is going downhill fast. Looks like there's only a few stable neighborhoods excluding the Westside.

Here's more about it: Vacant Property Organizing Campaign | Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative (http://www.mvorganizing.org/campaigns/vacant-properties - broken link)

[JR_C]

Originally Posted by BelieveInCleve

Here's an interesting map of the vacant map and substandard housing units in the city:
(Green is vacant land, yellow-red is bad housing, white is good)
http://www.mvorganizing.org/images/content/maps/youngstown-2008-vacancy-sur.jpg (broken link)

It's crazy how much vacant land there is especially on the Southside and Eastside, not really a surprise to me from driving down Hillman st (Southside) and Wilson ave (Eastside) before. And it looks like the far Southside is going downhill fast. Looks like there's only a few stable neighborhoods excluding the Westside.

Here's more about it: Vacant Property Organizing Campaign | Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative (http://www.mvorganizing.org/campaigns/vacant-properties - broken link)

I was one of many who helped make this map. Only the properties that were vacant at the time were given a "grade." Grades A-C would be considered safe to live in. (if it was a residence) Many of the "F" properties would probably be green now, if the map was remade. Many of the green properties--especially on the east side--were never developed.

[JR_C]

I read this letter to the editor the other day and thought it was interesting. (the first one)
Youngstown News, Another look at poverty numbers

[BelieveInCleve]

Originally Posted by JR_C

I was one of many who helped make this map. Only the properties that were vacant at the time were given a "grade." Grades A-C would be considered safe to live in. (if it was a residence) Many of the "F" properties would probably be green now, if the map was remade. Many of the green properties--especially on the east side--were never developed.

Nice, so did you actually have to walk around your neighborhood and go look at each house to give it a grade? Did you go inside them?

And I remember hearing about them knocking down like 20 vacant houses in 1 neighborhood after a couple was killed near a church I believe, this was recent within the last few years. Arson is also a huge problem in Youngstown, it actually has the highest arson rate in the entire country. Very sad situation in Y-Town.