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[quote=NCN;12577682]I voted in your poll although you did not state which Columbus you are talking about.
Columbus, OH (pop. 747755)
Columbus, GA (pop. 185781)
Columbus, IN (pop. 39817)
Columbus, MS (pop. 24025)
Columbus, NE (pop. 21399)
Columbus, WI (pop. 4971)
Columbus, TX (pop. 3904)
Columbus, KS (pop. 3222)
Columbus, MT (pop. 1934)
Columbus, NM (pop. 1846)
Columbus, NY (pop. 1027)
Columbus, NC (pop. 979)
Columbus, KY (pop. 214)
Columbus, ND (pop. 122)
Columbus, IL (pop. 110)
This thread is pertaining to Columbus, Ohio and Charlotte, North Carolina.
I thought that would be widely known, as all of the other "Columbus locales" listed above, would NOT have a major skyline ... as you have seen early on the thread.
Columbus and Charlotte share many similarities, yet they also have distinctions that set them apart.
It's quite an interesting comparison too. I'm actually beginning to think that Columbus and Austin, TX, may be more similar.
Columbus and Austin, are often compared to one another ... interesting too. It's probably
more accepted though, that many see Columbus and Charlotte as more similar ... or as sibling
cities.
I think Austin, Columbus, and Charlotte are all compatible comparisons. Also Sacramento and Indianapolis. The only thing that messes up Charlotte is that it is not a state capital whereas the others are.
I think Austin, Columbus, and Charlotte are all compatible comparisons. Also Sacramento and Indianapolis. The only thing that messes up Charlotte is that it is not a state capital whereas the others are.
And in light of that, it's pretty amazing what Charlotte has become without being a state capital or having a huge university. But there's no doubt that those things provide more stability, particularly in economic times like this.
And in light of that, it's pretty amazing what Charlotte has become without being a state capital or having a huge university. But there's no doubt that those things provide more stability, particularly in economic times like this.
I absolutely concur with the above statement ... I also believe that a large reason behind Columbus' ongoing resilience is the fact that it is Ohios capital city. There's actually alot of power in Columbus ... additionally, with huge companies such as Nationwide Insurance ( just to mention one ) being based here, there's a sound, stabile and "nearly" recession proof "reality present in the city" ... and this not a myth.
I've encountered people in Columbus that have relocated from all across Ohio, and from all across the US and certain parts of the world.
The local economy has taken a hit ... just like most of the country ... but it has NOT suffered in such dire circumstances due to the extremely diversified market that comprises this area.
Charlotte is already beginning to recover from the casualties of the "banking shake-up" that occurred ... having added a substancial amount of new jobs in a recent finding.
Last edited by JohnDBaumgardner; 01-24-2010 at 09:51 AM..
Reason: x
Here's a commanding view of the city skyline of Columbus, as seen from the I-670 inner beltway near the city centre. It's a nice view ... even on a gray winters day.
Interesting read from the mayor of Charlotte, Anthony Foxx
This is very interesting article that quotes Anthony Foxx, the mayor of Charlotte, as he had joined mayors from all across the U.S. in a meeting with President Obama to discuss the importance of funneling monies to large cities for infrastructure and other needed improvements. I think it is also interesting to point out another positive distinction that Columbus and Charlotte share. Both cities are governed by esteemed African American mayors.
Politics
The Mayors' Message to Washington: Funnel Aid Through the Cities first
In a week when attention was paid to politics and partisanship on a national level, mayors meeting with President Obama and cabinet officials were preoccupied with concerns closer to home like unemployment and the economy.
It's not that results from the Senate race in Massachusetts didn't intrude on last week's agenda. "Clearly, it created a silent pause," Charlotte, N.C., Mayor Anthony Foxx told me after he met with local reporters on Saturday. But he said the nearly 300 mayors at the conference were focused on the No. 1 issue everywhere – jobs.
It was the first time at the conference for Foxx, who was elected last November. He said the mayors heard from nine cabinet officials, and he had the chance to talk one-on-one with Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan.
Since the mayor was sworn in Dec. 7, three corporate headquarters have relocated to Charlotte. But with unemployment at 12 percent in the city, Foxx said more has to be done. Foxx said he carried to Washington the same message he repeated during his campaign, that the answer is assistance to small businesses, whether though strengthening loan programs or expanding access to capital from community banks.
"The more we help small business, the more we help grow jobs," he said.
Foxx said one message to Washington from the mayors was: If you really want to see resources get out quickly, "send more of it through the cities."
As my colleague Lynn Sweet reported, President Obama previewed the administration's plans for cities in the new budget to be unveiled next month.
"We'll build strong regional backbones for our economy by coordinating federal investment in economic and workforce development, because today's metropolitan areas don't stop at downtown," Obama said.
He also named some needs he regarded as basic: "Access to good jobs, affordable housing, convenient transportation that connects both, quality schools and health services, safe streets and parks, and access to a fresh, healthy food supply. "
While in Washington, Foxx talked with federal officials about infrastructure projects, particularly North Carolina's bid to win $300 million in competitive stimulus money to reconstruct the Yadkin River bridge, which Foxx called "the worst bridge in North Carolina." He said cities such as Atlanta and Birmingham, Ala., would suffer if the bridge were out of commission. Foxx said the administration would decide by Feb. 17.
Foxx spoke with Donovan about affordable housing, homelessness and "the impact of federal policies on Charlotte neighborhoods," particularly the "clustering of poverty" in certain neighborhoods, he said.
Foxx -- a Democrat who won in part by following Obama's successful electoral strategy -- is confident the mayors have the administration's ear. Last year was "the most troubling economic periods of time any generation has seen," he said. "Things would be a lot worse than they are," he said, without steps so far undertaken by the president.
U.S. mayors have to be confident that, with everything else on the administration's mind – starting with the State of the Union speech on Wednesday – cities remain at the top of the federal agenda, he said.
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Interesting read from the mayor of Charlotte, Anthony Foxx
Politics 
In a week when attention was paid to politics and partisanship on a national level, mayors meeting with President Obama and cabinet officials were preoccupied with concerns closer to home like unemployment and the economy.
