What's best for local development?
Cleveland Plain Dealer March 6, 2005
By Ray Tapajna
Robert B. Reich (Forum , March 1) confirms we are shopping our way out of our jobs. We vote at the
cash register more than we do in the voting booth on what kind of society we want.
Wal-Mart wanted a store where steel was once made. It seemed like a sacrilege
to me. Overall, 700,000 steel-related jobs have vanished. These jobs fed at least five levels of a value-added economy, from
raw product to retail. Workers were able to support their families and send their children to college.
Wal-Mart workers do not make enough to support themselves, and the money we spend
goes to China. It does not stay here. In China, Wal-Mart opened a store with virtually nothing imported from the United States.
In turn the profits here and there support China as a top weapons merchant in the world.
Cleveland City Council debated the space that Wal-Mart should have for food sales,
knowing the company would sell under costs (at a loss) to draw shoppers in. This would have closed down the independent food
stores ( and the West Side Market where a multitude of food vendors have been for many years... it draws many people
from the suburbs.)
Our Mayor wants casinos and red-light traffic cameras to raise money. Why
not just legalize prostitution and collect a large tax? These jobs will always be local; they're impossible to outsource,
and they won't be lost leaders.
Ray Tapajna, Cleveland
Restoring our cities -
Take it to the people with
An international Mercantile Center and a Mercantile Fair featuring products
made in the region ...As a " Pride of Cleveland Product" - Local Production for Local Consumption and the
Cleveland Downtown Airport Boardwalk...
In Cleveland Ohio like many other major cities across our land, leaders are wondering
how to make a comeback. Instead of talking about bringing back good paying jobs, they are talking Casinos and red-light
traffic cameras to raise money. They offer tax abatements and outright payoffs for foreign assemblers. They foster big
box stores where the money spent at retail quickly fans out to foreign countries where the products art made. Their priorities
are based on a tax revenue mind-set rather than on creating real commerce.
Cleveland has a downtown airport right on the lake. The air traffic
is down and there is talk about making a park or building condomiums there. A park would be nice but
it would serve no real purpose in the recovery of Cleveland as one of the poorest cities in our country . High priced
residential units will not work either. We need to work from the bottom up and not from the top down.
We suggest using the airport as a Mini-Mercantile Center for business to
business selling during the day. Vendors could sponsor a buffet where business people could use their calling card as their
ticket to get in for a free buffet lunch or dinner. Vendors could present their products and services and
have presenters going from table to table with their items while the main presentation is going on too. The airport
fees for vendors flying in could be discounted. This in itself would highlight the downtown airport on the lake as a wonderful
positive . There could be charter flights ferrying people to the islands in Lake Erie and to nearby cities in Canada.
At night, the center could be used for business to people selling bringing in
consumers. Outside or in the hangars, a vast flea market or bazaar could be started. It could be used for in
the selling of art, antiques and collectibles too with an upscale area. Cleveland like many other major cities now
have what I call " the Gray Economy". I also call the people who picked through the rubbish on pick up day
"the Gray People". This is a big business that no one talks about. Why not have a vast flea market or
upgraded bazaar at the airport. This would bring many people into the area.
Businesses and restaurants downtown could have booths for people to sample
their wares. There could be a shuttle trolley bus going back and forth between the two areas and the West Side Market. Upper
scale businesses and restaurants could have limos taking customers back to their establishments. Coupons could
also be given away at the center only for the Rock Hall of Fame and the top Science Center close by to draw people from
everywhere. A ship could be docked near by to offer overnights rooms and even be an extension of the mini mercantile
center.
A Kiddie Land could be built to draw families. A giant Ferris Wheel could be built
and light up the whole area off Lake Erie and on the lake itself.
The Mercantile Fair would be the attraction with the Rock Hall of Fame the Science
Center close by. At the Science Center or at the airport , there could be a replica of a working
old fashion windmill or water wheel as an attraction and again to light up the area. A boardwalk could
easily be had from E9th to as far as E40th close to the Lake. Street Vendors could be located on the boardwalk.
There could be test drives in this area for potential auto buyers.
In all it would have with many people interacting with each other in selling
and buying. It would be a people to people venture.
The world renown Cleveland Art Museum will close down for renovations for a
year or so. A mini-art museum could be a the downtown airport during this time or keep it as an ongoing display.
Even an E-Bay Rep could be on hand finding regional items for consumers worldwide
right there.
A program could be started to to promote a Made in Cleveland label perhaps calling
it
Pride of Cleveland products!
following with a Made in Ohio and Made in the USA label. The label program could be
advertised heavily throughout the city, state and country as a way of letting all know what a local value-added economy is
and promote area manufacturing.
(We tried in many ways to tell our leaders and media here about this all but
no one seems to listen. It would not take much money to get it all going but our leaders talk Casinos and parks instead.)
And they talk education- education but when the core of the classroom is a $100 to $200 PC computer, that is not even made
in the USA, how can anyone expect anything good to come from this. The price of the device demonstrates the demise of
high tech in the USA . It is especially silly to push computer education when word processors only make a bit over minimum
wages. Who would have predicted that workers need computer skills just to earn a minimum wage.
