Homeowners Prefer to Stay in Areas Marked for Change

CNN has this story about homeowners in Youngstown who prefer to stay in their blighted neighborhoods rather than accept the city's buyout offer. The city is offering up to $50,000 dollars in enticements for residents to move from their houses. The Youngstown 2010 plan calls for these areas to be transformed into greenspaces by demolishing the houses and tearing up the streets.

While it may be frustrating for everyone who worked on the Youngstown 2010 plan to see obstructions stand in their way, it is good to see that city planners see the relocations as voluntary at this point and do see the need to invoke eminent domain. Such action would immediately stop negotiations with homeowners and lead to lawsuits that could take years to resolve.

Additional enticements and discussion could lead to some residents understanding what the city is trying to accomplish by planning its shrinkage. There is no future growth planned for these areas so homeowners do not have to worry they are getting a fair shake from the city.

There has always been a resistance to change in the Mahoning Valley so no one should be surprised that where some see dilapitated houses some see the place they have always called home. City officials should do everything possible to help these last holdouts leave voluntarily so that the progress of the 2010 plan isn't tainted with hard feelings. However, those residents who are holding out should ask themselves if staying in their homes is worth blocking the progress of a plan that is vitally important to the city. Youngstown deserves every chance to succeed and needs the help of everyone who can lend a hand.

The CNN/ YouTube Debate

This was a neat idea and executed fairly well by CNN and YouTube. Citizens made videos asking questions and submitted them to YouTube. CNN and YouTube vetted the questions and chose which ones would be posed to the Democratic presidential candidates. The questions had a little more bite than usual and the candidates needed to be a little quicker on their feet.

It's one thing to speak to a moderator about issues but it's quite another to look at the face of a mother who's son is serving in Iraq for a second tour of duty when she asks when he will come home. Similarly, it's easy for a candidate to speak in generalities about gay marriage when a journalist asks them a question but more difficult when two women who want to be married ask them directly.

Although it is easy to be overcome with debate fatigue 16 months before the election, these early discussions have a certain appeal. These are the only debates you're going to hear Rep. Dennis Kucinich and former Senator Mike Gravel come out swinging at the big guys. Obama and Clinton need to be careful about what they say because one of them will probably be the party's nominees. Edwards, Richardson, Biden and Dodd all want the vice-president seat so they're cautious. Gravel and Kucinich know they won't get the nomination so they can be honest. Gravel thinks the troops killed in Vietnam died in vain and isn't afraid to say so. Kucinich has a laser like focus on domestic issues like health care. They are the only voices telling us the unvarnished truth as they see it.

The questions ranged across the political spectrum, from health care to the Iraq war to minimum wage to campaign finance. It was a change to hear from the people and what really worries us as opposed to what the professional bureaucrats think we are worried about. The transcript is here.

CNNMoney.com Ranks Boardman as 19th for Most Affordable Homes in the U.S.

Part of that up-and-coming Pittsburgh-Northeast Ohio region, the sprawling town is known mostly for farming and its banner crop of athletes, which include former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar. On the real estate scene, an array of cute single-family homes goes for under $100,000, with an abundance of fixer-uppers for half that price. There are also quality higher-end properties available around this charming town.

Click here to see the entire list. It's not surprising to see Boardman on this list. Housing prices there are not as high as they are in neighboring Canfield and Poland yet the township offers good community services and nearby retail outlets.

It's also nice to see the Northeast Ohio region referred to as "up and coming" in the national press.