We’ve made the news, the New York Times.
Instead of talking about why Dayton is a great place to locate your business, with a highly trained workforce, low cost of living, high quality of life- we get a mid-level manager talking about our long-term unemployed:
Lucious Plant, work force development administrator in Montgomery County, Ohio, where Dayton is the county seat, said companies were shortsighted for viewing people who had been out of work for several months as somehow inferior. Given today’s economy, he said, it was common for those who lost their jobs to stay unemployed for six months or more, and that many of those workers were highly skilled.
“I think it would be very easy to have six months of unemployment and still be a top candidate,” Mr. Plant said.
via Employers Say Jobs Plan Won’t Lead to Hiring Spur – NYTimes.com [1].
This is a global publication- who gave Mr. Plant the opportunity to speak for the region? This is why you have spokespeople and hire PR firms to fine tune a message. It’s why we have the “Dayton Development Coalition” to put our best foot forward.
Instead, we’ve got a guy with an odd name, making statements that run counter to what’s becoming a national trend: unemployed people aren’t even considered as candidates.
Until the United States changes the tax structure, and starts rewarding employers for job creation, more than rewarding the Wizards of Wall Street for their casino operation, we won’t see more jobs, more consumer confidence or a stable economy.
From the same article:
Companies are focused on jittery consumer confidence, an unstable stock market, perceived obstacles to business expansion like government regulation and, above all, swings in demand for their products.
Stabilize the stock market by eliminating all flash trades, tax any transaction made on equity holdings that have been held for less than a year at a ridiculously high rate, as well as bar all companies from the market that pay their executives more than a ratio of 20/1 of their median U.S. employee salaries.
Also, since small businesses are the major engine in employment, consider rewarding owners of companies who employ Americans and who pay decent wages. Offering those job creators lower personal tax rates based on a ratio under 10/1 of median employee salaries to their income with tax breaks.
Also, states like Ohio need to cut the practice of charging companies unemployment rates based on a three-year floating account- and make it into a real insurance pool. My small business was hammered after firing one employee after 17 years of never having done so, with a 10% unemployment tax going up from a sub 2% rate. With a 10% unemployment tax it incentivizes hiring contractors instead of employees.
And by the way, like it or not, nobody knows where Montgomery County is- or Centerville or Oakwood- it’s Dayton,people. If we were smart, we’d have one government- with one name that’s on the map.
So why DO we have spokespeople & hire PR firms to fine tune a message? Why do we have the “Dayton Development Coalition” to put our best foot forward? Seems like the DDC isn’t doing THEIR job- right?
The only reason decent people have left to stay in this area is the few decent areas that are left in the south suburbs and some in the north that have not been ruined by the “black hole” that is Dayton. One government would just mean the few decent areas left would ultimately be ruined by the City of Dayton influence. The are no citizens in this country or planet that should ever have to live in or be contaminated by a city like Dayton. One government in this area should be considered a human rights violation.
I haven’t heard any of my suburban neighbors get behind the idea of a regionalized government. I believe that’s a dream of Daytonians and a nightmare of suburbanites.
You get a fail for making fun of the guy’s name. His parents may have had poor judgement but we don’t usually get to pick our names.
“One Government”: “the black hole that is Dayton…”
So is this a veiled or Freudian racist comment? I suspect as much.
Note that 40 years ago, Oakwood and Kettering were petitioning to be annexed to Dayton. In time the trends will likely reverse again.
Mr. Plant is an outstanding and dedicated public servant. He is an expert in his field and well respected by his peers. He is often the voice for workforce issues in our region and serves our community well. He is passionate about the unemployed people he serves.
Don’t knock a good man because the hallowed NYT chose one quote over another. You of all people should understand how the media operates. Shame on you.
Professor Ruddick,
I am interested to know exactly when in the 1960’s or 1970’s (40 years ago) that Kettering (incorporated in 1955 to prevent annexation attempts by Dayton) and Oakwood (incorporated in 1906 to prevent annexation attempts by Dayton) petitioned to be annexed to Dayton. Can you support your statement or are you just repeating oft-quoted mantra’s to justify your position?
Here is some light reading to set you straight
http://daytonology.blogspot.com/2007/12/we-wanted-to-be-annexed-but-city.html
Wait a minute … you stated:
Instead, we’ve got a guy with an odd name, making statements that run counter to what’s becoming a national trend: unemployed people aren’t even considered as candidates.
His quote was: “I think it would be very easy to have six months of unemployment and still be a top candidate,” Mr. Plant said.
Am I missing something ehr David?
Bob