COLUMBUS, Ohio --

Columbus is the largest city in Ohio, but is it also the most dangerous? City leaders are asking themselves that question one day after a five-year-old was shot in the face.

Terrance Powell is recovering in Nationwide Children's Hospital, but the shooting shocked a city that has already seen 73 homicides so far in 2010 -- 20 more than this time last year. That compares to 45 homicides in Cleveland, 37 in Cincinnati, 25 in Dayton, 17 in Toledo and 15 in Youngstown.

http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/aug/20/columbus-73-homicides-tops-ohio-cities-ar-201401/

Murders up 37% over last year. Newspapers keep saying "but but but stop making it a big deal, it's noooooot" (the Other Paper, the Columbus Dispatch). The Mayor hasn't done shit, redistricting the police pulled cops out of trouble areas. WTF does Columbus need to do to remedy the problem?

I would recommend following Maricopa County's Joe Arpaio's methods of policing and crime control. He seems to have a handle on treating criminals like...um....well...how do I say this politically correct...hhmmm...criminals(?).

Pulling police out of high crime areas, failing to prosecute because of supposed limited jail space, early release programs, and liberal crime policies always lead to an increase in crime. But wait...hold on...the residents of the city passed a 25% income tax increase last year, so they must have lots of funding for an increased police force...right? Huh?

Start by bulldozing a couple dozen (or more) abandoned crack houses on the near East and North sides and go from there.

Putting a police presence back into those neighborhoods that lost regular patrols and have seen crime increase, would be another step in the right direction.

Why is it that cities where one party has been thoroughly entrenched (almost always Dems) in power for decades seem to have the worst crime rates? Detroit, Chicago, Washington are just a few examples...and Columbus is getting there. I don't think Republicans have even had a City Council member for close to 10 years.

Writerbuckeye;457943 wrote:Start by bulldozing a couple dozen (or more) abandoned crack houses on the near East and North sides and go from there.

Putting a police presence back into those neighborhoods that lost regular patrols and have seen crime increase, would be another step in the right direction.

Why is it that cities where one party has been thoroughly entrenched (almost always Dems) in power for decades seem to have the worst crime rates? Detroit, Chicago, Washington are just a few examples...and Columbus is getting there. I don't think Republicans have even had a City Council member for close to 10 years.

I honestly think Coleman is ruining the city.

Writerbuckeye;457943 wrote:Why is it that cities where one party has been thoroughly entrenched (almost always Dems) in power for decades seem to have the worst crime rates?

True. And this is not confined to cities the size of Columbus or Chicago. Anyone been to Coshocton, Ohio lately?

In Cbus for a wedding at the State House today. I think most of the city seems very nice and although I don't think Cleveland is as bad as some suggest, it certainly seems to have it together more than Cleveland.

BoatShoes;458066 wrote:In Cbus for a wedding at the State House today. I think most of the city seems very nice and although I don't think Cleveland is as bad as some suggest, it certainly seems to have it together more than Cleveland.

the whole east, northeast side of columbus proper is a shithole.

It's due to all of the outsiders who think they can come to Columbus and run shit.

#1DBag;458082 wrote:It's due to all of the outsiders who think they can come to Columbus and run shit.

In a way this is true, as Coleman is an "outsider".

I'm dead serious when I say I believe these one-party strangleholds are the reason some of these cities are so awful. When there's competition to run things, it keeps people on their toes and forces them to think twice about how they're doing the job.

That doesn't happen when one party is so entrenched that they basically don't have to worry about keeping their positions of power.

And yes, I think Coleman (a Toledo carpetbagger) is going to run this city right down the crapper. A majority of IDIOTS in this city voted to blindly give them more money for services, and things aren't getting any better. It's the same with the school system. You watch, they will be knocking on taxpayer doors VERY soon for more cash to maintain the travesty they call an education system.

Writerbuckeye;458136 wrote:And yes, I think Coleman (a Toledo carpetbagger) is going to run this city right down the crapper. A majority of IDIOTS in this city voted to blindly give them more money for services, and things aren't getting any better. It's the same with the school system. You watch, they will be knocking on taxpayer doors VERY soon for more cash to maintain the travesty they call an education system.

I saw in the paper last week that Columbus enrollment went from something like 62,000 to 53,000 in the past 10 years. If enrollment has gone down by about 15%, shouldn't their funding go down an appropriate amount? Aren't they related? Off topic here, but you are correct in pointing out any city is only as good as it's school system. People move to the good schools and away from the bad ones. What does that say about the Columbus school system?

BGFalcons82;458159 wrote:I saw in the paper last week that Columbus enrollment went from something like 62,000 to 53,000 in the past 10 years. If enrollment has gone down by about 15%, shouldn't their funding go down an appropriate amount? Aren't they related? Off topic here, but you are correct in pointing out any city is only as good as it's school system. People move to the good schools and away from the bad ones. What does that say about the Columbus school system?

"white flight" started to take off in the mid 90's during the housing boom, but has absolutely destroyed the city during Coleman's tenure. In 1999 Forest Park (the middle class community just north of Northland off of Maple Canyon and 161) was a decent city community. Lot's of middle class working families and the apartment communities were filled with students and young working adults. In 2010 this neighborhood has been overrun with gang violence and lower class families, the apartment complexes are full of section 8 housing and crime, and some complexes have even put up razor wire fence. There is something wrong with this city and it has been getting worse. While obviously you can't blame Coleman for every little thing, but you have to start someone, and being the top man in charge for the past 10 years comes with some of the blame.

Here is The Other Paper bashing the news media for covering a crime problem we have in the city

So far in 2010, there have been 63 homicides in the city. The year before there were 46 by July 25. So that’s, what … a 30 percent increase? And that’s all a TV news producer needs to go hog wild with relentless extended coverage, special web sections and, of course, Team Coverage.

http://www.theotherpaper.com/articles/2010/07/29/front/doc4c5188399be6f539668471.txt

Violence in the city in the past 14 hours alone that actually made the news
http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/aug/21/two-wounded-livingston-avenue-gunfire-ar-202506/

COLUMBUS, Ohio --

Two persons are struck by gunfire at mid-afternoon Saturday at the intersection of East Livingston Avenue and Lathrop Street.

http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/aug/21/victim-stabbed-2-times-during-robbery-ar-202384/

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A man is in stable condition at a local hospital after being stabbed during a robbery

http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/aug/21/1-hospitalized-shot-during-robbery-ar-202216/

The suspects took his property at gunpoint. One of the suspects shot at the victim, hitting him in the leg.

In days gone by, we would stay at the Continent when in town for a tournament. The intersection of 161/71 was a great place to stay eat and party. We were down 2 years ago and stayed on the west side of 71 off 161, and it was awful. Never again will we consider that area. Hard to belive it has crept that far north.

Pretty much anything inside I-270 NOT named Upper Arlington or Bexley is rough. Clintonville ain't bad, but it sure as hell isn't one of those two!

Wasn't it Charles Barkley who said something about poor people voting Democrat all the time but are still poor!? Amazing what a little hard work and sacrifice will do.

"white flight" started to take off in the mid 90's during the housing boom,

I think "White Flight" started when Columbus City schools started busing students in order to make every school racially equal.

Columbus' crime gets over shadowed due to the other successes in the city-- the arena district, the short north, OSU, etc. Coleman gets way too much credit for those booming areas.

Unfortunately, with the demographics of Columbus proper being made up largely of college aged people, hippies, homosexuals, somalis, mexicans, and bleeding heart do-gooders, no way does a conservative become a mayor of this town anytime soon.

Little Danny;458307 wrote:Columbus' crime gets over shadowed due to the other successes in the city-- the arena district, the short north, OSU, etc. Coleman gets way too much credit for those booming areas.

Unfortunately, with the demographics of Columbus proper being made up largely of college aged people, hippies, homosexuals, somalis, mexicans, and bleeding heart do-gooders, no way does a conservative become a mayor of this town anytime soon.

The voting population is mainly made up of mexicans, somalis, and other welfare groups. The Somalis will never vote down Coleman for all the free things he gives them.

LJ;458308 wrote:The voting population is mainly made up of mexicans, somalis, and other welfare groups. The Somalis will never vote down Coleman for all the free things he gives them.

Which is why something like the income tax increase passes. Most of the folks voting for the damn thing aren't paying it. They're on one government program or another.

I know a lady who works with a large group of Somlians and they DO NOT pay taxes for the first bit of time they are here working. The lady I know thought it was three years but I can't remember all that she told me. However, I do remember her being very upset that they weren't paying taxes but were riding the bus.

Personally, I think it's a legitamit gripe but what can you do? Reminds me of the Amish...

Jason Bourne;458384 wrote:I know a lady who works with a large group of Somlians and they DO NOT pay taxes for the first bit of time they are here working. The lady I know thought it was three years but I can't remember all that she told me. However, I do remember her being very upset that they weren't paying taxes but were riding the bus.

Personally, I think it's a legitamit gripe but what can you do? Reminds me of the Amish...

Amish don't live off of the taxpayer dime. I have no gripes with the Amish.

If our nation is attacked, will they be protected? If yes, by whom?

When they travel by horse and buggy, do they only take dirt roads? Or do they travel on paved roads? If paved, who paid for it?

I don't hate the Amish, nor do I hate the Somalians. The main point is that if you are going to use something, pay for it.

Jason Bourne;458388 wrote:If our nation is attacked, will they be protected? If yes, by whom?

When they travel by horse and buggy, do they only take dirt roads? Or do they travel on paved roads? If paved, who paid for it?

I have no gripe with the Amish. They are self sufficient. There is no way to keep them from using public utilities. If you want to have a debate about the Amish and taxes, start a thread on it. this is a thread about deadly Columbus.

Ha! The Amish are muggin and killing us every day! That's not true.

And I agree -. As a matter of fact I agree on your entire last post.