Take Care of Business: Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey, ep. 4

[Visfen]

It took a decade to build a parking lot?!

Haha. That's not even sad anymore, that's so pathetic it is funny.

[poppy87]

can we all start a PAC to get EVERY CLEVELAND POLITICIAN out of office whenever each of them is up for election?

[marinegrunt0341]

This episode is so true. Cleveland has been trying to remake itself into the health care capital of the country. For the past several years they have been trying to entice a Medical Mart to Cleveland, but there has been so much red tape the Medical Mart may never happen.

[ThePyro3825]

Because the actions of these local politicians hinders the prosperity and well-being of the city and state, they should be sent to prison.

[mdstalla]

I grew up in Cleveland and I think it's a wonderful Nuclear Waste Dump. Take a look at the 'zoning board members...' That's all you need to see to figure out why Cleveland fails and why it will NEVER recover!

[oiuoiu988]

i love how nick keeps appealing to sports futility, people feeling sorry for cleveland's sports teams ended the day they won the lebron lottery. quit complaining, no one feels sorry for you. the indians also dominated in the 90s.

[MildlyRelevant]

Both O'Brien and Adler are conservative or libertarian. Everyone they interview that ends up looking like an "expert" turns out to be of the same ideology Reason represents, and they try to make people that aren't with them look loony.

They have SOME good ideas, but it'd be pointless to replace to Democrat run government in Cleveland with a Libertarian one. You need balance, not just one ideology ruling.

[MooseOfReason]

@MildlyRelevant How many libertarians have been on the Cleveland City Council the past 50 years?

[MildlyRelevant]

@MooseOfReason I have no idea and neither do you. I'm not saying don't put any Libertarians on the council or that their ideas aren't valid. This video seems to suggest replacing all the Dems and their ideas with Libertarians and their ideas will fix everything.

Dems don't have all the right answers, nor do Libertarians. Like I said, we need balance. Not just one ideology ruling the masses.

[MooseOfReason]

@MildlyRelevant So, after watching Reason's videos (no relation, by the way), do you think the ideas are good or bad?

[MildlyRelevant]

@MooseOfReason I think some ideas should be discussed for use in moderation. But this series is so blatantly partisan, good ideas get lost in the noise. Get rid of all zoning laws like Houston or privatizing everything like Chicago did with parking meters - an action the people hated and the city regretted, but of course they left that part out.

Again, we need a balance. Maybe some zoning laws can go and maybe some things can be privatized. But I don't buy their "get rich quick" ideas verbatim.

[davtown]

Kobe > LeBron

[discronificator]

what i that song

i really want that song.  what a graet series reason has put together. kinda makes me want to move to cleaveland. once they get rid of the democrats anyways.

[kyon813]

It is pretty catchy.

[ledzep1234567]

we need to study houston a little better. the same old same old here ain't getting it done.

--thanks Drew --

[Amidat]

@ledzep1234567 - Houston has a lot of cheap open land - oil money - and 8 years of a very friendly federal government to them. It's not a hard equation to figure out.... but Cleveland can't re-create that stuff... they have to find their own way.

[soco13466]

Just vote out the democrats

[soco13466]

Get rid of the democrats. Problem solved.

[soco13466]

Get rid of the democrats.

[immanent]

Don't mess with Texas, but don't be fooled either. The state gets a huge chunk of it's income from the federal government, as well as stimulus money. Additionally, Texas has one of the highest high school attrition rates in the country. Some 1/3 of students don't get a diploma. I'll grant you that we're in better position economically than most of the country, but the Feds will drag us down with everyone else.

[ForTehNguyen]

we dont get "federal money" back, we are getting our own money back

[geezerbut]

What a little DWEEB that city counselor is.

SLAP SLAP SLAP!!!

[cornet1119]

Please send Drew and Nick to Rhode Island. Our whole state could use a dose of Reason

[d0861]

I saw an episode of COPS that was filmed in Cleveland circa 1990... It was hilarious. God help them if that place has gone downhill since then.

[Darkwizzrobe]

Haha sim city yeah I know what hes talking about

[ThePenWolf]

Most of what you're seeing here isn't just politicians trying to justify their worthless, meaningless existence; they want their "cut."

[XCritonX]

So the government is so inefficient that it needs to hire a special helper for companies to deal with the other government employees who are blocking both the companies and their own helper.

Talk about a Kafkaesque system. Its completely stupid.

[tkullervo]

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS

[Amidat]

@tkullervo - why are the deficits so huge in Texas? why does Texas have so many medically uninsured and comparatively high poverty? why is the violent crime rate relatively high? How do these things happen if Texas is so much better than everyone else???

[Jenkdiesel]

As a proud Clevelander it has been truly wonderful to see these videos made, good to see Drew Carey still staying loyal to his home town I hope that these ideas actually get some needed attention.

[tsummerlee]

I'm watching these videos of Cleveland, but all I see is Detroit.

[MMGCDICK]

In a similar vein to "tsummerlee": I see these but all I see is Kansas City, Mo.

Thanks, Drew for lending your name; and especially thanks to Reason,TV.

Hope it helps.

[EsotericThrone]

I love this series. I'd love to see something similar done for other struggling areas.

[jonsaguard]

Looks like Cities in New Jersey will go the way of Cleveland unless they stop the high taxes there.

[ModernSurvivor]

@jonsaguard Tell me about it.

[TruthAxe]

Ian Hunter needs to change the lyrics to his song and record Cleveland Sucks.

One thing for sure, Cleveland does not rock.

What a horrible city run by morons.

Look at the population trends since 1950.

Ask yourself why did these cities peak: Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, St. Louis, Washington.

Air conditioning? Crime? Unions? Rising Blacks and White Flight? Taxes? Red tape?

[ScottCleve33]

I know I will get alot of bad posts for saying this but I will say it anyway. Clev has to deal with unions. Dealing with them is a huge handycap for a business and for a city. Notice that what Clev was built on was union jobs in the auto and steel industry. Now where are those jobs at? Most are gone. I remember the Chevy plant on Chevy Blvd. the parking lot used to be full. Now it is empty in comparison.

[24rubikscube]

I love this series! I live in Canton. Same situations are here. I loved the Joe Cimperman clips. I remember when he challenged Kucinich for his congressional seat. Needless to say it wasn't close.

[oilhammer04]

Maybe community organizers like ACORN would do well there.

[nonantianarchist]

They don't have to "take care of business". They just need to avoid getting in its way.

[voyowee]

Love the councillor with the HatWig. I don't get how their minds work. The city is in a shambles, everyone is leaving, and still they carry on as they do. Unbelievable.

[MooseOfReason]

Carey's right. When you raise taxes in Sim City, you hear loud boos.

[DangerFamily]

Every government employee should be required to watch this series.

[ab1tchslap]

Houston, Houston is so hot right now.

[UnitedBrokenRecordz]

I do like Drew Carey's referrence to Sim City. It's Great!

[davidmesaaz]

Texas vs Ohio WSJ

On the other hand, Texas is a right to work state and has been adding jobs by the tens of thousands. Nearly 1,000 new plants have been built in Texas since 2005, from the likes of Microsoft, Samsung and Fujitsu. Foreign-owned companies supplied the state with 345,000 jobs. No wonder Texans don't fear global competition the way some Presidential candidates do.

[davidmesaaz]

Texas vs. Ohio WSJ

States with "right to work" laws that make union organizing more difficult had twice the job growth of Ohio and other forced union states from 1995-2005, according to the National Institute for Labor Relations.

[davidmesaaz]

Texas vs. Ohio WSJ

Ohio's most crippling handicap may be that its politicians -- and thus its employers -- are still in the grip of such industrial unions as the United Auto Workers. Ohio is a "closed shop" state, which means workers can be forced to join a union whether they wish to or not. Many companies -- especially foreign-owned -- say they will not even consider such locations for new sites.

[davidmesaaz]

Ohio vs. Texas WSJ March 3, 2008

Let's start with the fact that Texas's growth puts the lie to the myth that free trade costs American jobs. Anti-Nafta rhetoric doesn't play well in El Paso, San Antonio and Houston, which have become gateway cities for commerce with Latin America and have flourished since the North American Free Trade Agreement passed Congress in 1993. Mr. Obama's claim of one million lost jobs due to trade deals is laughable in Texas, the state most affected by Nafta.

[davidmesaaz]

Texas v. Ohio

Ohio, Indiana and Michigan are losing auto jobs, but many of these "runaway plants" are not fleeing to China, Mexico or India. They've moved to more business-friendly U.S. states, including Texas. GM recently announced plans for a new plant to build hybrid cars. Guess where? Near Dallas. In 2006 the Lone Star State exported $5.5 billion of cars and trucks to Mexico and $2.4 billion worth to Canada.

[Amidat]

@davidmesaaz - a lot of businesses you mention open sites in Texas because their labor costs are low... but they need a presence in the US. It's not hard to figure out. Aside from the years the Bush administration was pulling strings for Texas behind closed doors. Healthcare - poverty rate - violent crime - school aptitudes etc. are still on the lower rung of states. How does that happen with so many jobs being created??

[davidmesaaz]

@Amidat Well its not hard to figure out that low costs and low taxes are an advantage not a disadvantage... your other claims that Bush was behind the job creation is laughable... in 2008 in a recession Texas created half of the jobs in the country... If the health care poverty etc..problems are as big as you say that they are so many people moving to Texas? Illegal and legal immigration must come their for a reason...

[Amidat]

@davidmesaaz - it's not what I say - it's the measured figures. And that 2008 # is misleading... delve deeper into the #'s. Again - once something becomes more popular then it becomes more expensive - which eventually brings more regulations. This is not a new story. California was once what Texas is now. NY 100 years ago was the "New London". 50 years ago Cleveland may have been the "New Liverpool". Everything goes in cycles. A time may come when Texas will be "too expensive".

[davidmesaaz]

@Amidat There is nothing misleading about the job numbers. Your argument I can only assume is that prosperity leads to higher regulations and therefore makes things more expensive. But what California has done is not fated in the stars of because of some grand "cycle." but because of self inflicted wounds of higher government spending and higher taxes. . Sweden Denmark and Switzerland have reduced the size of the state and increased economic growth.

[Amidat]

@davidmesaaz - Sweden - Denmark and Switzerland are terrible examples to compare. They have WAY MORE taxes and regulations than anywhere in the US.. and all three of them have higher living standards than Texas and the US as a whole for that matter. They are complete different cultures.. that is a real apples to orange comparison. And yes - prosperity does lead to higher regulations in some shape or form. As Singapore and China get richer there cost advantage will disappear. It's Economics!

[davidmesaaz]

@Amidat Look you obviously have never even looked at the tax rate of Switzerland the top tax rate is 25% Sweden has no inheritance taxes and since their depression in the early 1990's they have privatized banks big phrma etc. the scandanavian companies that are succesful are telecom Nokia etc. that was because of the telecom deregulation in the 1990's. Several studies say that Denmark and the Swiss are more free market than the US. Sweden and Denmark belong to the NAFTA style EU

[Amidat]

@davidmesaaz - those are COMPLETELY different societies. they have no empires to support... nor are their interests spread far and wide. You CANNOT compare them to the US.

[davidmesaaz]

@Amidat What do you mean no empires to support? Europe and NATO are supporting the war in Lybia... You say that you can't compare them when in your previous post you did compare them. The fact that you have no evidence no logic nothing shows that you obvously don't have a friggin clue what your talking about . The US and Europe have property rights low tariffs free trade and immigration. Its clear to anyone that has even studied it that we are more similar than dissimilar.

[Amidat]

@davidmesaaz - you don't read well - I told you from the beginning not to compare them. And I find it HILARIOUS that someone from Texas wants to talk about similarities with Europe. The vast majority of time - your type goes around saying that the US is not Europe. And if you think other countries putting up a "show" in NATO then you SADLY mistaken. Go check the percentage of budgets and GDP those countries spend on their military compared to the US... it is MUCH less. You can't be serious.

[davidmesaaz]

@Amidat China cost advantage for certain industries will disappear like making socks but being richer healthier and smarter will lead to cost advantages in other more profitable industries.its Economics! ..

[Amidat]

@davidmesaaz - you proved my point... it was the case with California... and likewise will be with Texas. You are right it's economics. There is a time when NYC (not even state) was the manufacturing capital of the country... till the land became too valuable.

[davidmesaaz]

@Amidat yes the land is used for other uses because they were substituted for more profitable things. I don't see how that is a bad thing. They once made ships in new york and planes in Seattle.. now they make many of them in South Carolina. Once NYC was used for farming and sheep and then for manufacturing . but they decided to use the land labor and capital for more productive uses which lead to better paying jobs I don't see how you can say that is a bad thing...

[Amidat]

@davidmesaaz - right you are again proving my point.... as Texas becomes more popular... it's costs of production will go up and it loses it's cost advantage (unless you build on every open space in the state). This is like going in a circle.

[davidmesaaz]

@Amidat Texas is pursuing policies that have created jobs and increased wages. But you are opposed to those policies. It loses a cost advantage for certain low wage low productivity things and gains an advantage in high productivity.... But California did not lose its cost advantage because of market forces or higher productivity they lost it because of higher taxes more government spending. It is not fated in the stars that CA and NY lose jobs to other states

[Amidat]

@davidmesaaz - I'm not against the policies... it's just the reality that once Texas isn't so cheap anymore... there will be a new "darling". Btw - the NYC metro area still did better in the downturn than most metro reasons... and it's the most expensive place in the country... Upstate NY was still manufacturing and didn't change.... so it loses because it has high wages (and cold weather). California's problems are multiple. Texas state goverment is broke too - so it's not just "taxes".

[davidmesaaz]

@Amidat "Texas isn't that cheap anymore" Well then why do they keep hiring more than neighboring states? A you make it sound like New york city is such a swell place to be poor... its a stinking hell hole. .NYC creates jobs for the rich and it never creates enough jobs for the poor... The state of New York has been one of the biggest population losers... it lost 2 seatsND and IN have cut government spending regulations... are one of the few midwest states to increase in population.

[Amidat]

@davidmesaaz - i said "ONCE Texas isn't so cheap" as in the future...  And look at the child poverty rates in Texas - uninsured - school achievement in relation to NY and Texas is worse off. Texas as a state still has a higher unemployment rate AND has higher crime. And no NY state is not losing population... it's just not growing fast - because it's mature... there isn't much place else to build... hence the change in representation. (continue...)

[Amidat]

@davidmesaaz - continued from last comment... the one thing you got right is that there tend to be more jobs for the rich than poor created in NY... but again - NYC and upstate NY are 2 different economies. You know why jobs for the poor aren't being created there?? Simply because they are moving to places like Texas where they can pay cheap wages and not offer benefits. Texas ranks terribly in the amount of uninsured workers and % on min. wage. That is not "rocket science" on Texas grows!

[davidmesaaz]

@Amidat while pay is lower in absolute terms what a dollar buys is greater in.TX Jobs for the poor are not being created in New York because there is no financial incentive to they want people to engage in charity. but businesses large or small as a matter of survival cannot hire people for more than they are worth and expect to be in business for very long. If the minimum wage was at $100,000 all workers whose skills warrant wage less than 100k would be out of a job its not rocket science.

[Amidat]

@davidmesaaz - your comment didn't prove anything. Look at the poverty and unemployment rates in both places. Many businesses are not struggling that relocate. They do so to make MORE profits by finding people who work for less. The same reason jobs go overseas. When comparing US states to China for example... a report just came out that Texas was #2 in net losses to China - with California being #1. Who can leave for cheaper grounds - usually does! International or domestic.

[davidmesaaz]

@Amidat So what if they are moving to make more profits? Isn't that incentive enough? When there is more profits that is more to spend hire and invest,...The stats that you provide don't tell the entire story. Poverty stats that you cite measure income nationally but that hides what poverty really is... its not how many dollars that makes you rich it what a dollar buys. IfIf the people in TX really are poorer and the quality of life is less than NY then why are they moving to TX & not NY?

[Amidat]

@davidmesaaz - there is nothing wrong to move to increase profits... but don't make it sound as if it is altruistic. You are right it's how much the dollar buys - and if your quality of life doesn't get you better schools or healthcare and such... then what? why are they moving to Texas?? Cheap land... Just as they did to Florida.... and just as the people who are leaving California for Arizona and Nevada. That's always been a part of human migration - especially in the United States.

[MenloBob]

I just returned to California from my first visit to Houston. It's encouraging that there is a place in this country that demonstrates sound economic practices. Cleveland would kill for Houston's skyline.

[RightWingTV]

I opened a sports bar here in Illinois and it took 6 months of regulations and red tape and thousands of extra dollars. 6 different departments had to sign off an various regulations before I could even open the door. It's crazy. I am so fed up, I am seriously considering packing up and moving to either Texas or New Hampshire.

[enotdetcelfer]

LOVIN THIS SERIES

[singlespeak]

Pay attention CA. You can't tax to prosperity.

[AnotherUserNamedPaul]

@singlespeak

I think Canada is doing better than the U.S. right now.

[singlespeak]

I think you're right, but I was referring to CA lifornia.

[JBSauce]

He means California. That state is the third worst in the nation for "business tax climate," according to the Tax Foundation.

[bearinfo]

Thanks for another great report, Nick and Drew. I live in Houston and it is a great city, hot and humid in the summer, but the rest of the year, great weather. And we have tons of great things to do.......parks, culture, shopping, museums.

[39Chevy]

It has to be the city government, because the weather in Houston SUCKS.

Of course, I am biased, being from Dallas and all, hehe.

[ScottCleve33]

I hate to say it but I can't see things changing. The same people keep voting the same people in who keep doing the same things that keep failing with the idea that they need to do even more of the same failed ideas.Untill people realize that what is going on needs to be rolled back and try something new, we are going nowhere.

[anarchylogic]

As a business owner:

Taxes = Theft

User fees by gvt are a much better received by everyone.

[TheDeitch]

Nick, you gotta trim those burns!

[mushmouth4life]

I believe businesses are willing to pay taxes if they think their tax dollars are working for them (safer communities, better transit, better trained work-force) but if the taxes are going to merely expand the regulatory monster that makes starting or expanding a business take prohibitively long, people hate taxes. In any event, slaying the regulation monster will reduce costs allow for a reduction of taxes. The starve the beast, cut taxes first ideology is just stupid.

[mushmouth4life]

I think to attract business, the first step needs to be cutting the red tape the really stupid shit like hyper-regulation of signs and the other nonsense that required 10 years and a legislator to expand a freaking parking lot.

[ForTehNguyen]

Houston & Texas FTW, proud to be a Texan.

[ScottCleve33]

Great video's. I live in Lakewood and would love to see the area fixed. You are showing the problems and are showing the fix for it. Now the hard part. How do you bridge the two. How do you make the changes to be able fix the problems?

[oilhammer04]

@ScottCleve33, I live in a town of about 25,000 people. If I could get 1,000-1,500 people behind me, I could run this town. Maybe there aren't enough business people with influence to save Cleveland.

[aallppiinnee]

taxes + red tape = libDems

[SFCMAC57]

How true. This is why business flee to more business-friendly cities.

[doughtymqan]

@aallppiinnee Join the Tea Party & help change all that

[libertyfizz]

I live in a Southern city which is gaining red tape it seems as fast as people flee cities like Cleveland and head here. Even after moving the snow birds don't get that less taxes and less red tape is the reason their employer moved south. It makes southerns increasingly angry as these snow birds keep voting for the very things which screwed up the places where they came from.

Good luck with Cleveland. I will be shocked if you can get the dogmatic politico tax junkies to kick the habit.

[NEFLLibertarians]

Yup, From OH in Jax FL and I use Oh as an example of why I'm against tax hikes when I talk to city council all the time. Specifically people from Ny and NJ say raising taxes makes things better. I ask theim for direct and specific evidence as to why a tax hike would make things better and how exactly it would make things better also I ask them why they moved and when they say their company moved I ask them why do you think they moved Could it be taxes?

The LP is growing in OH things can change

[Amidat]

@libertyfizz - generally speaking that's how it works. the more people in a place means the more services necessary which means taxes generally increase. the companines that moved to the southern city went there often because of lower costs... and as more companies and operations move to a place - the costs go up. If they can offshore their operations they will do that do. It happened with PLENTY of manufacturing... and with TECH it will happen even faster. That's capitalism.

[getnick77]

5 stars as usual you should check into why we ordered all that drywall from China the story is it takes 10 or more years for all the environmental studies and permits to come through and with Katrina hitting during a building boom our drywall plants couldn't expand to handle the production but in China they just build a plant wherever or whenever they want so much for living in a free country huh

[aallppiinnee]

yeah, and then the same regulatory loving envirocrybabies cry when they notice drywall coming from China terkin hour jerbs

[mushmouth4life]

exactly, these statist morons want it both ways, but the sad part is they cant unless we live in some isolationist police state like Soviet Russia.

[getnick77]

@aallppiinnee or the drywall is contaminated because they used dirty water to make it

[AnotherUserNamedPaul]

Don't confuse China's production with having a free economy. Starting a business in China is worse than starting a business in Cleveland because you have to be a party member and have the right favors. Yes, a factory can expand relatively easily, but that is helped by things like eminent domain and tax subsidies.

Do not be fooled by "China style socialism" - it's communism pure and simple. They're rated 140 of 185 on the economic freedom index.

[getnick77]

@AnotherUserNamedPaul

I apologize for the confusion my point was this country is so over regulated that we can't start or expand a business

[yougiberishtube]

5 stars

[jvittetoe]

stellar times four!

[whoo689]

Reason saves Cleveland Brown from Loretta