Stimulus Bait & Switch

It has been a slight talking point here in northeast Ohio, but down south there is plenty of hot conversation and downright hostility over reports Columbus, Georgia may get federal stimulus money to build new headquarters and manufacturing facilities for Dayton sell-out NCR.

Unless you were out of town last week, it was pretty hard to miss the news that the former National Cash Register Company -- with roots deep in Dayton -- would be pulling up stakes and moving to Georgia. Thanks for the state incentives, but no thanks. Big jobs gone. Think adios Goodyear. Remember au revoir Firestone. Left behind: retirees and history but no more high-paying executive jobs.

Then came whispers of federal stimulus money, in part our tax dollars, being used by those crafty Southerners to lure our jobs to the sunbelt. That set local officials off, including U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown. He may love the whole idea of Uncle Sam bankrolling stimulus packages across the nation, but this one has political nightmare written all over it; imagine running for re-election as the party that bankrolled the NCR to Georgia? Might work if you're looking for votes in Columbus, GA but it won't play well in Columbus, OH much less Dayton.

Now the Dayton Daily News reports it really isn't the case; it's only that officials of the southern Columbus only applied to use stimulus money to help pave the way (literally) for a new headquarters building and new manufacturing center to house 850 employees. Whew, glad that worked itself out: they don't have the money, they're just applying for it.

We should feel so much better now.

Compare the NCR story in Dayton with what's happening in Phoenix, where there's a rebellion over using government money to provide retail real estate developers with what amounts to no-money-down safety nets. Arizona's constitution forbids such publicly-funded gifts, but as is the case across the nation (including here in Ohio) the use of public funds for such private purposes has become a very blurry proposition. Some of the western sunbelt state's thinkers are now musing things have gone too far, putting local governments on the hook for what should be the risky business of real estate magnates. It's in the courts, anti-"gift" politicians have replaced the go-go pro-developer officials and all in all there's quite a bit of discussion on just how much public should be part of the private partnership.

Rule of thumb: take the total amount of money going into the project, then divide by the number of jobs to be created/retained/promised. That's one simple metric that might make this whole debate a bit more understandable for the general public.

That is, if having the public understand matters.

More Eating Goodyear

Among the joys of heading west for a taste of desert baseball is the taste of real Mexican food. Ray Horner and I got a tip from the Tribe's Bob DiBiasio on "Raoul & Theresa's" just south of Goodyear Ballpark (make a left coming out of the park; south on Estrella, then left on MC85 then about 100 yards on the right after crossing Litchfield) for some seriously good eating.



Other culinary notes: there's a nice gift shop off I-10 and Bullard that has a sign asking visitors to have an "ass-kicking day" -- of course, with a burrow in high rear kick. They've got a pretty decent selection of hot sauces so yes, it will do that.

The Goodyear area has plenty of decent places to eat, most of the chains included. There is still plenty of land to develop around the area and visitors this year will note the economy hasn't left the West Valley of Phoenix unscathed with plenty of empty storefronts and some of the restaurants already up for lease. Nearby Glendale probably gets more of the higher-range dining choices but you won't have any problems getting a good meal after the game.

As noted in the Pancake War post, the Black Bear Diner off I-10 & Dysart in Avondale (southwest corner south of the interchange) piles on the food at very affordable prices. I don't know what lunch or dinner is like, but for breakfast the grub is very good. One nearby table had a chicken-fried steak so huge it looked like part of a truck tire. Don't take your cardiologist to this place or else you'll get nothing but lecture through the whole meal.

If you survive.

Indians Build For The Future

A quick and behind-the-scenes look at the new practice set-up for the Indians; they call it the "development center" for a reason, as it sets a standard for not only treating the big-leaguers as if they're in the majors but really gives the up and coming talent a taste of life in the promised land.

Greetings From Goodyear, AZ

Sorry it's been awhile...really busy but that's no excuse. Starting a thread here with notes from Goodyear, Arizona where WAKR's Ray Horner and I have been broadcasting the morning show during Wahoo Week.

It's the first season back in the Cactus League baseball season for the Cleveland Indians after 16 years in Florida (Homestead south of Miami and Winter Haven between Orlando and Tampa) and they're in the brand-spankin' new Goodyear Ballpark.



The Indians will share this playing field with the Cincinnati Reds in 2010, but for now it is all about the Tribe. More coming up in another post on the state-of-the-art player development facility (used to be called "clubhouse" but it is WAY more than that) in another post.