America's fastest dying cities

[kandrathe]

Part of the OH issue is a mindset problem

But, your solution was the typical one. Move to where there is not the mindset problem. You are a part of the mobility of labor that emigrated away from the "bad place". If they pay you poorly, you can move. If they treat you badly, you can move. To a different job, or a different place.

R.E. labor, I don't believe that it's supply and demand, and here's why.There's a difference between labor and other goods/services. Nobody "needs" a Bentley Continental convertible, everybody needs a job, just like everybody needs certain essentials for life.

I see your point, although I think you over estimate "need". An 18 year old doesn't need a job as much as a person who has obligations. We choose our obligations, whether that be student loans, mortgages, dependents, etc. The freedom from this "need" is savings and investments, because as you build up capital it becomes self sustaining. The other point you make is the "knowledge" of your worth. If labor understands its value and bargains accordingly, then if you take a job for below market you are eroding labors value. If management offers higher than market, then they are inflating the cost of labor. Both need to understand the true value ($/hr) of labor in order to bargain a just wage. The internet helps by allowing the employers see the entire pool of laborers, and allowing labor to see what employers are willing to pay. Yes, there will be collusion and nepotism, and all the other biases that exist in every other "contract". The premise of collective bargaining allows workers to negotiate in large blocks, but that as we know is fraught with abuse in execution. I've actually seen more "golden handcuffs" than I've seen employees kept at too low a wage.

You can't tell me that there there is a big enough difference in "supply" of capable executives and the average worker to justify the >400 fold difference in compensation. On a one-one correlation, that would mean less than 1 person per million in the U.S. is capable of running corporation X. I don't buy that. Nor, do I buy that a CEO, CFO, COO, CIO, and any other C-level exec contributes any where near the ridiculous compensation they receive. ...

You have multiple factors in the escalation of executive pay, including risk, leadership(a rare skill), and experience(skill). So yes, maybe 1 in 50 is qualified to lead, and add in the accountability to shareholders (e.g. signing the 10Q), and their multiple years of skills and service. Ideally, a person who fits that description would get paid more than the laborer who's wage is based on skill alone. Ultimately its the owners/shareholders of the company who decide what is equitable and if the companies salary structure is in line. Everything else I've read is merely wage slave jealousy.

When I was in Akron during an election year, there were several alleged problems with voting in NE Ohio. ...

People should organize a "sick out" in protest. Or, if they have a referendum process get "election day" to be declared an optional holiday.

Sometimes I really think that the city leaders are on the take, maybe that's due to the fact that my family comes from Chi-town and I've lived in NE Ohio for a bit.

Oh, I'm sure they are sometimes. You can tell when the cities goals conflict with the city residents. My little town flushed the mayor and entire city council a few years back after their civic development plan was going to triple local taxes, force everyone onto city water, and re-pave every street adding sidewalks and street lights. With them out, the big developers got the message and all the projects disappeared, life goes on as usual, and taxes are stable (except for the school). The graft is usually in the form of "Hey, Mr Mayor, how about we come over to your house to help you with that project for no charge." Nothing that is easily traced. The bigger the city, the easier it is to hide the graft.