I'm not from Cleveland but always wondered if the loss of manufacturing jobs in the region (brought on when Bush got into office) has something to do with these high poverty rates. Like Detriot and many cities in Pennsylvania, Cleveland depends on low-skill factory work and with outsourcing of jobs, this has to have an impact on the economy. Plus, wasn't Cleveland fairly slow to redevelop the downtown area? I remember being at the bus station on the way to Columbus and a chunk of the damn ceiling fell on my head. Management came over and apologized claiming things were under construction. I went back to that same bus station two years later and that tile that hit me upside the head was never replaced.
Doesn't Cleveland hold the dubious distinction of being the most racially segregated city in the country as well? Wouldn't that contribute to the poverty rates?
Regardless, it's pretty sad that two Ohio cities appear on that list and that it looks like it's going to take a long time to see any real change.
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