Container Top
Homes   Jobs   Cars   Shopping
Search

Events Calendar

EVENT SEARCH:

In This Section


Most Read Stories


Blogs:


Pets:
Dogs' Bark: Not fair! Study shows pups get jealous

The Heldenfiles:
Who Will Get the Michael Media Treatment Next?

Patrick McManamon:
More on Varejao

Akron Zips:
Opponent outlook: Kent State

Browns Bulletin:
Quick thought on Browns rookies

Tribe Matters:
Wedge challenges relievers

Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth test showed marijuana

Kent State Sports:
Men's Basketball Scheduling update

Cleveland Cavaliers:
Andy’s Signed According to ESPN

All Da King's Men:
Does Medicare Have Lower Administrative Costs ?

Blog of Mass Destruction:
CIA Did Mislead Congress

Akron Law Café:
Breaking Story: CIA Lied to Congress about Secret Program

Varsity Letters:
East basketball update

See Jane Style:
Oh Baby!

Car Chase:
Where do We Go from Here?

Let's Talk Real Estate:
Closings….Not the Good Kind!

Ohio Travels with Betty:
Margy inquires-when is a Taste of Hudson?

Sound Check:
LeVert II live performance Saturday night — "Dedication" album due July 13,

HRLite House:
DDI One of Best Places to Work

Akron Gamer:
First 24 'Guitar Hero 5' songs announced

Black leaders from area discuss financial problems with senator

Sherrod Brown hears calls for help with job losses, foreclosure, financial literacy

By Marilyn Miller
Beacon Journal business writer

Twenty-three black community leaders focused on Akron and Summit County during an economic development meeting Tuesday with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.

They represented city and county government, higher education, the Akron Public Schools, health care, local agencies and businesses, nonprofit organizations, a foundation, banks, churches, unions and courts.

The leaders met for nearly two hours at the Akron Urban League and aired their major concerns about education, job losses and climbing home foreclosures in hopes that the federal government will be able to offer help.

''It's an opportunity for leaders to work together and
create a synergism that will be ongoing and gives me an opportunity to gather a list to take back to my office and see what we can do,'' Brown said.

Akron school board President Linda Omobien pointed out that the schools are trying to find ways to teach children how to be better prepared for college and give them the support they need at a younger age. Programs like Project Grad and Upward Bound give students the resources they need to expose them to college at a younger age, she said.

College education costs have skyrocketed and students are getting into debt early.

''It is amazing that 21-year-olds aren't old enough to drink, but have credit-card debt up to their eyeballs,'' said Candace Campbell-Jackson, an administrator at the University of Akron.

''College students get loans and grants, move out and get a car and plenty of credit cards. They take on all these responsibilities and many eventually get overwhelmed and drop out of college and then they can't get a job because they've got bad credit, so college turns out to be one of the worst experiences in their life.''

She wishes there was financial counseling for college students.

''There were about 4,000 foreclosures in Summit County last year and those homes are not being recycled, many are vacant or abandoned. It's like a war zone out there,'' said Louise Gissendaner of Fifth Third Federal Bank, who said her bank offers a program called First Home, First Loan.

Attorney Lewis Adkins described the meeting as ''polite conversation,'' calling economic empowerment a key.

''A job goes a long way in solving many of the problems we are discussing. The jobs that used to be here are gone and we have not fully embraced the kind of transformation we are going through,'' he said.


Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com.

Twenty-three black community leaders focused on Akron and Summit County during an economic development meeting Tuesday with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.

Get the full article here.


Story tools

Email  Email   Print  Print   Save  Save   Reprint  Reprint   Popular  Most Popular   Reprint  Subscribe

Share this story

AddThis Social Bookmark Button
















Most Commented Stories