Your child has just come home from school and told you that a school program they enjoy has been cut. You’re puzzled, since you just voted for a new levy two years ago that was supposed to cover these programs. Your school board tells you that even with the increase in revenue, cuts needed to be made. A portion of your community’s new taxes are now going into a new ‘regional pool’ to support other school systems, systems that may not have passed their own levies for years.

Or a local fire station in your community has to close, because part of your fire levy is now going to Cleveland, where until recently EMS runs were made for toothaches and hemorrhoids.

And the new plant that was rumored to be going in on that old farm outside of town? It is only a rumor now, since the planning authorities in Cleveland have not approved construction plans. They determined that this type of growth does not benefit the region.

Welcome to a future new world of tax redistribution and centralized social planning called “Regionalism” under the Regional Prosperity Initiative, or RPI.

And unless we act now to counter the efforts of sympathetic newspapers, crony politicians and bureaucrats, it’s coming soon to your town.

and there is less new development. Cut off new development outside cities by new land use restrictions in the name of controlling sprawl, preserving green space and steering growth back to the cities.

The RPI has been a professionally managed message, handled by a local PR firm, and endorsed by the local papers, so it’s not surprising that few questions or objections have been raised. The RPI hopes to ride this positive press (headline in PD 1/1/2010 “Cleveland’s future lies in hope of regionalization, experts say”) and have this extensive regionalism plan in place by 2011.

We must make the public aware of the effect these plans will have on our local communities, raise questions about their intentions, and be prepared to defend the rights of our towns against a reach for power and money.

As a taxpayer, I am concerned when I learn that levies we vote for in our town, money for schools, libraries, parks, and safety forces, will be subject to sharing with other cities “in need”  who may have bloated payrolls, or extra public services like city-provided backyard rubbish pickup and free Wi-Fi that they expect us to pay for. The PD asks “What are you willing to give to save the region?”

The RPI says it’ s asking for just a “slice” of our new future revenues, but in a short ten years time this first year slice can balloon to a major drain on local tax revenue. Avon Mayor Jim Smith raised the issue of Avon, which is one of the region's fastest-growing communities, someday hitting a plateau of population and tax revenue collection. According to Avon’s Finance Department, if their town hypothetically added no new jobs and hired no new police or fire personnel and wages increased only by inflation, in 10 years the city would be more than $1 million in debt using the initiative's current formula.  How bad off will your community be?

I’m also a local businessman, and my initial concern was with the effect the RPI would have on business growth. The business community hasn’t been consulted in the regionalism discussion, and as a result the RPI proposal, unlike other regionalism plans, largely ignores the way business functions.  They talk about preserving “green space” by restricting new growth areas, and attempting to force new industry and residential development back into cities.  The bulk of their advisors are academics in urban planning, environmentalists and bureaucrats. There is no serious business representation on their committees.

Just as business has been shut out of this regionalism discussion, local suburban governments outside of Cuyahoga County have also largely been ignored. The RPI promotes the involvement of some mayors and county commissioners, but local councils haven’t been engaged, and it seems for good reason. They want our tax dollars, but they don’t want our input.

Local officials that do question their plans are labeled as at best ignorant, at worse -- selfish, protecting their narrow interests.  RPI co-chair Mayor Bruce Akers said  – “Getting community leaders who are used to their “provincial fiefdoms” to embrace widespread collaboration will not be easy.”¹ So, if you consider the needs of your community over the region, you are considered “provincial.”

What is “widespread collaboration?”  A 16 county area, dominated by Cleveland in population, leadership and control. They hope you won’t notice that your town will be quietly outvoted in a new agenda dominated by urban planners with contempt for growing suburban areas.  RPI leaders say cities will not give up local zoning, while failing to mention that local zoning must meet their new regional requirements set by urban planning experts and environmentalists.

Regionalism in terms of cost-saving collaboration and economic development does deserve discussion, but history and recent statements show us there will be little discussion once this completely different form of regionalism is finalized. In Minneapolis, the RPI model, the plan was mandated by state law as an amendment to an unrelated state bill. Over 30 years later, according to RPI consultant Myron Orfield: "Cities that gain more than they give say it's a great regional policy, The ones that give more than they get say it's communism." Curtis Johnson, an urban affairs writer, was quoted in the Plain Dealer in the same article: "The losers grumble, but they're outnumbered.”² 

Indications are, the RPI will try to have the state mandate their regionalism plan on NE Ohio by changing state laws..  RPI Co Chair Mayor William Currin told an Ashtabula audience “the group wants to enact the plan from Columbus, through state government, so that each one of the 571 municipalities in the 16-county region would not have to sign on individually.”³

Are we wiling to accept a new layer of government – another group of “experts” who worry more about whether new development is “fair” when we should be working together to promote jobs and growth? Are we ready for a new regional tax and land use planning body, dominated by Cleveland, put in place without our vote?  Once this is established, we are outnumbered. If we object, we are labeled as “selfish”” or ignorant,” portrayed as narrow-minded (health care protestors –sound familiar?) and incapable of seeing the “big picture.”

I believe we can see the “big picture. “ We are not outnumbered –yet.

This issue needs public attention, discussion and action.

• Attention- We need to shine a bright light on RPI-style regionalism. Don’t let them hide behind “good government” and collaboration when what they really want is money and power for cities. Regionalism can be a good thing when it is about collaborating to save costs and promote business. The RPI is not good for suburbs and rural areas.
• Discussion- We need to make the argument that you don’t help the cities by stealing the suburb’s taxes, then outvoting them on new development. We need business growth, and you don’t get that by discouraging new development.
• Discussion –Point out that there are ways cities can work together to save money and promote economic growth, with many examples throughout the country. The RPI has chosen one of the more radical examples, from the Twin Cities.
• Discussion- I would be happy to share my PowerPoint presentation with any local government, business or civic group.
• Action- We need our local city councils to debate the issue. Have them introduce resolution legislation like that passed by the Stow, Ohio City Council (I can provide a copy) that says, “we in favor of collaboration and good government efficiency, but we don’t want any plan that take our revenues or our control without our permission. They need to ask the RPI point blank – “how much will this cost us, what we will get out of it, what control do you expect us to give up?”
• Action – Contact your state rep or senator- tell them your opinions on RPI regionalism. Make sure they vote against any legislation being introduced that puts this plan in motion
• Action –Talk with any business leaders you know about RPI regionalism. We need business involvement in any real regionalism plan to promote economic growth. Business is in favor of cost savings, but not having the government tell them where or when they can expand.  
• Action –Attend RPI-sponsored meetings and ask them the tough questions. There is a state commission hearing coming up in Canton late this winter.

Summit 912members need to join others from counties throughout NE Ohio working together to promote their area and stop a bad plan – sounds like a great form of “regionalism” at work!

^1”Group pushes for regional collaboration” Cleveland Jewish News, July 24, 2009

² “The Minneapolis plan: What if we shared the wealth?”  The Plain Dealer, June 20, 2004

³“Groups urge a regional approach to planning for growth, sharing tax revenues”  Ashtabula Star Beacon April 28, 2009