These voters are stupid in the fact they never realize taxes on businesses are always paid for by the consumer. OR, the business fails and jobs are lost .... Or if the taxes continue to be high and the company has the ability, they take the jobs out of the US and into an area more business friendly.
I agree.
This area is a transportation hub because of the way the Great lakes bend. And history related to this is where the coal is, and railroads. And the population distribution in North America.
Access to big water for import/export, and basic shipping.
The factories were already here, and the Great Lakes made the interstate highways run here very densely. Where else can I80 run together with I90, and I80 run with I76, and get odd numbers I71 to I79 in less than 40 minutes!
Over half the population of North America is within a reasonable 1 day drive (old and possibly outdated statistic). From here in 1 day drive, I can be in NY, NY or StL, MO, or Northern FL, or Maniwaki, QC.
So the state gooberment makes property tax on inventory. Companies paid it for years.
Times got tough.
Companies realized moving warehouses a few miles east (to PA) has all the benifits without the tax.
And because times were tough, the well paid OH workers were laid off, and the new facilities hired much lower wage new-hires from PA.
On the bright side, if there is a bright side, a few of the vacant warehouses eventually fell under tax-incentive programs, and reopened, now staffed with people trying to support families with minimum wage jobs.
G-