Regional neighborhood outranked by political myopia

The recent proposal to combine the development department of Newark with that of Licking County was a proposal to direct the efforts of both units to the greater good of all.

But that took a back seat to other considerations made by the majority of Newark council members.

The minority backed it because of the likelihood that more grant money could be acquired through emphasis on regional problems rather than a myopic focus on Newark itself. The new development board would be above - and independent of - some (much?) of the current city politics. The minority voting in favor included Rauch, Ellington, Houdeshell, Kennedy, and it was also favored by Council President Guthrie.

Others on council, however, voted for holding onto the political power that goes with "community development." The proposal would have required release of political considerations, gamesmanship, and some fund-donor loyalty.

This work-with-the-region concept was shot down by Rhodes, Marmie, Stare, Diebold, Henderson and Uible.