In my previous blog entry, I discussed the situation of poverty in Columbus, Ohio. As discussed in that entry, the percentage of people living under the poverty line in Columbus is at 23.9%, which is relatively low for a Midwest city. The poverty rate in Berlin is similar, but is much higher in comparison to the rest of the country. Euronews reports that 21.4% of people are living under the poverty line in Berlin, compared to 15.6% in the rest of Germany, differing by report.

“Unemployment is sinking, the country is booming, but poverty and inequality are on the rise” (Somaskanda). The major issue seems to be that the the wage gap is increasing — the rich are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer. Labor protections have been slowly reduced every year, and the working poor are growing in number. Interestingly, one article called this phenomenon the “Americanization of the labor market.” It is  something that is now normalized in America that other countries are also noticing.

In Germany, the plan to aid those plighted by poverty was called “Agenda 2010” and helped employ those looking for work. Although this did get people back in the workforce, a livable wage was not being provided and the work was only temporary. Many people juggle several of these jobs and still have no way to advance themselves if they are not young and full of potential. One of the issues in Germany is that people refuse to accept the reality of the rising poverty, as they still see Germany as a powerful, rich country, and it is easy to ignore. Similarly, I think that Americans understand that a lot of people do live in poverty, but may be oblivious to the sheer number.

Soures:

http://www.dw.com/en/massive-rich-poor-gap-in-german-society/a-19067611

http://www.euronews.com/2015/02/20/highest-number-of-germans-below-poverty-line-since-reunification/

Rich Germany Has a Poverty Problem

One large problem in any area is poverty. Because of the shrinking manufacturing industry in the midwest, the poverty rate is often higher here than across the nation. The poverty rate in Columbus is less affected by shrinking manufacturing jobs because that industry is not as large here. In fact, Columbus has the lowest poverty rate in Ohio of cities in the Brookings report. However, the number is still 23.9%, and poverty is still an issue here. Three Ohio cities, Cleveland, Toledo, and Cincinnati, all rank in the top five cities for lowest income bracket.

The current governor, John Kasich, has a plan in Ohio for how to help those in poverty, and it starts with the youth. He specifically wants to target teens and young adults, aged 16 to 24. A large reason why people can’t get jobs is that they can’t pass drug tests, and education is the beginning to fixing this and other poverty-related issues. The main goal of this initiative will be to increase economic independence in the young people of Ohio, specifically those who aren’t going to college and/ or did not receive a high school diploma.

One of the largest issues with poverty is that it is a reoccurring cycle where the fact that one is already in poverty prevents one from succeeding in things such as obtaining a job or providing healthy food and spaces for them and their families. Kasich believes that economic independence is the beginning to breaking this cycle. He wants to remove barriers to success and give people a possibility of stability, and caseworkers will be assigned to smaller groups of people than in the past to complete this.

Sources:

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/04/15/povertys-end-costly-goal-study-finds.html

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/06/16/columbus-has-lowest-concentration-of-poverty-among.html

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2011/12/27/Americas-Best-Kept-Secret-Rising-Suburban-Poverty

Today, I went to the Short North for a day of studying and running some errands. I get out of class before 3 PM on Tuesdays and took a “2” on the COTA to run a few errands and go to the grocery, Kroger, to pick up snacks for my dorm and my favorite comfort food, potato soup. A dollar tree is situated right across from this Kroger and homeless/poor people are often outside that particular store and also in the surrounding blocks, which is important to note because there still is a large population of people in poverty, so close to the bustle of the city. For the next two hours, I spent my time in a small coffee shop called Impero and watched the customers as they came in and out and interacted with each other.

What is so interesting about the area in the Short North is that it is a very liberal, generally young, part of town that has a thriving LGBTQ community. This part of town is also very dog-friendly, so now of my favorite parts about visiting is seeing all sorts of dogs, big and small, for the couple hours that I am there. Another thing that is noticeable is the fact that everyone in the area is very friendly and familiar with each other. About half of the people that came into the coffee shop knew the one barista working and had lively conversations about their days and their lives. Looking out the window, I could see many people, usually the dog walkers, that were familiar with each other. By the dress of the people that seem to be living in the area, it is obvious that this neighborhood is full of people with a decent amount of money. They mostly dress well and in a modern, “hipster”-dress.

American Gothic was a very easy location to get to. Situated on the side of Jeni’s Ice Cream right off of High Street, this is an iconic mural of the Short North. This mural was put up more than 10 years after the Mona Lisa mural, completed in 2002. The mural was done by Mike Altman and Steve Galgas and is inspired by Grant Wood’s contemporary art piece made in 1930.

In the original painting, Wood’s portrait was of his sister, Nan, and his dentist posing in front of a home in Iowa that Wood spotted that was built in a style called “Carpenter Gothic”, hence the title of the piece. It was supposedly an “affectionate portrait” of the Midwest, depicting survivors of the farming life. Wood was inspired by the Midwest style of his homeland after traveling in Europe to study art.

The original portrait is quite iconic of the Midwest farming area and of its people, so it is an appropriate mural for the arts district of the capital of a farming state, Ohio. Like the Mona Lisa mural also in the Short North, this mural has a twist on the original piece. The woman in the picture is flipped upside down, which may reflect the change in industry in Ohio from farmland to larger industrial and urban areas. As the people and the culture of any community change, the art of the time often reflects these changes. This piece is a mix between the old ways and the new times.

Sources:

http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/6565

http://www.americangothichouse.net/about/the-painting/

http://www.civicartsproject.com/2012/05/09/short-north-gothic-mural-in-short-north-arts-district-columbus-ohio/

I have seen many photos of this location and have always wanted to find out where it is located and visit. This mural is an iconic location in the Short North. A trip down Pearl Street becomes much more interesting when you pass this mural of Mona Lisa on its side, a concept introduced by Chris Steele. He said that the Mona Lisa was one of the most famous Italian paintings so it seems that the Short North, an arts district, should have Mona depicted here. Brian Clemons completed this piece in 1990, making it one of the oldest murals in the district. This piece is a bit out of the way off of High Street but it is a great photo opportunity.

This building was a 1920s body shop that was later converted to condominiums. The Short North district in Columbus has a long history of arts and contains numerous small galleries, shops, and restaurants. This building captivates a lot about the history in Columbus. A project to decorate the Short North resulted in numerous murals all around this arts district. The artist chose a building that had once been a small business that was transformed into condominiums due to a rapid expanse of population and the gentrification of the Short North. High Street is now bustling with activity and young people walking their dogs. Pearl Street runs parallel to High Street and is filled with mostly apartments and back-alleyways. However, when you travel off the beaten path there is always some new sight to see.

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