Big Ideas, Big Opposition

Bold ideas undoubtedly generate strong feelings on both sides of the equation and certainly Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic's proposal to sell the city's sewer system and use the proceeds to pay for residents' higher education is no exception.

The union representing sewer workers doesn't like the idea, according to a story in the Akron Beacon Journal. And neither do a lot of people posting here on the Journal's web site.

Some school superintendents also don't like the idea being pushed in the Mahoning Valley to consolidate school districts and use the savings to pay for college.

These are just two of the big ideas floating around Northeast Ohio to drive real change in the region. I'm in no position to endorse either idea, but I will make this observation:

Making Northeast Ohio a globally competitive region will require significant change and that means we'll need a lot of fresh ideas. It's hard to push for change when opposition to ideas solidifies even before the idea does.