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Topic: Interesting article on the Lorain plant (Read 1769 times) previous topic - next topic

Interesting article on the Lorain plant

Reply #1 –
as little as 10 years ago i remember Lorain being untouchable.  Lorain being the US home plate for the company that made the first wireless telecommunications transmission across the atlantic ocean in 1901 by Guglio Marconi , Much steel being produced and thousands of new cars rolling out,,,,,
no,, it wasnt good to read about where my car came from.

Interesting article on the Lorain plant

Reply #2 –
I'm not sure "Nice to read" was an appropriate choice of words.

If anything it's the sad reality of the North American auto industry and how many lives are affected by it. As an auto worker myself (Ford Oakville) I've often heard and dealt with the verbal shots of being a member of a union, overpaid this, lazy workers that, etc, etc. I've even heard VERY short sighted people talk about how some of these people deserve to lose their jobs at plants that have closed.....a way of union people getting taught a lesson. Funny thing is they don't think about the thousands of other people in the surrounding areas near an assembly plant who are affected which are pointed out in that article. Don't want to go into a long speech but the bottom line is, when an assembly plant closes the whole city where it's located loses. "Roger & Me" is a great movie that shows just what can happen to a smaller town when an assembly plant gets scuttled.

Interesting article on the Lorain plant

Reply #3 –
I remember going to the Cleveland Airport a few times in the mid-to-late 1980s when my grandmother was flying overseas. We drove right by the Lorain plant on the way (it's right near the airport) and all I remember is the entire HUGE parking lot being filled with employees' vehicles. That's how many workers were there. Also, I remember all the car haulers in the lot that were filled with our cars, and the Econoline vans.

Knowing what I know now, I would give just about everything I've ever had or will ever own to go back to 1985 for just one hour. There was never a time like it, before or since, and those that are too young to remember (or weren't born yet) missed out on the most wonderful time to grow up. There was hardly such a thing as a 'shutdown' back then. Just about every U.S. automaker's plant was pumping near full capacity. Health care for the workers was outstanding. Basically all of the bad issues they face today were either diminished or non-existant back then. Little did we know that it was only the calm before the storm...

Interesting article on the Lorain plant

Reply #4 –
i grew up in the 80's and it seemed everything was easier then. now to find a job or anyhting you have to spend cash ou don't have then once you get the job you have to worry if your on the chopping block or not. Hell i remember going to kodack (in rochester NY where i grew up) and seeng everyone there. My father worked there my grandfather and grandmother. And at one point in time i thought i was. NOT! our economy is totally fornicateked up right now and is only gonna get worse. So maybe its a sign of times or whatnot. But i do miss the 80's and way things used to be.
2001 Buick Regal LS (DD):hick:

Got that fox rash again!

-Resident smartass! :ies:

- Don't listen to the naysayers. For every person who actually helps with your project there will be 10 who will discourage you all the while thinking that they are helping. 99% of all people have good intentions. That doesn't make them right.- XR7 Dave - SCCOA.Com

Interesting article on the Lorain plant

Reply #5 –
Quote from: The Hawk;119279
I'm not sure "Nice to read" was an appropriate choice of words.


Okay, whoops - I was more referring to the article as a nice read, not the subject matter. I think it's good that there's widespread news articles and anecdotes going out to the general public about the sad state of affairs.
1984 Cougar Convertible
1988 Cougar XR-7

Interesting article on the Lorain plant

Reply #6 –
Quote from: EricCoolCats;119281
Knowing what I know now, I would give just about everything I've ever had or will ever own to go back to 1985 for just one hour. There was never a time like it, before or since.....


Well I was born in 85.. so either I'm the best thing from it or the cause of the worlds fatel downfall :dunce:
One 88

Interesting article on the Lorain plant

Reply #7 –
On a related note...the news ticker on the local TV channel indicated this morning that Ford is turning the Lorain plant into an industrial park. Which I guess is better than nothing...at least it will get used for some purpose now.

EDIT - Article here: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/061219/ford_plant_lorain.html?.v=1

Interesting article on the Lorain plant

Reply #8 –
Manufacturing used to be the backbone that supported the small mountain town that I live in too.  We had a Bassett Walker plant and right across the road was a Belden facility.  Both of those shut down and stayed empty for a long time. 

Now one of them is a mall and the other is called The Factory and is an huge complex of arcades, mini golf courses, restaurants, bowling alleys, etc.

Both are successful businesses that bring jobs, tourists, and money to the area. 

So if there is one constant in this world, it's that everything changes.  Everyone thinks that the time they grew up in was the best time to live and wishes things were like they were in the "good old days."  It's nostalgia and longing for what you see as simpler times.  Nothing wrong with that.

But have a little faith.  It may take a while and there may be some hard times, but communities bounce back and we as Americans are innovative enough not to let changes keep us down.  We thrive on change.  Our country has been in a constant state of change since the beginning.  Granted, some of those changes have been for the worse.  But we have more to be thankful for today I think than ever before.  And we will weather this change and be a better nation for coming through it.
-Jim
1987 Cougar LS 5.0

Interesting article on the Lorain plant

Reply #9 –
Quote
It may take a while and there may be some hard times, but communities bounce back and we as Americans are innovative enough not to let changes keep us down. We thrive on change.

Unfortunately that has not happened in my area, Jim. I hate to bring up things like this because of Cat Jam every year (we don't need any more negative connotations) but things have NEVER recovered here. In 1977, U.S. Steel announced that they were closing the steel mills in Youngstown. We are exactly halfway between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, and we were smack-dab in the middle of the great steel mill complex that existed between the 1930's and the 1970's. Well, things started falling like dominoes after the announcement. We're still waiting for some kind of recovery...and it's not for lack of trying. It seems that a lot of people here are still unwilling to change no matter what is presented.

Now there is a plan under way to do something for our area by the year 2010 and it's winning praise for its boldness (the New York Times just mentioned it in their top 100 ideas, in fact). But, again, time will tell. Growing up in the Mahoning Valley it has been very difficult to watch things slowly get stripped away, degenerate or disappear. So it's very easy to hold onto the things from the past that make one comfortable. It's also made me a realist...some may call it 'optimistic pessimism'. ;)

That is what I fear for Lorain, though. Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Akron, Youngstown...these are major blue-collar working towns that are affected immensely by changes in industry. When a plant shuts down and nothing is there to replace it, the psyche of the entire region can just introvert. We've had that for 30 frickin' years already. I don't wish that on any town. And we're only 60 miles from Lorain.

There are many, many people from my area that are holding onto one dream for salvation: legalized gambling. Thus far the state of Ohio has been severely opposed to any kind of gambling within the state borders. Meanwhile, our citizens travel short distances to other surrounding states (ALL of which have legalized gambling) or across the border to Canada (Detroit/Niagara Falls) and spend our money in their casinos. The state just doesn't get it. Now, say they were to do an about-face and legalize it. Suddenly (according to theory) Ohio becomes a tourist state again. We keep our gambling citizens in-state. It makes a lot of sense on paper, and Youngstown would definitely have a good shot at getting casinos. That would put an enormous infusion into our local economy (not to mention the state's) and--again, in theory--make us forget those 30 years of bleeding. Ironically, Youngstown was once called Mob Town because of all the gangsters and illegal activities--including gambling. Now that gambling could be our savior.

But I digress...I only mentioned going back to 1985 because that's when our cars were being built in their heyday. ;)
 

Interesting article on the Lorain plant

Reply #10 –
Quote from: jkirchman;119427

But have a little faith.  It may take a while and there may be some hard times, but communities bounce back and we as Americans are innovative enough not to let changes keep us down.  We thrive on .



are you sure about that,,,Why are all congressmen wealthy? its a matter of public record the pay scales of any given state/gov employee.

please define Racketeering

Racket is an illegal business, usually run as part of organized crime. Engaging in a racket is called racketeering.

Several forms of racket exist. The best-known is the protection racket, in which criminals (congressmen or lobyist) demand money from businesses in exchange for the service of "protection" against crimes (against american workers) that the racketeers instigate if unpaid.


with this said,, its a new frame of mind that those with power will continue to hold down the common folk until they cant stand it no longer.  Its not that a congressman or lobyist wishes to effect the common folk in a bad way,, it just happens to be a side effect of the illegal transactions they are making while turning thier back on you and I.

I think its high time our congress take an agressive stand on doing good by the american worker and if it does not happen then the american people should take matters into their own hands.  Now thats the part were you come in,,, ie-""""Americans are innovative enough not to let changes keep us down""""