The following article was written by a long time Biker Law Blog member Sandra Lee Miller as a guest author. Her article is about how the bad economy is affecting her and her families life. As you read it you will realize that she poured her heart into this article. It makes me wonder what is happening to our nation.
I was born in Maysville, Kentucky, the number one tobacco market in the USA.
The last time I went home for a visit, I was stunned at how many manufacturing plants and jobs were gone. We had the Cotton Mill which ginned cotton. My great-grandmother, great-grandfather, two great-aunts and maternal grandmother all worked there. The business has since closed and the buildings have been torn down. Why? Because, we no longer gin cotton in the United States.
At one time there was the Pants Factory, located in Manchester, Ohio which made Haggar pants. It is now closed and a building stands vacant as it deteriorates with the passing of time. Why? The work that was once performed by hard working Americans with two eight hour shifts, five days a week has now been outsourced to Mexico.
Wald’s Manufacturing, also in Maysville, Kentucky made bicycles, was another place that my family worked. My paternal Grandfather worked there over 20 years. My Great Aunt and a Great Uncle worked there as well. The plant was closed and two shifts of both men and women are out of work today. Why? Inferior bicycles are now made in China with sporadic recalls and safety concerns an issue. I never thought that I would see the day that you would have to take a child’s bike away from him because of the lead in its paint.
At one time the pride of Ripley, Ohio was its Red Cross Shoes Manufacturing Company. This is yet another company that employed men and women who worked one of the two shifts, five days a week in order to fill the demand for quality and stylish shoes. The plant was closed in the late seventies. Why? The plant was moved to Mexico and has since gone out of business. Now the country of Mexico has unemployed workers as well!
As a teenager I remember there was excitement in Maysville, Kentucky when Blue Grass Industries built their state-of-the-art facility that was perched on top of a beautiful hill, surrounded by the renowned glistening blue grass. The company manufactured men’s t-shirts and underwear. They were of durable and fine quality then. You would recognize them as JOCKEY. Today, Blue Grass Industries is closed. Why? Their work has also been outsourced and production is now in Mexico.
Next is, Welded Wire of Manchester, Ohio which manufactured industrial wire. When I last returned home for a visit, Welded Wire was only running one shift with a skeleton crew. Today, as I fact checked, it appears that Welded Wire has fallen by the wayside and the property and building are now advertised for sale. I can only wonder what the two hundred plus men and women are doing for work these days. Why? Welded Wire is a victim of the times and American trade policies. This is a fact and not a political comment.
The four small river towns I have written about are dying on the vine, so to speak. The downtown areas where there were little retail shops, bakeries, restaurants, drug store, Doctor’s Office and beauty salons, to name a few, are all gone. Why? The hard working, honest men and women who were formerly employed by the manufacturing plants and facilities cannot support the small businesses that once thrived in those areas.
Today, I reside with my husband in Sebastian, Florida. Unemployment in INDIAN RIVER COUNTY is now 12.4 percent. By the grace of God, we are working. The jobs are not our normal line of work, but like so many of us, we are finding ways to bring in income and pay our bills. We have a 2002 Harley Davidson Fat Boy. This year due to economic times, the bike sits in the garage a lot more than days past. We used to look forward to our weekend getaways to beautiful Daytona. We would roll our clothes and fill the leather saddle bags and head for a motel. Sometimes we would order Papa John’s Pizza or head out for Seafood. Next morning we would rise, pack our gear and head out to breakfast. We used to stop at every Harley Davidson dealership to purchase one of their t-shirts and spent anywhere from $50 on up. We can no longer afford to patronize the stores. The gasoline, motel and food expenses add up quickly. We won’t even mention the purchases at the Harley Dealerships. I did not buy this years Harley Davidson Christmas Ornament. I did not shop at the Harley Dealership this year. Credit cards are not being used in my house. They are for an “Emergency”. WE are smart enough to know better than to make unnecessary debt. I do not want any extra bills in my mailbox. I no longer go to a movie when I feel like it. I go to a Matinee because it is cheaper. I eat before I go so I pass up the concession stand. A small popcorn is $4.75……too expensive for my budget. Then you have to have a $4.75 Small Soda to wash it down.
I now grocery shop where I can redeem coupons and have to watch every penny that we spend. Gone are the days of eating out two or three times a week. This past Christmas, the outdoor decorations were left in the attic to collect dust because of the additional $200 that would drive up the electric bill. I now consign clothing and buy clothes at Consignment shops as well.
We used to sit and count our dollars at the end of the week. Today, we count pennies.
Written By: Sandra Lee Miller
Sebastian, Florida
email: bobharlibob@aol.com
California Motorcycle Accident Attorney
I have to say, that I agree with you. And you know what, it make me think…. The beuauty is arround us.I know a woman who died of breast cancer because she did not have health insurance.Life can be hard. Keep on posting.
Welcome Paddy Paddy!! Yes, it seems like things are not improving for anyone. I too had a friend who died of breast cancer because she had no insurance. I do know that there are no jobs. I recently started selling some items on Ebay to supplement our income. It is a dog fight out there. This morning in church the Preacher announced his 18 year old son was enlisted in the Army and leaves in July. There just are not many options for our graduates. Times are tough and sad. Just as soon as Norm can think of another topic for me to pen…I am ready. This has been an experience. I thank you for your comment. I hope you will check back as well.
Hi to BLB from Australia.
Sarah, a pertinent piece of focussed writing on just what is happening to our local industries. It’s exactly the same here in Australia. Textile, hardware, electronics all gone overseas. We have been “lucky” during the GFC ‘cos China has been a constant buyer of Australia mining products….but in the long term, those industries really go nowhere. The sad part here is that now Chinese foodstuffs are inflitrating the supermarket shelves. If the cans or frozen good aren’t marked Made in China there is some cryptic reference to containing “local and overseas ingredients”!! What can we do? On a personal level I now just try to buy local made stuff, but it’s getting more and more difficult to source that sort of thing.
On a brighter spot, what a lovely website this is, congratulations…always interesting. See Yah in Sydney one day. eh?
I would love to come to Sydney!!
I Just heard on the Fox Business Channel that the USA imported 80% of our products from China. China took in less than 12% from the USA!! It is no wonder we have no jobs!!
At Christmas I wanted to buy a shirt for my brother-in-law. I went to Dillard’s. I Looked at everything in the Men’s Department. There were no shirts made in the USA. I spent $78.00 on a Tommy Bahama Shirt from Thailand. I was forced to do so or get nothing.
Yes, the food is also something folks have not looked at. I bought a 1/2 pint container of blackberries at Publix. I looked at the container at home and the 17 blackberries that cost $3.99 were from Mexico.
There was a special on television about “tuna” from Thailand. Thailand does not have a FDA or inspection standards we have here. I can tell you if that can of tuna is from Thailand….do not eat and do not give to a cat!! The tuna packing house shown was deplorable!! I do not thin it is fair to import food that does not meet the Guidelines set up here in the USA!!
This is a “lovely” website!! It is fun and you learn things as well. It is always friendly and welcomes anyone new!!
Thank you for your comments. Come on back soon!!
Sandie there is no need to apologize. You let us know what is going on in your part of the country. This stuff is happening all over the nation. This is a wake up call for all of us. We can fall apart as a nation like the Soviet Union did in a matter of just a few years, or we can stand tall and be Americans.
I am sure that the Great Depression seemed like the end to many Americans back then, but this depression is different. China is kicking our asses, and we keep borrowing money from them, and buying their products on credit, like they are a drug dealer or something.
Money, trade, and commodities, are all man made things. There is nothing stopping us from continuing to be a great nation but us. The greed of corporate America, the bankers, and the like, is killing out nation. We could still be manufacturing things here, we could still be thriving here. The trouble is, when you got someone in China who will work for a dollar or two a day, there is no way to compete.
Norm
Good luck Ed. You know in the great depression that was a huge migration of people to the west coast looking for jobs. Now we have an average of 12.4% unemployment in California, with 15% in the County of Los Angeles, and 20% in some Inland Empire cities.
The answer may be moving to an area of the country where there are jobs in such an area exists.
I will tell you what, this is a depression if there ever was one. It looks like a depression, smells like a depression, acts like a depression, and feels like a depression.
Norm
Sandie the health care thing from Caterpillar sounds like propaganda to me. If anything the only persons who has anything to lose with the health care bill are for profit big health insurance companies, and over paid doctors.
The real issue here is that we have all been getting screwed by health care insurance companies for years. Big medicine in this country is killing us. Doctors salaries and health care costs have been going through the roof for years irregardless of the how much our salaries have gone up. Doctors in this country live like movie stars; big mansions, expensive cars, etc. I will say it because it is true.
Unfortunately we need to reign them in a bit and train more doctors. This is a national crisis. If the average doctor salary is $330k, with average increases of 30k plus a year, how do we sustain that as a nation.
If anything part of our national crises has people losing their jobs and their health insurance. Those who have no insurance are covered by the rest of us through taxes and deficit spending.
I do not see how anyone who is struggling to find a job would not want to have health insurance for their family. Furthermore, I cannot see how anyone who has ever been unemployed or who has been denied coverage for pre-existing conditions, or who has been cut off by insurance company bureaucrats because they got sick, would be against health care reform.
If we as a nation can invent the nuclear bomb, send a man to the moon, pay billions of dollars for a protracted war in Iraq and Afghanistan, then turn around and borrow money from the Chinese to rebuild these nations, the least we can do is give our own people security through health insurance and reform.
Sandie we disagree on this point. I do not follow political party lines on issues like this. My own family has been screwed over by health insurance companies, members of my own family cannot get an individual policy because of pre-existing conditions. I know a woman who died of breast cancer because she did not have health insurance. I do not see any viable argument against Health Care reform unless you are supporting the Health Care industries maintaining of billions of dollars of profit per year and their present practices.
Just because a certain political party tells you to not support something, does not mean that you should believe them. Hell these are the same guys who got us into this depression. They do not do squat except support big business every which way they turn.
Anyway enough of my rants for now. Time to go on my trip!
Norm
Sandie it does not make sense that Caterpillar would be laying off because of the health care bill. They get increased Federal subsidies as a result of the bill, and the provisions requiring insurance for all do not take affect until 2014. It looks to me like they are trying to use layoffs to affect the political debate. If anything, they will get more money than they do now for providing health care to its workers.
Norm
Yes time will tell that is for sure! I think the bill immediately prevents insurance companies from denying children based on pre-existing conditions. Within a few months it puts together a fund of money which allows persons that are considered high risk, including adults, to join a pool to buy low cost “private” medical insurance. The main parts of the bill do not take affect until 2014 for most adults.
That is the thing about this bill, if you lose your job, thank god, you will still be able to have medical insurance. I would have wished that there was a public option for all, but there is not. If you lose your job you will have to get insurance through medicaid. Right now people who lose their jobs don’t have squat, except maybe go to a free clinic or wait until it gets so bad that they go to the ER, in which case the tax payers get stuck with the tab anyway.
What blows me away about the politics of the bill is that some people are against it simply because Obama championed it, even though it will help them or their own families.
It could be a dismal failure, but at least someone tried.
Norm
Sandie with all due respect your last comment sounds like all of the talking points that are being used by a certain political party right now.
Our nation got into the mess it is in long before Obama took office, under the governance of a certain political party. Hell the last thing I would want to do is give it right back to them to screw up more.
At least give someone else a chance to fix things. The way I see it, both parties are screwed up, one is just more screwed up than the other. At least one cares about ordinary folks like you and me.
Norm
You see Sandie that is why I do not write about politics on the Blog. Clinton has not been in office in over 10 years, under his leadership we had a balanced budget and the economy was doing great. Bush virtually destroyed us.
Point being; we can go round and round and round and never agree on anything when it comes to politics.
One thing for sure, I would be very worried if the same bunch that has been running the place for 8 years were to come back in.
Norm
Sandie are right, Clinton signed it, the Republican controlled Congress ratified it. No one is innocent here. You must also admit that when Clinton left office, we had a balanced budget, and a strong economy. The economy started going to shit during Bush’s 2nd term.
Norm
Does that mean they are going to outsource Sardine’s too? Better make sure the cans don’t have lead; Yuk.
Norm
Wow, I stumbled back across this, having forgotten that I had commented upon it.
To the writer — I wasn’t trying to be critical or to pass judgment upon you as a writer; I’m sure you did your legwork. I enjoyed the article very much, and was only confused on one or two points.
My memory is possibly fallible as well — I only know what I remember of the US shoe factory, and I could have sworn that it was around at a time when I could have actual memories of it — and I was born in 1984.
I suppose that it might have become an outlet only, but at my young age, I was under the impression of there being workers there. I clearly remember when it became an outlet for Esprit shoes though. *shudder*
Numbers are not good for economic recovery. Fox Business News reported that the USA is on record for 3 million home foreclosures by year end. Unemployment numbers for July were dismal 464,000 new claims. The Unemployment numbers for all 50 states will back in double digits by November Retail was down like 1%. Sure don’t sound good for a joyful Christmas.
It is scary.
By the way, on this new system, you can reply to a specific commenter like I am doing now, and it will make a separate thread.
Norm: I think you have done a great job with this Blog. I love it. Yes, things are scary. A person just doesn’t know what to do. So many people are looking for new lines of employment. I have just started a course for Medical Billing & Collections. I figure the medical field is a win only situation. I am hoping that it is…!!! I have to change my line of work…. or live under Interstate 95 in a box.
One of my daughters works in medical billing. You are right, the medical industry is the way to go.
In this economy you cannot just think you will be able to get a job, you have to improvise and adapt!
Norm
You are correct. Adapt and Improvise. At 50 options are few. The older we get, the harder the Employer looks at you. Truthfully I did research to find out that the Medical Field and Anything Computer are excellent fields to make a career. If I were not so old I would go to college. Does your daughter work in a hospital, Doctor’s Office or……. From the looks of my textbooks and workbooks this will not be a cake walk. I have not been to school in over 30 years. I do have some fear.
Actually my daughter used to work for an independent 3rd party medical billing company. I think she now works for the State of California in social services. Our state is broke. Whoops.
Norm
The local newspaper for Maysville, Kentucky, The Ledger Independent” on December 9th headlined with 5.2 TONS OF FOOD handed out to the needy.
No jobs and no money for food.
I can not picture 5.2 TONS of food.