Bunk, I too worked in Detroit once removed from auto. Go and Chrysler died because executive management took theceasybpath and short term profits and gains for themselves instead of making necessary structural changes.
Sure the unions were tone deaf, management was short sighted.
[quote=njtosd][quote=bearishgurl]
The “desperation” you describe isn’t about race. It’s about families which have, for generations, been able to support themselves with union factory jobs with full benefits and now find themselves permanently out of work and their long-owned homes worth nearly nothing, due to lack of living-wage jobs in the area. They can’t even sell their homes and transfer out of the region for a better job and likely can’t find good renters because there aren’t any living-wage jobs in the region. I can see why these people feel that they’re “stuck” and frustrated with NAFTA, etc.
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BG – I grew up outside of Detroit and although my Dad wasn’t directly employed by the auto companies we were supported by the auto companies once removed, like almost everyone in Detroit. I could see in the 1980s that Detroit was in a death spiral and when I looked for a job I looked in Chicago as did my sister and brother. I know lots of people who stayed because it was easier to hang around where things were familiar (and getting cheaper by the day). People are responsible for finding work where the work exists – the world is not responsible for providing jobs where people choose to live (which is how my Irish ancestors ended up in the U.S. . . . )
The death of Detroit is attributable to the over reaching of the auto unions and the tendency of Detroit politicians to tax city businesses who couldn’t vote against them (the owners generally weren’t city residents). In addition, the weather is as bad in Detroit as it is good in San Diego. My Dad’s firm moved from downtown to the suburbs due to the political climate and the growing crime problem. . . and I haven’t heard of many businesses moving back.
We as individuals are responsible for finding a way to support our families. No one owes me a job anywhere. If I’m lucky enough to get a job in the place that I want – that’s a plus. People need to prepare themselves for engineering jobs in Minnesota and Wisconsin or wherever, not comparative religion “jobs” in San Diego. And if they don’t prepare themselves, they are at the mercy of the job creators. Maybe it’s not desirable – but as long as people blame their failures on factors outside of their control they are destined for more failure.[/quote]
