General Discussion

NNN0LHI

(67,190 posts) Sat Jul 28, 2012, 05:25 PM Jul 2012

Ever watched your city turned into a ghost town after the manufacturing jobs were outsourced? [View all]

I did. Called Chicago Height, Illinois. Used to have a downtown that was full of restaurants, theatres, all kinds of stores, large halls for weddings and such, insurance agencies, realtor's, drug stores, little bit of everything.

After the manufacturing plant jobs were outsourced during the 1980's most of the business left because there were no more customers. Just left a bunch of empty buildings. The city eventually tore down all the buildings and paved over almost the entire downtown area and turned it into one huge paring lot, that no one parks in.

About all that is left there now is the police station, the post office and a hospital. And that big ugly parking lot that no one parks in. Because there is no place to go after you park.

What a mess.

Don

64 replies

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Ever watched your city turned into a ghost town after the manufacturing jobs were outsourced? [View all] NNN0LHI Jul 2012 OP

Look for the next boomtown doohnibor Jul 2012 #1

there's no reason ordinary people should have to move from 'boomtown' to 'boomtown, destroying HiPointDem Jul 2012 #18

Fuck yes n/t agent46 Jul 2012 #26

The "reason", for the last 40,000 years, has been the same. boppers Jul 2012 #29

Lol, funny. You just made that up, didn't you? sabrina 1 Jul 2012 #31

Tell that to my grandparents. meaculpa2011 Jul 2012 #33

What a strange thing to say. There is nothing more comforting than to go back home sabrina 1 Jul 2012 #50

Maybe you come from landed gentry. I do not. boppers Jul 2012 #34

I have family in Europe in more than one country. They were not 'landed gentry' ever sabrina 1 Jul 2012 #48

Good grief have you taken a look at the European banking system? dkf Jul 2012 #40

"Our bank catastrophies all started in the UK" brentspeak Jul 2012 #42

They overleverage in the UK. dkf Jul 2012 #43

Most of those things occurred after the 2008 financial crisis brentspeak Jul 2012 #45

Yes, I've been watching it since the collapse of Lehmann Bros. sabrina 1 Jul 2012 #47

bs HiPointDem Jul 2012 #32

Not to mention the environment that is destroyed along the way - TBF Jul 2012 #54

Typical right wing nonsense - profit above all else. nt TBF Jul 2012 #53

I'm from the same town in NJ as Springsteen (Freehold) and when the rug mill shut down and moved monmouth Jul 2012 #2

Flint, Pontiac, Detroit notadmblnd Jul 2012 #3

Albion. knitter4democracy Jul 2012 #6

How is Champion Labs doing? exboyfil Jul 2012 #37

Albion, MI knitter4democracy Jul 2012 #61

I grew up in PA. It's kind of hard not to notice it there. It's been more than 25 years since Billy Douglas Carpenter Jul 2012 #4

This is a story written all over the northeast and midwest. Curmudgeoness Jul 2012 #5

I don't believe in ghosts and spirits don't frighten me but.... Walk away Jul 2012 #7

Was that the Green Island, New York Ford Plant that closed? NNN0LHI Jul 2012 #8

I honestly don't know. I never saw the plant. Walk away Jul 2012 #36

Green Island is the only plant in NY that Ford closed that I am aware of NNN0LHI Jul 2012 #38

No, it turns out it was the Ford plant in Mahwah. It was literally on the border.... Walk away Jul 2012 #46

The Mahwah New Jersey plant closed in 1982 NNN0LHI Jul 2012 #49

According to the Mahwah Museseum the plant finally shut down in 1980 (split hairs much?) Walk away Jul 2012 #60

Wow, that just sent chills up my spine. smirkymonkey Jul 2012 #10

My "Mayberry" is slowly becoming a ghost town. dixiegrrrrl Jul 2012 #24

Malls & Walmarts did the same to many downtowns SoCalDem Jul 2012 #9

Buffalo, NY Retrograde Jul 2012 #11

And don't forget the "American Standard" plant on Rano st. Dragonfli Jul 2012 #14

Yes. Igel Jul 2012 #12

Terre Haute, IN. Brigid Jul 2012 #13

Has everyone watched "When Mitt Romney Came to Town?" on youtube, and shared it online? progressivebydesign Jul 2012 #15

And what did we replace those manufacturing jobs with? Zalatix Jul 2012 #16

Manufacturing Big Macs NNN0LHI Jul 2012 #22

yes. and watching it a second time today. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #17

Is the big Ford stamping plant still there? former9thward Jul 2012 #19

Yes, the plant population went from about 4800 to about 500 NNN0LHI Jul 2012 #21

I recommend this video to people who want to understand the process better. It's a bit wonky HiPointDem Jul 2012 #20

Yup nichomachus Jul 2012 #23

now that reminds me of a song Douglas Carpenter Jul 2012 #25

I'm from Flint, Michigan Pithlet Jul 2012 #27

My Hometown Lynchburg VA Heather MC Jul 2012 #28

Yes. Detroit, MI. susanna Jul 2012 #30

What about "Gran Torino?" Brigid Jul 2012 #39

You know, I have not seen Gran Torino yet. susanna Jul 2012 #59

Not too far off. Festivito Jul 2012 #64

Reading Pennsylvania onethatcares Jul 2012 #35

We went to visit my mother's hometown and it was just one street...the town had died off. dkf Jul 2012 #41

And how would your mom's generation do today brentspeak Jul 2012 #44

no, but this should be an interesting thread. thanks for starting it. Liberal_in_LA Jul 2012 #51

In Los Angeles, former manufacturing plants are turned into large outdoor malls themed Liberal_in_LA Jul 2012 #52

some here have criticized michael moore newspeak Jul 2012 #58

Have you seen "Roger and Me?" Brigid Jul 2012 #62

I live in a suburb of Cleveland ... liberal N proud Jul 2012 #55

seen it all over the country datasuspect Jul 2012 #56

Drive the New York State Thruway (I-90) from Syracuse to Albany hedgehog Jul 2012 #57

And empty of people too, right? Brigid Jul 2012 #63