Something must be said about the city I live in. I don't think this city will survive through the ..

[Revolution9]

recession/depression.

a snap shot of middletown,ohio.

I - Middletown's wonderful school system keeps asking for more and more money. They got a huge tax lift a few years back and spent it all tearing down still usable schools and rebuilding new ones. Didn't seem like they focused much on it's consistently poor test scores, among the lowest in the state only beaten by inner city districts. Nor did they seem to focus much on the extremely low wages they pay teachers in our district in comparison to others, which is part of the reason why are scores are so low. Which brings me to point two.

II- With only %12.2 of Middletownians having a bachelors degree or better careers involving higher education are not being drawn to town. This means much needed tax money is not going into town for it's public services (which explains their lack of police enforcement and high crime). They rely on the AK for most all of their taxes and income, which brings me to point three.

III- AK is a dying whore. Take a look at a graph of their stock portfolio, it has plummeted like a nosediving plane. Chrysler and GM are falling apart and their biggest supplier is steel. Not only that but the Chinese are now producing more steel than us and selling even in America at %66 of the price that we do (most goes to Japanese cars that have kicked our ass in the market). People at AK, Middletown, and America are going to have to come to the realization that the second-world nations have caught up to us in leaps and bounds in the industrial market. If things maintain current trends AK Steel will be a ghost town within 2 years and will take the whole city with it. ALL of Middletown's eggs are in one basket and the eggs are rotting

IV- The poverty level in 2007 jumped from %12 to a whopping %22 in just one years time, largely due to the lock-out. The median income is only $37,000 a year, amongst the lowest in the nation.

V- Unless you're just totally stupid or ignorant you must be aware of the drug crisis that is eating the city alive from the inside. Crack, heroine, oxy's, and about any other drug are easily obtainable in the Shitty-middie. Almost all my old friends from high school that still leve around here are either hard drug addicts or were working there way up to it.

[Taverner]

1. Can we get manufacturing back there?

This is the 800lb elephant in the room - the manufacturing industry is GONE from the US. Its systematic dismantling has been the hallmark of the GOP.

[hedgehog]

3. It's not just manufacturing. Thousands of small farm towns are dying as family

farms are consolidated into huge enterprises.

[cali]

7. small farming communities should

take a page from my town's book.
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/03/09/f-hardwick-hippies.html?ref=rss
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/dining/08verm.html

[madville]

5. america can't compete

Foreign operations don't have to match social security, cover workmans comp, health benefits, match 401k plans, etc, etc. They also don't have to worry about environmental standards, the taxes, and whatever other government regulations that hinder manufacturing here. I don't think there is anyway to bring it back unless we want go all protectionist and levy huge tariffs on foreign made goods, which will cause prices to skyrocket, a loser for consumers.

[Taverner]

6. That's rather defeatist

[madville]

9. might be but still true

How do you turn a $10 a day job in China into a $15 an hour job in America?

[hedgehog]

2. There are thousands of small towns/cities in this situation all across the northeast

and midwest. Just drive down the NYS Thruway from Albany to Buffalo to see a good selection. They are characterized by good schools, good and inexpensive housing, libraries, access to medical care, short commutes, small shops,, local farm stands, local restaurants, access to a lake or river, anything and everything you could want outside of a big city like New York, Chicago or San Franciso. Yet these towns are dying due to lack of jobs.

[rucky]

4. That's what killed Wilmington - when DHL moved out.

Any town that has a major employer like that is in great danger. I didn't realize Middletown was in such a rut. Passing by it from the freeway it seems more like a bedroom community for Cinci/Dayton commuters.

[Revolution9]

10. i wish.

if that were true there would be more places to eat.
there are NO bookstore in middletown.
which is blatantly obvious if you talk to someone in this town.

[FarCenter]

8. Why would you expect AK Steel to carry Middletown?

Per their annual report, it looks like they have maybe 2000 employees at the Middletown plant. Middletown population is over 50,000?

Looks like AK Steel is in some higher end steel products and may survive, provided they can deal with retiree costs and environmental costs. But is just doesn't take very many employees to make steel.

[Revolution9]

11. i don't expect AK to do anything for us really,

that is the problem.
too much reliance on AK.
no onther ideas.