Disconnect Here in the Dying Empire
I've been on vacation this week so I've had an opportunity to wander around the town more than usual this week where I've observed the disconnect between activities and reality.
Local officials and media have been downright giddy about the "resurgence" of the auto industry. Those with recall rights have been recalled but there is no new hiring. One third of the jobs that existed three years ago are just gone forever. The business can't be that robust because us old hands that know the business from the bottom up after 40 years of experience can't get an interview. All of this local talk of industry growth is just bullshit as local unemployment is still 12%, not including the unknown number who have early retired.
Banks are mitigating a number of local homes that have been abandoned and sat empty for the past few years. The process is unusual in that nameless trucks with shady looking characters show up to clear vegetation then more nameless trucks show to remove and replace the roof, drywall and doors. A for sale sign goes up but no one is buying locally. Sporadic mowing occurs but no one is seriously trying to sell the rehabilitated home.
I've never seen so much vacant commercial property in this town. I'd guess half of available commercial buildings are empty. It's as if a plague had swept over the city and killed half the population. Business opportunity has declined significantly here.
But road construction is booming. A new bypass is being built around the city and two other highways are being upgraded to speed traffic around the dying community. A major local road upgrade is underway on the city's edge, increasing lanes and leading ...nowhere. Once upon a time the city was growing in that direction. All of that stopped years ago but the city pretends that the roads will be needed.
The biggest surprise locally is how well residents have maintained their property. Yards are mostly well groomed and tidy. People aren't remodeling or adding stuff but they are keeping what they have looking nice.
Like me, many are using their vacation to maintain their home using their own labor.
I suppose it's human to carry on as usual even in a declining empire. What else are you going to do?
Local officials and media have been downright giddy about the "resurgence" of the auto industry. Those with recall rights have been recalled but there is no new hiring. One third of the jobs that existed three years ago are just gone forever. The business can't be that robust because us old hands that know the business from the bottom up after 40 years of experience can't get an interview. All of this local talk of industry growth is just bullshit as local unemployment is still 12%, not including the unknown number who have early retired.
Banks are mitigating a number of local homes that have been abandoned and sat empty for the past few years. The process is unusual in that nameless trucks with shady looking characters show up to clear vegetation then more nameless trucks show to remove and replace the roof, drywall and doors. A for sale sign goes up but no one is buying locally. Sporadic mowing occurs but no one is seriously trying to sell the rehabilitated home.
I've never seen so much vacant commercial property in this town. I'd guess half of available commercial buildings are empty. It's as if a plague had swept over the city and killed half the population. Business opportunity has declined significantly here.
But road construction is booming. A new bypass is being built around the city and two other highways are being upgraded to speed traffic around the dying community. A major local road upgrade is underway on the city's edge, increasing lanes and leading ...nowhere. Once upon a time the city was growing in that direction. All of that stopped years ago but the city pretends that the roads will be needed.
The biggest surprise locally is how well residents have maintained their property. Yards are mostly well groomed and tidy. People aren't remodeling or adding stuff but they are keeping what they have looking nice.
Like me, many are using their vacation to maintain their home using their own labor.
I suppose it's human to carry on as usual even in a declining empire. What else are you going to do?
posted by lugh lampfhota at 9:06 AM
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