I look at what is going on up on the Iron Range, with
unemployment and it breaks my heart. It’s always been the dream of the American
family to settle down someplace, have a family and not only make a mark for
yourself but also to have the satisfaction that through your own hard efforts,
you succeeded. All you needed was for someone to give you a chance. Just
someone, to give you a job. Everyone needs a purpose in life and a job, besides
giving you an income, gives you that purpose.
Growing up in Staples, a small town I remember coming home
from school one day as a ten or twelve year old, to find my father, who was
always working, sitting at the kitchen table in the early afternoon, talking
with mom. He looked especially worried and concerned and that was just not dad,
so I asked,” What’s wrong?” dad put his hand on my shoulder and said, “I have
been laid off from the railroad.” Then he added, seeing my concern, “But it’s
going to be alright.”
I look at what is going on, on the Iron Range and my heart
goes out to those people. Thousands of them with no jobs. Thousands of them who
want nothing more than to provide for their families and have purpose in life.
Getting up each morning and not knowing if they should be angry or sad, but
feeling so helpless. Some say,” Move away from there and go where there are
jobs.” Let me set the stage. You’re forty-one years old and have lived on the
range all of your life. Your dad was a miner and so was grandpa, your wife’s
dad and three of your uncles. You have worked your way up the ladder at the
plant to a supervisor and you’re proud of the place and all the people you work
with. It’s been rewarding, a steady income. You have a modest home, a wife and
three kids in school. That same school both of you graduated from. It’s a small
town where everybody knows your name. So move away and do what? Start over in
the middle of your life? You have a house you couldn’t sell if you wanted to.
You’re a miner-- you have no other skills. All your friends and family live
here.
Industries fail for many reasons but the number one reason
is nobody wants your product anymore. It’s either to expensive or obsolete. In
the case of the range, its product is not obsolete but it is too expensive.
Replaced by cheap steel from other countries. The answer would be simple if we
weren’t in a tit for tat deal with those countries. We buy their products and
they buy ours. Yes, that’s what has changed. We are now in a world economy. As
much as I hate government intervention into private industry, its time to
diversify the range workers. Get some of those eggs that are now all in one
basket, into something new. And with the proper incentives this could happen.
This is where governments can help, without creating a welfare state. More
benefits are a band-aid approach but that’s all right, if you have something
better to replace them with in the near future that might be a solution.
My dad got his job back eventually but eventually too, the
railroad left that town. But the people didn’t give up when it left and they
brought in new industry and the town still thrives. It’s the same size today
that it was when I left it fifty some years ago. That all happened a long time
ago but it still works.
No comments:
Post a Comment