After a year of telling your tales of struggle and recovery at the epicenter of America’s economic meltdown, the journalists of msnbc.com are stepping back from your daily lives.
But as we shut down our “bureau” at the Maple Lane Apartments and cease our regular reporting trips, we’d like to thank you for sharing your stories and lives with us this past year.
“The Elkhart Project” would not have been possible without your help.
From civic and government leaders, to our partners at The Elkhart Truth, and regular folks in all corners of the county, you opened doors and shared your experiences with us even, speaking frankly even when reality was painful.
You helped us trace your community’s sudden economic decline, track the political promises, follow the money and find signs of recovery.
Elkhart County’s established citizens told us their stories of ruin and redemption while its next generation shared their hopes and dreams.
You let us in on your conversations with President Obama and allowed us to take your portraits at the Elkhart County 4H Fair.
You invited us into your factories, offices, restaurants, charities and homes.
Through your lives, Americans got a glimpse of where their nation has come from and where it may be going.
John Brecher/msnbc.com
A freight train passes through downtown Elkhart.
We hope they saw the same brave, proud and entrepreneurial people we got to know on our visits to Elkhart County.
Those visits are on hold for now, but not forever.
In the future, we’ll return from time to time to find out how the folks we’ve met are faring, to document Elkhart’s recovery and reinvention and to bring the stories of Main Street — your stories — to readers across the country.
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But do us a favor and don't try to elist our sympathy again for the illegal immigrants there. That backfired big time, with the vast majority of posters saying that they were not supposed to be here in the first place, and if they were going back to Mexico good riddance.
Are you saying good-bye to Elkhart because things are beginning to improve? I hope that's the reason, as I have enjoyed meeting the people of Elkhart.
Good luck to all of Elkhart from Philadelphia, PA.
I suppose they will miss out on a complete collapse of a town then. The second crash is coming.
Hard
when you wake up in the morning I bet it takes a spoonful of vinegar in your coffee and stepping on the cats tail to bring a smile to your face.
keep up that negative attitude - continue walking through life thinking the worst - you are in the minority - but you already know that!
b dune, really? I suppose you walk through life with a smile painted on your face. Hard truth is is right. We hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Thats the way it should be and all hes saying is BE PREPARED. If it doesnt come, it doesnt come.
Im with B dune, negativity is a bummer!
Negativity may be a bummer, but it can also be the reality. I agree with Pure, we do hope for the best. It would be foolhardy, however, not to realize that the "best" may not be the reality. Downturns are still possible and likely on the horizon. To ignore the possibility is a mistake.
Cam
number one - hard didn't say there was a "possibility" - hard said "the second crash "is" coming">
Pure
I can walk around with a smile on my face - and you spun "hards" words pretty poetically there - I didn't read "be prepared" - I didn't read if "it comes" - I read it is "enevitable".
look around and see how all the "negativity" is working so far.
you know what makes me optimistic Pure and Hard - fortunately there are many people out there alot smarter then most of us posters who do have an idea of what they are doing....
and you know what? when things begin to really turn - there will always be people like "hard" out there who attempt to spin even the positives into negatives - that is the "hard truth"
Well, I happen to believe it is coming too(thank you for the poetic props). I work in the financial field and I see warning signs coming from many sources. I think it would be foolhardy to say that it ISNT coming and happily skip along my way. Read and believe what you will and when it does come, dont come knocking on my door asking for help from me because I was prepared for it and you werent. Not my fault you didnt prepare. No more government handouts for those that arent ready for a collapse. You will have no one to blame except yourself. What are you doing on my porch on my property with no gun? Handout? You deserve what? Government to protect you from a crash? What government? Seriously. Better to be prepared rather than hope.
So tell me Pure
I guess you saw "the last coming" and all those you associate with business wise and personally had no problems what so ever......you should have found away to advise the rest of the country so they could have been prepared.
And I didn't say "it wasn't coming"..
Nice switch though on the "whole government entitlement rant"..- die hard conservative or tea partier?
hopefully there will be more people out there like you espousing the demise of society and everyone can hunker down like the survialists...
living in constant fear is not living at all.
I actually pulled my money out a few weeks before the big fall. I warned my brother and mother about it but they didnt want to listen.
So what is it that you ARE saying? It is or isnt coming?
Why do there have to be labels? Are you just name calling? I have always been wary of government.
I'm not sayin its the demise of society, but one should be prepared for survival anyway.
Ever watch the History channel and see the shows about what it would be like if we ran out of oil? How bout electricity or the collapse of infrastructure?
Who says I live in fear? I think I live a pretty good life. Nothing wrong with being vigilant.
Are you still standing on my porch?
Pure Capitalism--I would say YOU are a fake. A wannabe. You warned your mother and she didn't take your advise? I like your mother. By the way. I'm sure she dislikes your filthy mouth to.
Say what you will. Not everybody wants to take the markets seriously. Next to your house its the next biggest investment people have. My mother is very old fashioned, she still sees me as her little 9 year old boy. Most mothers would. Its not her fault, she doesnt always have a grip on some parts of reality. My brother on the other hand has an MBA from Northwestern and thought he knew more than I did because he has a degree. Know what, I am 14 credits shy of my AS. degree. Just goes to show you that having a piece of paper saying that you're smart doesnt make it so.
Take that for what its worth, just because someone has booksmarts doesnt mean they are smart. It just means they think they are to smart to be told the difference.
By the way she couldnt care less about my filthy mouth, it speaks the truth. I wish you the best of luck.
Gee, the housing starts hit a new low again today. The Dow was up the most in 5 weeks! Producer prices tumble, economic growth slowing this summer. Ya think the market might take a pullback or really slam down? Why dont you go consult one of your economics books....I'll wait.....
You can even stand on my porch while you're doing your research....Go ahead.
Like the problems left by Katrina, the problems here are no longer newsworthy - but we are still here, still living day to day. Elkhart isn't much different than any other midwest small city. I'm sure you can drive thru other cities and see the same number of empty abandoned houses, high unemployment, lines at the local food pantry and 50 people in line to apply for one part time job. Businesses that remain are having a difficult time. They have cut to the bone to keep their doors open. Workers are not getting raises and are working harder - if a business normally has 5 employees but only payroll for 3, there's still the work of 5 employees to be done. There is nothing wrong with cutting out waste and fat - cut too far and quality and service go out the door as the workers struggle to keep up the pace. Life goes on. We'll hang on and hang in there.
You can thank your Senator for that. Hopefully Landrieu will not get reelected.
And don't for one minute think Elkhart is out of the woods. That new car company is moving in there....................who knows what that will bring.
Elkhart started going downhil back in the '80s under Reagan, When Miles Laboratories went overseas.
Everyone wanted to be part of the ownership nation,they were fooled when the powers to be took all of manufacturing base to China so they could reap bigger and better profits and dodge enviromental laws here. Well they got there profits and our workers got laid off, nothing is free you reap what you sow. If you want jobs join unions workers must stick together DON'T TRUST RICH WHITEY they practice class conscieonce and you are just surfs, victory happens when numbers stand up to power.
MS,
You mean primarily low skilled workers or workers with minimal education ("Everyone"). They always have difficulty making transitions when jobs are lost.
Wake up Schultz. Unions aren't here to save your job and "Rich Whitey" isn't out to get you. Think about how to make yourself valuable to employers by improving your skills, credentials, and sharing ideas on improving a company's products/services. You're just stuck in the past.
AMEN to Michael Schultz, and now its healthcare on everyone's back so the big corporations can still have their profits and their workers in China.
So now you (MSNBC) walk away and "good luck Elkhart, see you latter".
So you consider Elkart a closed story now? Both you and Obama, go bury your head in the sand in another community now.
What else are they supposed to do? Keep reporting "Yup, the economy still stinks in Elkhart again today. We'll let you know again tomorrow." In other news, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.
They had long since beaten this story to death. What could possibly be gained by continuing to tell us Elkhart is struggling? Yes, we get the picture. (11 months ago we got the picture)
I love the comment about joining the Unions. How is that working for ya? Seems to me it was all UNION jobs that got moved. So much for UNION protection. The only companies that seem to be thriving are companies with NON - union contracts. You people are so stupid to believe they can actually save your jobs when management makes a decision to move on. Not only that you get to pay your dues (for what) only to feed you fat cat union bosses. Yeah - you reap what you sow.
So very true..... Even the unions are screwing everyone of their pledges over to save their butts. Look at the IBEW.... Creating new classification of workers that requires the skills of a journeyman and yet pays them $1.00 above the wages of an apprentice. Its called a construction electrician and the only thing they cant do is hook up the wires, but thats the easy part.
I would assume with a title like "Until Next Time" this story is not over just not drawing the interest that it used too. As we loose interest in things so quickly fads are no longer years but hours and investments we make or interests we hold are only worth our time if we get something out of it. We have no patients for long term investment and recovery. It's how can I make the quick dollar. Seems to have brought us to this place that we are now and we don't have any future plan of changing that soon.
I wont hold people harmless or blameless- but the bottem line here is people were duped because they are so greedy. They are greedy because they have no education and so the only way to go forward is to take. The root problem is they are taking from other citizens and not from the banks which have managed to come through - unscathed and up to the old tricks still... No regulation, no new policies, no diminishment of the power of the fed, still ruling the roost they are and it will cost us a pretty penny and a pound of flesh...
A government cannot give to its citizens, something it did not take from them to begin with-----
b dune-
I hate to say it but keep your head down- the crash of '29 was nothing compared to the crash of '32 and it will happen again. nothing has changed- the model is the same, the response from the Dems was the same, the response from the people was the same, and to a greater extent the causes were the same. Sure we can say - It was the housing bubble- or the wall street bubble but in the end it is the same issue. Take a careful look at the commercial realestate market- it is starting to see impact from the non renewed leases and lost companies. Buildings are not selling but the vast majority of wealth in the real estate Mkt is from the commercial leasing side of the house. It is dying a slow death... Deflation is beginning and stock market stability is starting to falter... Next is the outcome of the Government response to print money and that will be hyper inflation and it is due at the beginning of the 3rd qtr this year- Why? Because the summer jobs report wont be good.... Watch....
I agree. Being from Flint MI and my father being a union man I love the idea of the unions but not the reality of unions. I was a member of united steel workers and I did love the protection they provided. But if the compnay decides to pack up and move to mexico because of it what good does it do??
As i see it the government has failed us. It is supposed to be protecting jobs here and implimenting incentives to keep jobs here , not just standing by and watching companies send jobs to china and mexico for cheap labor. Our leaders need a brain implant imo. I seen this coming a loooong time ago (love you Perot) . People will do better when joined in numbers. (ie Unions) but unions can only do so much , and then theres bad unions ect. it comes down to this .. if i can make more money by having something manufactured in a cheaper labor and enviromentally cheaper place whats the incentive to stay? there needs to be a check and balance which hasn't been occuring for many years. Its a lact of understanding of economics , labor , sustainability , and protectionism of our standard of life. lol free markets.. lol yea right .. would work if all played by the same rules.
To all the b dune bashers...
We all have limited time, energy, and resources. We can spend it worrying about impending disaster or we can spend it trying to build something. Choosing to hope is never foolish, particularly if it inspires us to move forward. Wasting time worrying about things we cannot control is. Those who courageously choose to keep moving will be the ones that help the country recover....no matter how hard or how ugly it eventually gets. The mechanism for moving on is the same and the engine that will drive it is hope.
I am not trying to bash b dune, but to say that while it's good to hope it's also good to be prepared. I think we all have to decide what we have the energy to be concerned about and what we can do to position ourselves to better ride out the next storm. I agree that we have to move forward, but be prepared to deal with possible hard and ugly times. The more we recognize potential issues in our own lives, the more we can work to overcome those hurdles. That said, the times we are in now were similar...most of us did not see the train wreck coming. Some have held on, some have not. Coming back from such a downturn is a slow and painful process.
It is good to keep in mind that hope and optimism are two completely separate entities: optimism is more like "positive thinking" while hope actually incorporates goal setting and preparedness. "Hope for the best, plan for the worst" is I think what b.dune was getting to. To 'hope' for something, we also have to work hard towards that light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, there is a light at the end of this tunnel, even though it may not be this year or next. Hopefully, when that day comes, we've all learned our lessons from this downturn!
Balance, it's all about balance.
Too much optimism is bad, too much negitivity is bad. To much Union power is bad (ie GM), too much corporate power is bad (ie WallStreet/Banks).
Controls are critical. Human drive is what moves us forward, but things must be controlled. People wilth very little can be just as happy with people with very much.
The world can be a better place with "very much" it can also be a lot worse.
Balance.
Well said. Tipping the scales too far toward either end can cause catastrophe.
Other cities in Indiana were major auto suppliers and they are part of recent history. Places like Anderson, Connersville, Muncie, and New Castle.
Damn, mouse.
That's the wisest comment I've ever read on newsvine.
Any philosophy that says 'my way or the highway', whether pinko communisim or hyper-degregulated free-market capitalism, will fail. All things in moderation. Unions can be good (even for non-union employees), but only to a point.
Well MSNBC did what the said they would do from the beginning. they said they would be in town for one year and they were. I feel that they told the story Elkhartans gave them. And most of them told it from both sides. Thank you to the guys I personally met at MSNBC. You are truley interesting folks with your own stories to tell. And I will continue to follow your stories as you go! Thank you again!
Thank God. No offense at all to the people of Elkhart, who I know are struggling, but it was time for this story to end. People already have the recession staring them in the face wherever they live. I've seen 11 co-workers get laid off. I don't need to constantly read about someplace else where the economy is even worse. Its not news to anyone that there's a recession going on.
The balance would be fine, but this is not a smokeless fire we have here. Our government is much like a employee who has lost their job, but will not change their standard of living and are using a credit card to pay for everthing. It would not work if you or I tried it, and it will not work as the government tried it. We need to raise the tarrifs on imports especially China in order to swing those jobs back to the U.S. We have sacrificed 15-30 dollar an hour jobs so we can buy a DVD player for 30.00. Now deflation is active, with people working more hours for less money, and after a bit of time, will not be able to even afford the 30.00 DVD players. It is the cat eating its own tail. 60% of the new housing loans are already in a late mode. We are spending more on entiltlements than we are taking in monthly. I only pray no one tells Obama what is after a trillion.
I'm not sure that imposing high tariffs on Chinese imports is a great idea while the China are -- how shall I put this -- holding our purse strings? And for such tariffs to be effective, they'd have to be unusually high. How high of a tariff do you suggest on a microwave (to use your example) if a person in China is making less than $1 a day to manufacture these? Shall we pay a $1 a day too? Plus, America might want to be focused on more advanced jobs than microwave-manufacturing (I certainly don't want to work in an appliance-assembly plant, do you?) High tariffs are not a fantastic idea at the moment given that our economy is 75% consumer-driven. Sure, people should buy less stuff -- but look how well that's working out for us now. Buy less stuff, people lose jobs. You've posed some interesting ideas, but I'm not sure tariffs are where we should focus.
I lived and worked in Elkhart for 6 months. It was so miserable that i had to get out of that place. Elkhart's problems can be found in its population way of life. All their know of the world is their small community. Most of them have never been outside of Elkhart; their are very resentful of outsiders and fond of their simple life.
The only way Elkhart can strive is by educating itself, remove the stench of bias that pervades its society and educate itself. Period
Good luck to the residents. That's the story...the daily push and pull that no one knows about.
It all comes down to that most insidious of sins, greed. Stockholders and company executives want more money to buy a bigger house that they don't need, or another gas-guzzling car, which American auto makers were happy to sell, as long as they didn't have to change their way of manufacturing. When the Asians came along with cheaper cars with better quality, the rebates started....now everyone's doing it. People getting that ARM so they can get a better house.....better than they can afford, it turns out. Others that had a fixed-rate loan wanted some extra cash, so they re-fi'd, digging that hole deeper. 5 years down the line, all of a sudden they're in trouble. And they don't understand how it happened.
So who gets the smelly end of the stick? The low man on the totem pole....us, the everyday working American, who was brought up to believe that if you work hard, learn a trade and climb the ranks, you'll eventually be 'successful'. So we got on the wagon for the long ride, but in a lot of cases got sidetracked by luxuries and entertainment that we couldn't pay cash for, but we could finance it....and it seemed to get easier and easier to do that....until the day came that we were paying minimum payments on 5 different credit cards with no end in sight, and having difficulty feeding our families or ourselves. The wheels were coming off that grand wagon we had bet so much on.
Been there, done that. Now I have a small, 100+ year old house in a marginal neighborhood, but I know I can pay for it. I drive a 5 year old car, but it's paid for and in good shape. Yeah, it sucks a bit of gas, but I don't drive as much as I used to. Thanks to a decent education and willingness to learn and grow, I've had my job for over 25 years. Of course, with things as they are, I don't see a retirement coming, but thankfully, I like my work. I have one credit card that I closed out when the company got greedy and wanted to raise my rates for no real reason, and am paying off that account month-by-month. When I'm done, in another year, I'll be putting that money straight into the bank. I feel as if I'm one of the lucky ones.
Americans have not lived within their means for decades, and now we're all paying for it. Dial it back, people, cause just because you could afford steak 10 years ago, doesn't mean you can afford it now. Cheaper cuts, store brands, bulk buying, get back to the frugal but satisfying life of your ancestors. Drop the greed, and be thankful for what you have.....family, friends, faith.
Elkhart, I wish you good luck with your re-vitalization efforts, and hope that a year from now, I'll get to read a story of how a renaissance is happening in the American Midwest, led by people who embody the American Dream. Guts, hard work and determination will see you through.
To you, I say, fare-thee-well.
13
Amen.
I will tell you exactly what is going on. Elkhart was used by GE/MSNBC news as a microcosm of our country. That microcosm is seeing absolutely no recovery from Obama's failed policies. Since the boss is buddies with the big boss then he doesn't want this reflecting bad on the Prez. Abort, abort, abort. (That's also one of their favorite words...so it works well)
Your argument is- a us vs them mentality. Greed? There is nothing wrong with wanting and working to obtain. If you want, you work to obtain. Don't belittle someone else "the nameless corporation or stockholders" because you don't have. The government isn't here so you can have a guaranteed job making exactly what you would like to make - that's your job. The government is here to protect our borders from invasion, ensure our freedoms, and help with interstate trade. While there are a few more things you can add to the list, that's basically all the government should do. If you want it to do more, Go to China.
So where is our faith in GOD? Where is our repentance for kickin’ GOD out of our three branches of Government (specifically the Legislative Branch) . . . and, please don’t commence to quote “the Separation of Church and State” dogma; the intent of “the Separation of Church and State” was to prevent a specific “Church” from dictating to our nation and citizens, there was never intent that we, as a Nation, should not honor GOD; this fact is evidence considering that our Founding Fathers prayed before making decisions. We reap what we sow . . . our Nation, in less than 250 years, elected to place their faith in Government instead of GOD. And, as expected, our current godless-Government has failed. Why? Our “Leaders” have no stability; no foundation; they only seek re-election and will say or do anything to obtain that goal: The Republicans prostituted criminal corporate entitlements for votes; the Democrats prostituted immoral entitlements for votes; and, the taxpayers are expected to pay for their errors and the subsequent costs. Our Government, excluding the Arm Forces, is now the single largest employer in the United State of America, and, we, the people are burdened with the bureaucracy of it all; yet, the majority of the people don’t realize that for each entitlement and/or job the Government creates, it is the taxpayers that pay for it. GOD help us!!!
“Thus says the LORD, "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:5
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:7
Goodbye Elkhart, good luck
I won't argue the last point, as I am a sinning Christian. But I do agree that greed plays a part in the demise of everything. Being an RV manufacturer out of the state of Indiana I have a bit of ties to that community. We are in there every couple weeks to pick supplies up. Part of the problem there is foresight in business practices, and part a perfect storm of higher gas prices and economical stumbling. I know from being in China, that my product there has a 33.75% commodity tax when it hits the border, and the like commodity from China coming to the U.S. is 3.5%. Now I will always put my money on the American worker and product, and we can compete with a dollar a day wages....but the tax field needs to be closer not necessarily the same. If they were taxed 25% it would make it a bit more of an equal playing ground. Then take part of the increased tariffs and pay it back to them on the debt we owe them. We need to put less emphasis on government and more to the small business's that are going to hire people....wether that be making microwaves or dvd's or tires. We will never be the power house of a country which were once were if all of our jobs go overseas.
If a person wears clothes on their head, we need to also close the numbers of immigrants and travel from that country. We are not being led by smart leaders with our true interests in their sites. They all need to be replaced wether Republican or Democrat. I think Senators should have a term limit of service placed on them and all politicians be on the same government health care they are cramming down our throats. Lets even that playing field too!
I am afraid we could look back in three years and relflect that these were the good times. This nation is so broke and spending my unborn grandchildrens tax money.
you know what there are companies right here in the US doing just making hats, shoes, refrigerators, washing machines and even computers(ZT Systems) but we don't give them enough support.
http://www.locateamericans.com
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