I Remember The Jobs That Were

Much has been said recently about economic development and jobs and we should consider these things, but often, a better perspective of the present can be gained by looking to the past. Many of our citizens not born then might gain insight by looking back to past days. I remember my parent’s generation prior to, during, and after World War II. Many people from rural counties like Greene and Sullivan across the entire country moved to the cities for job opportunities that didn’t exist in the county. An agricultural county with declining demand for labor in agriculture could not support its population and provide jobs for everyone. This was true then and remains true today for the same reason across the entire country. During the war many people not already in the armed forces found work in the wartime factories in Indianapolis and farther away. Many residents never returned, setting down roots in other places. After the war a great delayed peacetime demand for consumer goods was unleashed and wartime factories were converted to produce consumer goods. Many jobs across the country opened up and the country prospered and grew. The 1950s were a growth period and among the most significant advances were those in transportation and roads. It soon became possible and practical for people to travel for pleasure or work, as they never had before.

I remember growing up in Linton in the early 60’s. My family members and many others worked at the “Chair Factory” or “GE” in Linton; at “Form-fit” in Jasonville, and many other small factories and businesses in other towns too numerous to mention. Other people carpooled and worked in Bloomington at “Sarkes Tarzian”, “RCA”, and “General Electric”; at Crane; in Terre Haute, at “JI Case”, “Anaconda”, and, “Visqueen”; and even in Indianapolis, Vincennes, Jasper, and Evansville. Families raised children and made a reasonable living during those years. These were times when most of what was sold in America was made in America. These were years of prosperity unparalleled in the past and arguably was the most prosperous period of the 20th century. But, even then, in the most prosperous of times, people drove out of the county in great numbers to work elsewhere and they became commuters. But now there are fewer of them, because most of the places I’ve mentioned are gone, and this change has taken place over a period of 30 years or more. Gone with these jobs though, is something even more precious than the jobs themselves; gone is our sense of well-being, security and optimism. It is from these things that confidence, self esteem, and courage arises. And in their place we have fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. People who live in fear are particularly vulnerable to influence. Fear, one of the greatest motivators, doesn’t respond to reason, rational thought, or obvious facts. People in fear will believe anything they’re told as long as it reduces or eliminates their fear.

The causes of these job losses are national in scope affecting all counties metropolitan and rural alike, just as are the solutions, if there are any, and job creation efforts at the county level are ineffective in trying to attract jobs which mostly do not exist, as our efforts for the last 20 years plainly shows.

People who tell you they can attract jobs so people will not have to drive out of the county are engaged in wishful thinking or dreaming of something that never was, and never will be true. These people don’t understand the past or the present; don’t believe them.

Otis J. Russell, Chairman
Citizens for Property Rights
RR# 1 Box 140
Switz City, IN 47465
812-659-3334