Tag: rust belt

Commentary: The Once and Future Nationalism

Admin
Donald Trump and JD Vance

There is no doubt that the events of Saturday, July 13, 2024, were monumental by virtue of how close we came to the course of our history being altered for the worst. No one understands that better than President Trump himself, who is now determined to shape our destiny for the better and on his terms.

As such, the vice presidential selection of Ohio Senator J.D. Vance shows that, while President Trump is undoubtedly shaken by a not-too-distant past, he is already looking toward the future.

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Commentary: ‘Vice President J.D. Vance’ Could Be Just the Ticket We Need

Admin
JD Vance talking with people

Donald Trump has locked up the necessary delegates for the Republican presidential nomination, which means it’s time for every political junkie’s favorite quadrennial game: Veepstakes!

Every four years, commentators, political consultants, and elected officials all chime in with their takes on who a presidential candidate’s running mate should be. Perhaps the candidate ought to select a veep from a swing state. Perhaps the candidate ought to select someone who fits a certain demographic box. Maybe the candidate ought to pick someone with a very similar political philosophy—or perhaps someone whose ideological bona fides assuage any lingering concerns that party loyalists might harbor about the man at the top of the ticket. Or maybe it’s really as easy as picking someone who the presidential nominee simply likes and vibes with on a personal level.

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Commentary: Pennsylvania Is a Microcosm of America’s Housing Crisis

RealClearWire
A modern home with a light blue roof and matching siding

In recent years, an acute housing crisis has engulfed both America’s coastal metros and Rust Belt regions. California’s Bay Area, for example, confronts a crisis of affordability and limited supply that hastens a population exodus. Midwest cities like Detroit face low real-estate prices and low demand, intensifying urban decline.

Pennsylvania is a microcosm of such alarming housing trends, especially east of the Susquehanna River, which is seeing an influx of metro New Yorkers relocating to the area.

From the Keystone State’s middle-class suburbs to its post-industrial locales, the housing crisis is a major challenge. In the midstate, most notably in Harrisburg and Lancaster, housing has become significantly more expensive. In the northeast’s anthracite coal region, anchored by Scranton, rents are spiking. And in suburban Philadelphia’s Lansdale, a townhouse went for nearly $500,000.

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Commentary: Forgotten Again

Admin

Neglected by Republicans and Democrats alike, vilified by the culture, and preyed upon by globalization, white working-class voters in 2016 cast their lot with the one candidate in a generation who remembered them, and thus became Donald Trump’s base—a constellation of blue, white, and pink collar laborers. This spark ignited what was supposed to be a revolution in party politics and carried Trump into the White House.

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Commentary: A Ban on Fracking Would Kill 6 Million Jobs Across Seven States by 2025

Admin

Joe Biden upended the historic formula of a Democratic presidential nominee. Usually, the hopeful plays his liberal greatest hits to the primary crowd, before tacking to the center as the election dawns and ordinary Americans start listening.

Since his assisted capture of the nomination, Biden has veered leftward, crafting, with the help of the party’s progressive wing, the most progressive platform since the ill-fated George McGovern in 1972.

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Last of Lordstown Auto Parts Manufacturing Ends Two Months Early: More Layoffs to Follow

Andrew Shirley

The last manufacturing orders left for the rapidly shuttering Lordstown Auto Plant finished up on April 5. The project – metal stamping replacement parts for the Chevy Cruze – was slated to last until June, ensuring work for those few employees still not laid off.  With the job wrapping up early, the workers are facing an uncertain future. As previously reported: Since its opening in 1966, Lordstown, Ohio has been the backbone of the local economy. Providing plentiful high-paying jobs, working at the plant ensured, at a minimum, a direct entree to the middle-class regardless of education level. Thousands of workers were employed by the plant at its peak. Over time those numbers dropped to below 2,000. In 2019 alone, 1,633 Lordstown auto workers and 72 members of the facilities support staff have been laid off. The majority of these layoffs occurred between March and April. There are currently less than 100 workers still active at the plant but with the completion of this project, it is likely that they will be laid off in the coming weeks as well. According to UAW Local 1112 president Dave Green, the work that is being done is mostly administrative. “We are going through and cleaning…I’m currently working in material handling.…

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As US Economy Swells, Ohio Gets Left Behind

Andrew Shirley

2018 was one of the best economic years for America in decades. The coup de grâce came in December with a jobs report that shattered the most generous expectations by more than double. 312,000 new jobs were added to the US economy. While unemployment rose slightly, this was primarily due to more people getting back into the job market after giving up hope of finding work. In total, more than 2.6 million jobs were added in 2018; the fastest job growth in decades. So how did Ohio fare? Not great. Ohio undoubtedly had some noteworthy achievements. 2018 was Ohio’s ninth consecutive year of record-breaking new business filings with 125,000 new businesses created. In July, Ohio’s jobs growth pace actually exceeded the national pace. Overall, Ohio added jobs and employment grew. Sadly, in some of the most key indicators, Ohio continued to lag behind the nation. In November, while the national unemployment rate rested at 3.7% (its lowest rate in 2018), Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4.6%. Ohio’s best month for unemployment (4.3%) didn’t even beat the nation’s worst month (4.1%). From January to November of 2018, Ohio’s total number of unemployed went from 271,269 to 263,197, a net employment of only 8,072 jobs. While some…

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