It is very sad to see a plant that has been there over 130 years go...it will be interesting to see what all the elected Republicans in Madison County do for the workers as well as Mike Boost...Tammy Duckworth is already on board to see if any thing can be done to stop this from happening....I will be watching...
Well one thing we know for sure. When Trump was in the WH, the mill prospered. Now? Not so much.
It looks like over 1,000 jobs lost over the next two years but at least with the new investment, the property taxes from the mill won't go away.
Of the 1,000 jobs, how many are local?
This community should have been changing the focus since the mill was idled for a year under Obama. It's only a matter of time before that plant is a memory.
Pray for the families.they did not fail, because they did what their country asked of them....
Remember 4 short years ago then President Trump came to our small city with good news for all of us.But he was still greeted with protest and getting the finger from some delinquent! Not to mention a Mayor at that time that was to busy to meet and thank our then President. Maybe Biden has a plan or a deal in the works for this community sure hope so.
How predictable, the mill closes and it's local Republican politician's fault and China Joe gets a pass. Never forget that Democrat Mayors sent Swat Teams to shut down churches and barber shops while allowing looters and Antifa to burn down cities.
Tammy Duckworth is already on board to see if anything can be done to stop this from happening?? Wow, that sounds so significant, she's on board. Maybe while she is on board she can pick up her phone on and call China Joe and then China Joe can ask somebody what is this woman talking about.Never forget that Democrat Mayors sent Swat Teams to shut down churches and barber shops while allowing looters and Antifa to burn down cities.
Duckworth should be able to save our little steel plant. after all she has Nancy ,Chuckles, and Biden all to work with together to "Save Our steel plant". She can make this happen !If she wants to. Count on all of us watching this one!!
Perhaps the biggest blow to the economy would be the property tax revenue or sales tax revenue. What may come in may not bolster the tax base in the same way.
How many times over the decades has this been a threat? How many times has Granite City been chosen to remain open in some way while other mills across the country have been shuttered? The People of Granite City braced themselves numerous times. When the threat was over, the mill kept humming and Madison County's largest tax payer kept coming through.
But when did local officials ever gather in a room and say "What would a post Granite City Steel, Granite City look like...?"
Maybe they have discussed the prospects and I didn't read up on it...or any action items that may have been proposed.
But if it is the fault of the politicians, it's the ones who live (or had lived) closer to you than you think. It's the failure of yesterday to plan for today.
Many will lose their job, even people who may be related to me. They are skilled people and they will not be looking for very long.
If you're sitting there in 1970 and saying "The mill will be all we ever need..." I can see where a town at its zenith may see itself as doing just fine with little need to change.
But if you're sitting there in 1985, or 1995 and still not seeing the writing on the wall with population decline and shifts in the operations of the mill.....and not planning for a post-mill Granite City, then that's on the leadership.
There was a big sigh of relief when National Steel sold out the US Steel as I recall... and even then, that should have been a time of considering what it might be like without the mill.
You just want someone to blame, someone who's convenient to blame, and do what the voices in your mindless echo chamber tell you to do, blame anything Democrat.....and bow every morning to the Orange idol.
Fair enough, that can't be fixed. I can't rightly convince you that your energies are being misplaced. However, the energy used to blame should probably be used to find solutions, that is if Granite City is important to you at all.
Because whenever you're done........ there will still be a Post-Mill Granite City.
Whatever planning wasn't done, might need to start today.
Already, the blow will be softened by that fact that a majority of Granite City does not work at the mill anyway.
Being that said, what other industrial opportunities are there?
One company that I have seen take off from a distance is Nucor Steel. They mainly melt down scrap metal from what I can see. Their operations seem a little smaller in scope than the size of Granite City works. Then I hear about this Sun Coke as well. Maybe there are others who can benefit from blast furnaces, pickling lines and other processes that I know nothing about.
It's just time to start looking for solutions and also too, diversify the economy of the region.
It has a lot going against it..... it's not a poor area surrounded by wealth. It's a working class area surrounded by poorer areas. I think it's a miracle that Granite City is where it is today...and I am still ever the optimist.
It's easy to figure out who to blame. It's convenient and it's cheap.
None of it will help your hometown meet the challenges of tomorrow. Capital Punishment - Those without capital get the punishment.
Translation, China Joe is president now, the time for handing out blame to that office is on hold. This post originated praising Tammy Duckworth, asking where are local Republicans and completely avoiding any mention of China Joe. I have to wonder if that same angle would have been played if 45 was still president. I'm pretty damn sure he would have been mentioned somewhere.Never forget that Democrat Mayors sent Swat Teams to shut down churches and barber shops while allowing looters and Antifa to burn down cities.
Right wing controlled media?? I love that, now thats some funny stuff, thanks.Never forget that Democrat Mayors sent Swat Teams to shut down churches and barber shops while allowing looters and Antifa to burn down cities.
Well said Dee, Joe will never see the big picture and reads into every post as a slam to his Orange Idol, and feels the need to protect said "Idol"....I find it somewhat entertaining to see how he will spin any poster who does not worship his Idol...he is entitled to his opinion, but needs to remember it is not more then an opinion...
And no matter how much you try to revise history, you were the one putting Republicans on notice and giving passes to Democrats. This state couldn't be any bluer and Trump is a civilian now, but nice try.Never forget that Democrat Mayors sent Swat Teams to shut down churches and barber shops while allowing looters and Antifa to burn down cities.
No, I never put anyone on notice...I stated that it will be interesting to see what all the newly elected republicans do...they may do a lot, time will tell....
Neither party will help the mill. This is the midwest and politicians consider us the dirty stepchild. They probably all get more money from U.S. Steel than Granite does in property taxes from them.
Trump's visit here was for show. The mill was idled twice under Obama and is now being parceled off under Biden. If U.S. Steel ownership really worried about who was President, they would hang in and see what happens in November. Madison County voted for the GOP in 2020.they did not fail, because they did what their country asked of them....
Like I said, if you wait for government to do anything useful your body will return to dust first. The best thing government can do is to stay out of the way.
Opie, I agree with you...the president nor any politician will influence USS...they are a Corporation and make decisions on what they think is the most profitable to the Corporation....but there are some politician who will make an effort...and I am aware of who the people in Madison county elected in 2020....
Millgirl, and the county will more than likely go GOP again in November. Wealthier people in areas like Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Highland and Troy control things now.
Sadly, the unions allowed politicians to sell them down the river as they followed them to the cliffs edge. I hope we get it back. Won't happen in my day but I remember when this was a strong, blue collar town and one thing is for sure. We were all better off then, including those of us who wore business suits every day. they did not fail, because they did what their country asked of them....
Opie, I believe you are correct. There are less and less blue collar Union people in Madison County and the communities you mentioned tend to be wealthier then much of Granite City. Those elected will not be focused on blue collar workers. The results will be many who held middle class jobs at the mill will fall below the poverty line..it is sad
I like to thank them for giving me a 2 year advance notice that this was going to happen. So that I can come up with enough money to leave the home that I have known my whole life. because once they close the mill the whole area will look like North St Louis within about 5 years. old abandoned buildings left to rot
Rene, no doubt it will impact our city but not to the extent you indicate. We have other mills here that employee people and provide decent incomes.
How many of the men and women who work in the mill live in GC? I can see an impact to property taxes but even closed, it will still be taxed.
My bigger fear is they will walk away and let that plant slowly rust into oblivion like the plant up route 3 did year ago. I hope there's a way the city can hold the owners feet to the fire to either dismantle the plant or keep it in decent shape.
Because of the contamination in the ground, we know it will never be of commercial or residential use.
Let's see if this new mayor has the clout to turn this disaster around. Hopefully for all of us, especially you all who are much younger tham me, he will. they did not fail, because they did what their country asked of them....
on June 29, 2022, 11:31 am
