Posted by Uglytrog on April 14, 2007 at 12:53:46 (EST):
In Reply to: Groundhog Day posted by the golden gopher on April 11, 2007 at 23:35:13 (EST):
: 15 years ago I graduated from Armstrong Central, 10 years ago I moved from Kittanning, and 5 years ago I moved from western PA. The funny part is that I stumbled on this message board and it was like I never left--People still fighting over schools, battling with Jim Solak, Kittanning hating Ford City, Ford City hating Kittanning, bashing Walmart because they driver the little guy out of business and all the while both towns stagnating. No wait, check that, dieing on the vine.
: I don't understand your contentment with the status quo... Businesses are leaving, population is declining, per capita wealth decreasing, property values stagnating or declining, unemployment increasing--it goes on and on.
: You guys don't get it. Does anyone have any vision around there? Does anyone have a plan? How many businesses have come into Kittanning, Ford City, Armstrong County? Fight about schools all you want. The fact of the matter is once your kids graduate they have to move if they want to have any chance at a descent life.
: You'll keep reliving the same old day, day after day, until someone decides that the status quo is no longer good enough.
You're absolutely right. I've lived here for over 30 years and we're pulling out this fall and heading South. There is nothing here... we don't even have a movie theater now, it closed. I've read down through the replies & see that people want to blame the Snyders, blame the schools, blame whoever but the truth of the matter is they have no one to blame but themselves. Nothing is going to change here until the attitudes of the people change. It's pretty sad that Armstrong County ranks 66 out of 67 in both percentage of population deline and average income per person (per capita) while neighboring Butler County ranks 2nd in both catagories. They're growing while we're dieing but the last thing in the world we want is to be another Cranberry TWP, right? Most people in the county don't know it because it was only mention once in the local newspaper... very breif and almost in passing... that we all could've been making $20-$25 an hour working at the Saturn plant building cars. Amrstrong Country was one of the three finalest for the plant that eventually ended up in Kentucky or Tennessee. A company was hired to do a study on Armstrong Country. They put help wanted ads in the newpaper to check the local labor pool and breifly interveiw the people who called, they went into out local stores, resturants and bars to observe the quality of life, they took a good hard look at us. The final report, which is probably available somewhere around here if you look hard enough for it because the County Comissioneers recieved a copy, said: Low Quality of Life, Low Standard of Living, Parochial Clannish Attitudes... in short, the executives of the Company decided this wasn't the place the wanted to move their families too (who could blame them for that?) I remember seeing the Saturn Commercials on TV a few years later after they built their new plant, they basically centered on the 'great people working at the plant building great cars for people just like you.' They couldn't have done that in Armstrong County. Does anybody remember the Rails-to-Trails or Home Rule Charter controversies of not too long ago? A newcomer to the area named Jim Blonder(?) found himself at the center of both because it seemed a lot of people were looking for a leader and decided to rally around him. Eventually he moved away, the Home Rule Charter was defeated at the polls (80% to 20%)and the courts ruled against the anti-trail people even though they had deeds to the land. Mr. Blonders parting comments appearing in the Leader Times were something like this (excuse me if my 10-15 years ago memory is not exact) "I moved here because I thought it would be a nice peaceful place to retire to. It's Beautiful here. The nice thing about living here is that you see your friends everyday. The bad thing about living here is that you see your enemies everyday. I've never in my life such a group of people so interested in fighting amonst themselves. You're all a bunch of Sadomasichist. Goodbye." Finally, the biggest problem holding this County back is Slander, Gossip and rumour- monging. Having been a victim of that type of garbage I know what a tremendously negative effect that can have on someone quality of live... 'Oh, I heard this. I heard that. Oooh!! I heard that too!! It must be true then!.' Not too long ago a couple of my friends got married and moved away. Before they left I asked them why they were moving away and the reply was "Because that's the only way we can get people around here to stop talking about us!" Have been a victim of the Slander/Gossip mill myself, I know exactactly what their talking about... it's no fun getting dirty looks from strangers you've never met or hear them murmuring lies about you just because 'they heard this or they heard that'. Armstrong County can build all he Industial Parks they want, they can do whatever to the school district, and none of it will matter. People will still move away, outsiders will still avoid us like the plague... it's the attitudes of the people, it's the Slander/Gossip network, it's the back-biting and fighting amonst ourselves. A true leader has enough courage to turn against his own people in order to discipline them... I don't see that type of leader in Armstrong County. Instead we'll hear more of the same this election cycle: 'What wonderful close-knit people we are!!!' 'The last thing in the world we want to be is another CranBerry!!!' 'We don't want growth and change! We like thing just the way they are!!!' We're wonderful great people and if you disagree we'll run you right out of town!!' Well folks, Goodbye. Good Luck.