If you think I’m exaggerating the negative impact of the Trump-Tax-driven closure of the Molded Fiber Glass plant in Aberdeen, check out the Aberdeen American News editorial board, which calls the loss of 409 manufacturing jobs a “disaster” for Aberdeen:
By most accounts, MFG has been a model employer. Since its groundbreaking in November 2007, Molded Fiber Glass has been a constant. While the beef plant went through years of fits and starts — and different ownership groups — before stability today, Molded Fiber Glass has been a relatively consistent home for workers in Aberdeen.
Though officials last week would not confirm average employee salaries, we have been told by workers that these are good-paying jobs that aren’t easily found here.
In addition, those who have been laid off — last week or in previous lean times — are generally positive about how MFG has handled those situations.
There have been instances when, in down times, MFG has even paid employees to do volunteer work around town.
That, coupled with training opportunities for workers, make this an especially tough loss [editorial, Aberdeen American News, 2017.12.09].
This isn’t the first time Molded Fiber Glass has been kicked in the shins by Donald Trump. Dr. Newquist reminds us that, back in 1990, Trump refused to pay MFG for the domes and other decorations it produced for Trump’s doomed, law-breaking Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City. MFG sued but settled for a third of the three million dollars it was owed.
The Trump Tax follows the Trump business plan: enrich himself with wanton disregard for anyone else’s welfare or due compensation.
President Trump feels selfishly, that coal mining jobs in West Virginia are more valuable to his re-election than green energy jobs in Aberdeen, where carrying South Dakota is almost certain. That’s called being “kicked to the curb” by the guy that you voted for. How’s it feel? I predict that 300 of those 400 laid off workers will still vote for President Trump … again.
This is all part of the war on renewable energy by President Trump and the Republican Party. Climate change deniers believe any tax benefit that would help the renewable industry is a de facto recognition that climate change is real, and they can’t have that.
An unmentioned result of killing renewable energy incentives is that there will be fewer wind farms and solar arrays installed and land owners (i.e. farmers and ranchers) will not see income from those developments. You might even call it a trickle down effect.
Hear, hear Nick Nemec.
No, I think the coal miners will switch to another candidate, particularly if the jobs do not materialize. Probably would have to be pro-2nd amendment though.
The problem that needs to be solved is offering an alternative to coal jobs with solar and wind in coal country, like West Virginia and Wyoming, that will pay as much as a coal job does. That is what is really needed to win those votes over.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/30/business/energy-environment/coal-alternative-energy-jobs.html
Interesting….climate change may change wind patterns, so that wind is less effective. The conclusion is not that wind energy should be avoided, but additional supplementation may be necessary.
“For the central United States, it showed declines by 8 percent or 10 percent by 2050, depending on whether the world follows a lower or higher greenhouse gas emissions scenario.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/12/11/wind-energy-is-supposed-to-fight-climate-change-but-climate-change-is-fighting-back/
Greetings Doc: the 300-400 jobs were wind, not coal. Your 2d amend supposition is unfounded. Hope you are well.