GM Shreveport closing in 2012

[imaterry78259]

Originally Posted by hdwell

A lot of people locally seem to forget this too. AT&T once employed 7500 workers at its peek-today the plant no longer exists (moved production to singapore). Poulan Chain Saws left along time ago, Beaird industries is closed, GE is still operating but employs a fraction of what they once had, Alloyed pipe closed (moved to Houston; consolidation) and I could go on and on all night. Since the city crashed in the 80's, it has struggled to find its way again.

Unfortunately the best and brightest regularly leave here for where the grass is greener, so we have who we have here for leadership and citizenry. Its kind of frustrating to see the work the visionaries do not often come into fruitation. The people who live here just aren't the city type who thrive on new ideas and culture and change. Many of them are from smaller rural type places in La, Ar, Ms, Tx, etc and still cling to the ways they had before a move to the city.

The city needs more than the film and gaming industry

[BeenThereDunThat]

Yep... Texas will eventually get some form of legalized gaming and that will kill the NW La. casino market. The movie biz is fickle and nomadic as the producers will follow whatever state / country offers them a better deal. Louisiana politicians have strange priorities: cut spending for education and healthcare but prop up the New Orleans Saints and pay Hollywood for films hoping they spread cash around. They are but it's temporary. Meanwhile La. college grads leave the state upon graduation because there's few or little jobs to support their degrees.

Shreveport-Bossier folk like to live in their middle-class cluster-neighborhoods and cite things like cost of living as being the basis to the good life and quality of life. But the development around here is suburban sprawl. Older neighborhoods are falling into ruin as older homes have been carved into low-rent duplexes owned by these same middle-class folk who do very little to keep them up and rent them to those who can't do better. It's sad that the older historic areas that once held charm are less so today.