Thanks for the Scranton Cheerleading! (Pittston, Clarks Summit: appointed, condo, home)

[mm_mary73]

Originally Posted by jak163

Mary:

Should have checked this earlier but Raleigh is indeed in the Piedmont, so there would be a contradiction, since you were suggesting the fortunes of people in the Piedmont were similar to those of Scrantonians.

Also I think you are describing the economy too narrowly. This from Wikipedia:

Raleigh's industries include electrical, medical, electronic, telecommunications equipment, clothing apparel, food processing, paper products, and pharmaceuticals. Raleigh is part of North Carolina's Research Triangle, a center of researching and textiles. The city is a major retail shipping point for eastern North Carolina and a wholesale distributing point for food stores.

The following companies are based in or operated in Raleigh:

* Siemens Power Transportation & Distribution
* Progress Energy
* Red Hat
* IBM
* Parata
* Asea Brown Boveri
* First Citizens Bank
* Golden Corral
* RBC Centura
* Epic Games
* Lenovo
* Cisco
* Carquest
* Nortel Networks
* Dickinson,Logan,Todd & Barber, Inc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raleigh,_North_Carolina

If even one of these companies decided to locate in Scranton, the city leaders would hail it as the rebirth of the city. What industries does Scranton have?

Specifically, Raleigh is Southern Piedmont, I live Northern Piedmont / Foothills region, right by the mountain region. Our state economy has been devastated by the off-shoring of furniture, tobacco (coastal more so) and textile industries. I don't have to rely on Wikipedia - I live here. If you bother to look at the map/link I've sent, Raleigh is a very small part of the Piedmont region. This also has links to other parts that you may find interesting. Maybe you'll get some ideas. For some reason, the map didn't come through:
http://www.investnc.com/maccess/geo.asp (broken link)

North Carolina Geographic Regions

Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Tennessee on the west, Virginia to the north, and South Carolina and Georgia to the south, North Carolina is divided into three distinct geographic areas: the Mountains, in the west; the Heartland, often called the Piedmont, in the center; and the Coast, in the east. Each has its own distinct features.

Mountains

The Appalachian mountain chain runs through the western part of the state. The highest peak, Mount Mitchell, in Yancey County, is 6,684 feet high, making it the tallest along the eastern coast of the U.S. The Great Smoky Mountains make this area one of the country's top scenic attractions. Visitors can enjoy grand vistas of magnificent beauty driving through the mountain ranges on the world-famous, 250-mile Blue Ridge Parkway.

Two-thirds of the mountains are covered with hardwood forests, and in autumn, they create a brilliant, colorful display. Skiing is a popular winter sport, with some areas getting 30 inches of snow a year. Summers are cool and refreshing with low humidity.

Piedmont

Encompassing the central part of the state, the Heartland is made up of gently rolling foothills. Although the area enjoys four distinct seasons, temperatures are mild year round -- the average wintertime temperature is about 42 degrees, and in summer, it's 77 degrees. The area also enjoys sunshine for about 210 days a year. Located here are shopping meccas, top golf courses, historic sites and entertainment offerings.

Coast

Warmed by the nearby Gulf Stream, the North Carolina Coast is a sunny place filled with pristine beaches and the powerful grandeur of the ocean, giant sand dunes (highest along the East Coast), and wetlands filled with an abundance of wildlife and plants. The defining characteristic of the area is the Outer Banks, a chain of fragile barrier islands with 130 miles of unspoiled coastline surrounded by 900 square miles of water.

[CHSgrad]

SWB how many of those employers are in Scranton proper? At least some, such as Tobyhanna Army Depot, are not. Do you really mean to tell us that Scranton is comparable to Raleigh in terms of economic opportunity? Why don't you post some figures on employment growth in the central city for the last 30 years?

Mary I have no doubt many people in the Piedmont have been hard hit by the changes you are describing, but there's still nothing like Raleigh in NEPA.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by jak163

SWB how many of those employers are in Scranton proper? At least some, such as Tobyhanna Army Depot, are not. Do you really mean to tell us that Scranton is comparable to Raleigh in terms of economic opportunity? Why don't you post some figures on employment growth in the central city for the last 30 years?

Mary I have no doubt many people in the Piedmont have been hard hit by the changes you are describing, but there's still nothing like Raleigh in NEPA.

On the same token, how many of those businesses you mentioned in the Tarheel State are located in the city of Raleigh proper as opposed to Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Apex, etc.? Each of those businesses I mentioned is within a half-hour commute from Scranton. Considering most Americans now commute 20-30 minutes each way to work, I don't think the list I provided was out of line.

[CHSgrad]

The info is from Wikipedia, so as far as I know they are all in Raleigh. But please, answer the question.

[SteelCityRising]

From the list I mentioned, only the following, to my knowledge, are in Scranton proper:

IBM
Prudential Financial
Diversified Information Technoligies
Chamberlain Manufacturing
VaxServe (Which is part of Sanofi-Pasteur Pharmaceuticals)

I still don't see the point you're trying to make though. If some of these employers are located in Dunmore, Pittston, Archbald, South Abington, Moosic, etc., then they're still within easy commuting distance for Scrantonians in search of employment.

[CHSgrad]

Thanks for that.

Point is to compare apples to apples. This was part of the larger argument over whether the fortunes of individuals are tied to the fortunes of the city. Raleigh is a good example of a place where the same person, with the same motivation, would have a better chance at a job.

[Agrippa]

For the record, the Prudential Financial campus straddles both Moosic and Scranton. However, our mailing address is Scranton.

Oh, and SWB...if I do see a CPA job out there I will let you know .

[mm_mary73]

Originally Posted by jak163

The info is from Wikipedia, so as far as I know they are all in Raleigh. But please, answer the question.

No, actually, they are not "in Raleigh", but you can't seem to understand that. Generally, when one reaches an impasse, the parties respectfully agree to disagree. Fair enough?

[CHSgrad]

Why not respectfully discuss it? Which ones aren't in Raleigh?

[weluvpa]

"From the list I mentioned, only the following, to my knowledge, are in Scranton proper:

IBM
Prudential Financial
Diversified Information Technoligies
Chamberlain Manufacturing
VaxServe (Which is part of Sanofi-Pasteur Pharmaceuticals)"

Sure they are here but are they hiring??? Prudential might be hiring in its call center but those jobs are not safe, when cuts are made the call center gets hit. Not one person from my team is still there, they were all let go after the company went public and had to answer to its shareholders. Corporate america sucks, you spend years there and one day its bye bye with no feeling or concern for what happens to your family or anyone else that depends on you. You just cannot rely on a corp job and always have to have a alternative direction to go if need be.

Scranton would do better by building on those medium size companies that have more of a tie to their employees and actually care about them. These major corporations do not care about you or your family only the shareholders bottom line.

I would love to see this city rebound but there is just too much cuurent corruption and fleecing of the city that I do not know when we will be able to climb over the mountain of debt and unqualified leaders to find the greener grass on the other side.
There is a post in "Think you know Scranton" thread that clearly indicates what we have to deal with as residents in a corrupt city. Please read it and pray for the victims.