Stephen Lewis: Things changing all over, but we have Starbucks on The Murfreesboro Post

Sidebar Ads

Stephen Lewis: Things changing all over, but we have Starbucks

Related Articles

VINSON: Jack Daniel’s & comin’ in to work early - intoxicating

LIVING WELL: Lecture reveals hidden body mysteries

Spring Fling brings out best in Murfreesboro

INSIDE THE ISSUES: Efforts continue to block sexual predators

MEDIA MATTERS: Photographing police protects public

PICKIN' ON FILM: Dreams come true in New Orleans

BRAGG: Plight of ‘vertically challenged’

DR. KESTNER: Super tips to help memory problems

LIVING WELL: Second opinions may provide solutions

MEDIA MATTERS: Is publishing flu research dangerous?

View All

By: Stephen Lewis, Post Columnist

Posted: Sunday, August 3, 2008 7:25 am

Poor, poor Murfreesboro. We didn’t get the Bridgestone technical center. And since we didn’t get the Bridgestone center we won’t get the 600 or so jobs that went with it. But I’m a “the glass is half-full” kind of guy so I always try to look on the bright side. And therefore, I figure we won’t have to worry about 600 or so out-of-towners coming in for those jobs. And whether you want to believe it or not that’s what happens.

Go ask the good folks in Spring Hill who got the Saturn automobile plant. Or as it’s known now, Little Detroit. Saturn brought more Michiganders to Tennessee than Castro brought Cubans to Miami. So I’m exaggerating a little. It’s called poetic license. Or perhaps poetic justice. Either way I for one am glad Bridgestone went to Akron. Let Murfreesboro catch up a little with the incredible growth we’ve had for 20 years and then maybe we’ll be in shape to handle more traffic and build some more schools.

And what about Nissan offering buyouts to over 1,000 of its employees? That’s right on the heels of Gov. Bredesen trying to get 3,000 state workers to call it quits. I don’t understand how if we can get along without those 3,000 now, why did we need them in the first place? Thank you Don Sundquist.

I’ve filed my paperwork with Nissan and I’ve agreed to take the buyout. I don’t actually work at Nissan but if they are smart they would pay me not to come work for them. Trust me, it would save them in the long run. Plus I’ve agreed not to ever purchase a Nissan and park it in front of my house with the rest of my fleet of junk cars.

Twenty-five years ago I predicted Nissan would never make it in Smyrna. No way was a Japanese car company going to be able to compete with GM, Ford and Chrysler. Of course I also predicted that computers were a flash in the pan, Sears would always out sell Wal-Mart, and video games would never replace baseball and football as kids’ favorite pastimes.

And it looks like I was right. Nissan is folding, GM stock is selling at a stout $8 per share (down from a high of $65), computers are only in 75 percent of American homes, Sears is a great place to stop to use the bathroom at the mall, and video games seem to be flopping with only 35 million Wii games sold in the U.S. I love being right.

But all this talk about buyouts got me to wondering if we couldn’t suggest some companies offer buyouts to their employees. For instance, the lady who checked out our groceries the last time we were at Wal-Mart. I’m assuming she thought I was a zombie since she didn’t say “hello,” “nice day,” “or go to #*$$.” Not that I wanted her to tell me to “go to #*$$” but it would have been nice to have been acknowledged. I’d donate a couple bucks if she left and promised never to work in retail again.

Is there any company that hasn’t considered coming to the ‘Boro? Volkswagen just moved in to Chattanooga and I guess they didn’t consider us. Maybe we didn’t have enough Farfe … Farvenu … Farfoo … Never mind. I guess we just weren’t cool enough for the Germans. But let’s hear it for the Germans. We kick their butts in two wars and tear down that cool wall they spent years building and they still come over here to build cars. It worked with the Japanese too. Who knows, in a few years maybe Al Qaeda will build an automobile factory in the U.S. Their cars will come standard with tinted windows, factory installed grenade launcher and exploding ignition. I hear the cars are cheap but the ride is as rough as a camel.

Now FedEx is making noise about coming to town. I don’t mail many packages but I do know I don’t want anything to do with FedEx around here. In case you didn’t see the movie “Castaway” with Tom Hanks, FedEx treats their employees terribly. First, their planes must be in bad shape ‘cause the one carrying Hanks went down somewhere over the ocean. Then, they left him stranded on that deserted island for eight years eating raw fish and pulling his teeth with ice skates and rocks. Not the kind of company I want in my hometown. I heard that movie was based on a true story. Of course I heard the same thing about Gilligan’s Island and believed that ‘til I was 25.

But even if Bridgestone and FedEx don’t come here and even if Nissan decides to cut back I’m sure Murfreesboro will continue to thrive. Shoot, I remember when if you needed a pair of pants for your kid you had two choices: Sullivan’s or Goldstein’s. We made it then, we can make it now. And we didn’t even have a Starbucks! How did we ever make it?

Tagged under VOICES

Member Opinions:

By: Valerie0903 on 8/3/08
Wow...and I thought I was the only one in WalMart to never get a howdy swapped! I was starting to take it personal. Glad to see I'm not alone.

By: peri_winkle on 8/5/08
So, you think running jobs off is the way to slow growth? Yes, we're growing too fast, but the problem with the way we're growing is that people are coming here for cheaper housing, not for jobs. More people in this county work in some other county now than before Destination Rutherford. According to the 1970 Census, about 3/4 of county residents worked here back then. Despite the entry of Nissan, by 2000, less than a third of residents could find jobs here. Can't wait to see what the 2010 Census shows.

With houses going in everywhere and ever wider roads to carry residents in and out, we're well on our way to being nothing but a bedroom community for Middle Tennessee. Why? Because the cities and the county approve whatever they're asked to. You want to build another subdivision? Sure! We'll worry about how to pay for more kids and schools later. You want to bring a call center here? More low-wage jobs and more low-paid county residents? Bring 'em on!

If it weren't so preposterous, you'd have to think we were purposefully trying to become a lower wage, lower income county. That's the direction we've been moving since about the mid-1980s. Economic activity is up, but not as much as elsewhere--especially compared with our population growth. Incomes are up, but not as much as elsewhere. Mainly because so many of us work in some other county where wages are growing faster.

Other counties are moving up in the ranks, and we are moving down. And there is nothing on the horizon that looks like it's going to change that. Unless it's oil prices. And then what will happen? Unless the jobs move here, we'll have to move to the jobs.

By: justdance on 8/8/08

WOW peri winkle! Remind me never to read one of your posts after reading Mr. Lewis' column. What a downer!

Valerie0903- You are definitely not alone. I try to stay out of Wal-Mart as much as possible anyway for a LOT of reasons, but the cashiers definitely leave little to be desired.