A Ghost Town In The Making...
By twoey68
@twoey68 (13627)
United States
May 21, 2008 11:39am CST
Well, it seems that the recent economy problems are coming to our town. I found out yesterday that one of the convenience stores and a treatment center are both planning to close down. Also possibly a college extension we have. The reason is that they can no longer afford to operate, hire any new employees or keep things stocked.
The convenience store services a lot of semi’s and they’ve said that it costs about $1000 to fill one of those trucks for a one way trip. They also can’t afford to keep what little stock (sandwiches, drinks, cigarettes, hot foods) on the shelves. They’ve been in business since long before I moved here, I’d hazard a guess of at least 50 years.
The treatment center is for drug and alcohol abuse and services over 50 clients who are trying to kick their habit. They have been running on a skeleton crew for weeks, can’t afford to hire anymore workers, can’t afford the operation bills for the center and are may be in serious need of closing down.
The college extension may or may not be closing however it wouldn’t surprise me if it did. It takes a lot to run the place and with things getting so tight it wouldn’t take much to cause it to close and the students be sent to the main college 30 miles from here.
I see a scary prospect coming. Businesses are closing, small ones first followed by the larger ones. As the jobs close the ppl will move away to where they may be able to find work. With less ppl, there will be less shopping, which will cause more businesses to close causing more ppl to leave the area. We may actually become a ghost town at this rate.
Have businesses started closing up where you live? If you owned your own business do you think you’d have to close it in view of the current economy problems? Is there a chance your town may become a ghost town? Will you stay if it does?
**AT PEACE WITHIN**
~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
7 people like this
23 responses
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
21 May 08
i don't think it'll ever become a ghost town,but for every business that leaves,something like walmart is pouncing on the opportunity,and they don't do well either.a lot of the mom and pop stores are disappearing,they just can't afford it anymore.
the major exodus from my town right now is actually the people.
500K for a run down house with no yard,with jobs paying minimum wage?nobody can afford that.the realtors are cutting their own throats.
@tyc415 (5706)
• United States
21 May 08
I totally agree with you about the realtors cutting their own throat. We have lived here in this house for over 13 years and our landlord has put the house up for sale so he can have the money to help with his retirement. If we were to move out now and leave him having to make his mortgage payments each month plus his own for his home where he lives I'm sure this one would foreclose on him. This house is way over priced, the realtor already had a price attached to the house before she even stepped foot in the front door to do a walk thru.
2 people like this
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
21 May 08
oh i believe it.pretty much what they're doing here.
they had a case upstate where a little old lady's house went into foreclosure-over a $600 city water bill.
that house was sold by realtors 3 times before the state stepped in and stopped it.and this was within a 3 week period.state made them give it back.
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
• United States
22 May 08
How well I understand what you are saying. There are so many doctors going out of business and leaving the state. The ones that are staying are not taking Medicare/Medicaid patients any longer. Our mall has so many empty spots it is not even an enjoyable trip any longer. We've lost several antique stores, a metaphysical book store, a local sandwich shop, and others I can't think of at this time. Area schools are having to consolidate because they are laying off teachers, eliminating extracurricular classes, etc. In our county in order to make the most of the school budget there is no truant officer any longer. I stand in fear with you; but it is a hopeful fear, hopeful that the election will bring some relief somehow. ~D
2 people like this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
28 May 08
It's happening here too, in Australia. It's quite obvious here in the bush. There is just a pub, a cop shop, a post office and a cafe here and the cafe is closed a lot of the time. My friend used to sell fuel but too many people owe him money and he couldn't pay for fuel. Same deal with the cafe.
The small town near us has lost over 60% of it's businesses in the last few years. For us it's a 120klms round trip and even in my little 4 cylinder car, I can't afford to be running back and forth to the doctor and doing the shopping, not with the price of food going up as well.
1 person likes this
@KarenO52 (2950)
• United States
22 May 08
Back in the 70's there were steel mills closing here, and several thousand people lost jobs. For a long time it was hard to even find a minimum wage job. Gradually, businesses closed, and things seemed very bleak. When my kids graduated from school in the 90's, they moved out of town in order to get better paying jobs.
New businesses are coming here now, but not enough to make a good living for many people.
2 people like this
@newzealtralian (3930)
• Australia
23 Jun 08
Our economies are starting to crumble. I doubt my town will become a ghost town. While it is small(ish), there is still way too much going on here for it to happen. We are actually a major tourist rest point, so that alone will keep the town going.
Every where I look, there are stores closing, but the next time you look, they have just moved to a better location and a new business is already set up in the old location. No, I think Gympie, QLD, Australia is actually booming at the moment, despite high food and fuel prices.
1 person likes this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
21 May 08
I am sorry to hear that things in your area are getting so bad.
I live 30 + miles North of Atlanta and, people are forever moving to my area so, it is getting bigger and bigger and, we just had our grand opening for The Avenue which is like an open air mall (I think that is what those are called) with stores like you would see at the average mall. So, that was a huge thing for my area since, when I moved to my area 7 years ago, there wasn't even a grocery store within something close to ten miles. So, my area is booming. And, I don't see that boom stopping for a very long time to come as people keep moving outside of Atlanta for the suburbs.
I wish you and your area well! I hope things get better for you.
2 people like this
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
22 May 08
Only one business closed in our town so far and it's one of four gas stations. Not really a loss to our town being the other 3 are doing good. The effect will really come next winter when alot of ppl will need to buy kerosene to heat their homes. That is the only business that sold it in our town. There is a very poor town just south of us which is where most of the ppl needing kerosene live. They will have to drive another 20miles for kerosene now.
1 person likes this
@J_Dawgs (217)
• United States
22 May 08
Ghost town possibly not, people wanting new things in my town is more of a possibility lol. There are new things going up as old things come down. The way I see it is that the town is just trying to upgrade and get rid of the things "it doesn't like". I see a lot of towns do this and even if the town became a ghost town I think I would stay anyways. It is nice and quiet, the reasons for moving here in the first place lol.
~*~J_Dawgs~*~
1 person likes this
@littleowl (7157)
•
23 May 08
Hi Twoey-my littletown which was once a village has a lot of shops closing down good ones at that and the horrible thing is there are loads more people moving in so the shops that are open get inundated with customers and then run out of stock-littleowl
1 person likes this
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
22 May 08
I was just reading today that the smaller private medical practices are going to take a bit hit July 1 when Medicare reimbursements decrease 10.5% and another 5% on January 1, 2009. Many will not be able to survive this decrease and will either have to stop taking Medicare patients or will have to close completely.
Although it's quite small, the businesses remaining in our local town seem to be surviving.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
22 May 08
No instead of closing new businesses have come
in and we seem to be growing as a city
every day.we are now in the process of building
a new library as our old one has grown much
too small. As towns go Tustin is a thriving
place and will continue to be so as far as I
can see.
1 person likes this
@vinubaby123 (417)
• India
22 May 08
I dont think it will become a ghost town. when more and more businesses move out of the town, there will always be somebody else who capitalizes that opportunity. when a lot of stores are being closed down, the existing stores may hike the prices and people will ditch those stores. finally, they will be in a situation wherein they have to reduce their prices. so, ultimately, i dont think things will go to such an extend...
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
21 May 08
I think dismantling america is the goal of some interests.. ghost america or a third world country. I don't think it will be good for the world however, like some seem to think..
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
21 May 08
I think all of us are going to see alot of that. It is scary. You can't find jobs, and the prices keep going through the roof. There are already lots of empty houses and businesses. I can see it getting so much worse.
1 person likes this
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
21 May 08
It used to happen in the past and will always happen in small towns. But it doesn't mean that your town will look like ghost town.
Thing are always changing. It is very sad that small companies are closed.
I am sure that our economy will emerge into different direction and small businesses will survive.
I have huge hope for our future.
HUGS
1 person likes this
@moondancer (7431)
• United States
21 May 08
It's a sad but undeniable fact that alot of small businesses are shuting down. They can not afford to stay open. The only ones we we see in most places are the large ones. The mom and pop businesses are struggling. Many changes will have to happen.
Yes, I have thought of what may happen. Will I loose my home or will any or all of my children have to come back home for all of us to share the bills and responsibilities of everything. This ranges from raising all of the 10 children to keeping up the automobile, possibly sharing some, paying all bills together, and sharing meals.
It is hard for everyone. I had tightened our belts as far as I can so far. I only go to town for food or anything no more than twice a month. My daughter lives about 6 miles from me and we go together many times. I'll pick her up on the way to town.
1 person likes this
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
21 May 08
At this point Houston has bucked some of the failure trends. Housing and business construction is still booming. However many who can are looking for alternate ways to work like bus and light rail. But for many like my husband they cant do that. Construction, plumbing, ac people cant take the bus. Some resturants have upped prices. Even stores like walmart have raised prices. One of the local tv stations is now running stories on how to stretch your money. I dont know how long this will last.
1 person likes this
