Death of a County

This had been on my heart for a while now so I hope you don't mind. 

First let me give you some background.  I've worked retail for 7+ years.  Officially I worked in a retail situation for 7, but if you count having my own business I've been working for the last 18 years in retail.  That is enough hours to be considered an expert.  An expert has had 10,000 hours of practice in any given field.  I've put in 14,560 hours in just my official employment history.  I've done everything from stock shelves to being a CO-Manager.  I know retail.  I also know that our economy depends on everyone.

 Doctors and Lawyers couldn't be doctors and lawyers if there wasn't a cashier.  Their couldn't be a cashier if there wasn't backroom associates.  Stores couldn't run if there were no farmers, and factory workers. 

We all need each other!


No ifs and or butts!

So whats my problem?  Why am I in an uproar?  The mines that fuel our economy are shutting down.  The stock market has driven the price of coal into the ground, and there is no money to be made.  What's the problem with that. 

The economy of my area depends on the coal miners.  Let me sketch it out for you.

Coal miners make about $18/hour.  They are young men with young families.  Young families need Doctors and Hospitals.  Young families send their children to school.  The wives of the coal miners buy cows and pigs ready to butcher and put into their freezers.  Wives of coal miners also shop at the local stores, and boutiques.

If the coal miners go, then so will part of the hospital and other health care staff.  They won't have families to take care of.  It then gets worse.  With the coal miners and health care staff gone, the schools will not need as many teachers.  The children will be going with their families.  The farmers now have fewer people to feed, and the boutiques now have fewer shoppers. 

There we have it.  Now my little county in Colorado is gone.  Several ghost towns could be in the making. 

How do we fix it?  Can it be fixed?  That is a question worth looking into.  I do know I would like to keep this area alive.

Keep people like this face painter painting.  Keep the farmers growing, and the boutiques open. 

There are blogs dedicated to the economy and there has been plenty of professionals stating the we are in an economic recession.  I don't know anything about the stock market, except that when the numbers go down fake money has been wiped out.

I just want to keep living in my beautiful area, with amazing hard working people.