[pgray]

In one of the other threads the question is asked , " Will the Economy Hurt Car Counts ? ".
The answer seems " yes " and many would predict that gate attendance will surely suffer , too.

My thoughts go to Kokomo , a town of approximately 45,000 folks in approximately 11,500 households ( down from the 2000 census ) and home to a 17.4% unemployment rate which is more than twice the National average at 8.1%.

What percentage of a past typical Kokomo Speedway grandstand attendance has come from the local community and what will it look like now ?
A lot of people in Kokomo are hurting.
Kokomo has put the recession behind them as this is now their Depression.

Today's WISH-TV headline was , "Unemployment Rampant in Kokomo".
I learned that one jobless man has sold his plasma to bring in a much needed $60. bucks a week. These are like stories from the Great Depression !

In December , Forbes Magazine named Kokomo , Indiana as one of "America's Fastest Dying Towns". Kokomo was placed 3rd on their listing of 10.

Should the promoters at Kokomo Speedway experience a vast number of empty seats in their '09 season , perhaps they could allow some of these families free admission during very difficult times for everyone. But that's their call to make and only my suggestion.

Kokomo and the people of many other cities and towns are finding themselves in the same plight. This recession and financial crisis knows no boundaries. It is national and in actuality , global. The worst is yet to come as almost no-one believes that we have seen the bottom.

I really don't care about car counts. If people want to race they will find a way. The option to park-it is always there. The folks that are wondering where their next meal will come from would wish to have the problems of a car owner.

:thumb I wish everyone a better day to come !!



:icon_smile_blackeye

[Jerry Spencer]

You are right Paul this is not going to be a good year for Kokomo or anyplace in my opinion.

Jerry #66
www.joshspencer.com

[Ovalmeister]

Originally Posted by pgray I really don't care about car counts. If people want to race they will find a way. The option to park-it is always there. The folks that are wondering where their next meal will come from would wish to have the problems of a car owner. :thumb I wish everyone a better day to come !!

Amen to that, well said.
David.

Jerry your not the only one that hates politicians. I bothers me to no end that so much of the automotive industry has left this country. Kokomo is just like Detroit now. In 1999 GM was making a good profit, stock was up around $60.00 a share. The employees of GM were making the same amount of money basically as they are today. Now the cry is Unions are breaking them which is hogwash because they don't have half the number of Union employees. NAFTA shifted the jobs elsewhere and it took about 10 years to complete this and now no one has the money to buy those cars. Every single company that lobbied for NAFTA is taking it up the you know where. They deserve it. I feel as though I'm watching my country being destroyed right before my eyes. There's just not enough people that care.

[Al Soran]

It's bad yes, and every prediction I've heard is that it is going to get worse. I even heard the phrase "Greatest Depression" used to describe what might be coming. My question to you, grassroots America, is what can be done to slow the decline, then stop it, then turn it in an upward direction. It's us, the ones with the sweaty collars that need to figure out what to do. It is appearant that the folks in Washington DC haven't many ideas. I'm no economist. Actually, I think I got a D in economics in college, and was never so happy to have received that grade! But maybe you have an idea or two. Let's kick them around a bit. Anyone?

[pgray]

Originally Posted by aceace There's just not enough people that care.

.... which says an awful lot about our country today.

An article titled , "Great Depression & World War II , 1929 -1945" from the Library of Congress , begins as follows ( from the very first paragraph ) ...

"The Great Depression began in 1929 when , in a period of 10 weeks , stocks on the New York Stock Exchange lost 50% of their value. Businesses and banks failed and unemployment rose dramatically. By 1932 , one of every 4 workers was unemployed".

Anything sound familiar ?

"By 1932 , hunger marches and small riots were common throughout the nation. Not all citizens were caught up in social disruptions. Many were too downtrodden in surviving day to day and placed their hope and trust in the federal government".

I'm personally well past that hope and trust part , to say the least !!

As a side note , when our current unemployment reaches 10% in this 2009 population , we will have the same number unemployed as in 1932 when the jobless rate was 25%. We're not far from it now and we will , sadly , see it become reality.

:icon_smile_blackeye

[dant]

What do we build-what do we make-we live off the food someone else grows,the devices someone else manufactures........when I was a kid I ask my grandmother about the depression....she said they planted the fields,had a big garden,canned a lot of food and raised cattle and hogs ..I looked around and said 'thats what you do now' ..I ask her about world war II [my grandfather joined the navy to fight despite the fact he had a family ] she said the same thing......if our country had more people like our grandparents,we'd be alright despite the jackass polititions...we dug the hole with apathy..we'll have to dig our way out of this ourselves....I grew up in Ill..good people in the midwest....I worry more about the city folks...thank god I still got my guns...BUY AMERICAN!

[hairracer44]

Things are bad I agree and we all agree that the United States is the best place in the world to live. However, I think we have become complacent because we are so used to getting and having what we want when we want. I've been telling people for years my grandpa has money because he lived through the depression and had to do with out and learned the value of money not dollars but pennies.

With that said we need to quite letting the media tell use how bad it is and getting depressed about it. I want the media to find some feel good stories in this time of need I'm personally tired of hearing about doom and gloom and how the world is coming to an end. We know things are bad we don't need to hear about it every minute of the day we need to get off our a**es and do something about it.

We need to become a self sufficient country again we have the ability and the resources to not have to rely on any other country for anything. We as people also need to stop relying on the government for every little thing stop expecting them to bail us out every time we get in trouble. We need a little less government and a little more of use being responsible. Spend your money but do it wisely ask yourself do you need it or do you want it it is a big difference. We should expect the same from are government when they spend our money.

I guess that is enough of a rant for now I hope this get people thinking and yes I hope and want to see people in the seats at the races. I will try and race when I can as I always have we all need some fun to get our minds off things. Nothing like some dirt flying and the smell of methanol burning to put a smile on your face.

Hope to see you at the races
David Hair

[pgray]

Originally Posted by dant ...thank god I still got my guns...BUY AMERICAN!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynCsF...eature=related



:rolling:cheers:rolling

[Charles Nungester]

Originally Posted by Al Soran It's bad yes, and every prediction I've heard is that it is going to get worse. I even heard the phrase "Greatest Depression" used to describe what might be coming. My question to you, grassroots America, is what can be done to slow the decline, then stop it, then turn it in an upward direction. It's us, the ones with the sweaty collars that need to figure out what to do. It is appearant that the folks in Washington DC haven't many ideas. I'm no economist. Actually, I think I got a D in economics in college, and was never so happy to have received that grade! But maybe you have an idea or two. Let's kick them around a bit. Anyone?

Time to kick em all out and make the CHANGE OURSELVES!
Chuck, saying all their doing is making the money worthless and the property that backs that up.