From the Wilmington (OH) News Journal:
State and federal officials expressed disappointment Monday about DHL’s decision to discontinue delivery services in the United States and plans to pull out of the Wilmington Air Park.
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher issued a joint statement Monday calling the news heartbreaking. “We are extremely disappointed to learn about DHL’s decision to discontinue its domestic delivery service in the United States. This is heartbreaking news for the city of Wilmington and southwest Ohio.”
Lt. Gov. Fisher also is the director of the Ohio Department of Development.
“While our DHL Economic Task Force, organized by Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Wilmington Mayor David Raizk, had worked for a different outcome, we will now focus on doing everything we can to help the affected workers, their families and their communities,” said Gov. Strickland.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown said he is deeply distressed by the DHL announcement. “The Ohio Congressional delegation, the governor, ABX, ASTAR and Wilmington-area workers offered to work out a plan to help keep the company viable and save Ohio jobs. It saddens me that DHL refused to consider any proposal.”
Ohio put out the welcome mat for DHL five years ago but today, Ohio families felt a door slammed in their faces, Brown said. “DHL has an opportunity to mitigate some of the damage it has brought upon the community by being a good corporate citizen and working with the state in the use of the air park and in ensuring acceptable severance packages.”
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner also called on DHL to work with the Wilmington community following their decision to abandon their North American hub at the Wilmington Air Park.
“DHL decided to cut 9,500 jobs after accepting hundreds of millions in incentives from the state of Ohio and Clinton County to come to Wilmington in 2004,” Turner said. “While our community is looking to the future, DHL must be held accountable for its responsibility to their workforce and to our community.”
Wilmington will lose 7,000 of the 9,500 U.S. jobs.
I've worked in the freight business for almost 25 years, and know all the local trucking companies in that area. They will be victims, too, as they were often contracted by DHL or related businesses for pick-ups and deliveries throughout the region.
Greg Brown is a songwriter from the Midwest, and his song "Our Little Town" comes to mind:
We've seen hard times
Many times before
Maybe this whole thing is just one more
It never was perfect
Maybe no one's to blame
To see it die like this
It's a god damned shame
And I don't have to read the news
Or hear it on the radio
I see it in the faces of everyone I know
The sun comes up
The sun goes down
But what's gonna happen to our little town?
No comments:
Post a Comment