OFF I Go
I began my trip on a rainy fall day. Leaving Toronto not really sure as to what I was doing. But never the less felt very compelled to leave and try to answer some questions that seemed to intrigue my. My first stop after crossing into Detroit was to fuel up. As I eased my way into the station I was greeted by a young boy approximately ten years old. He asked if he could fill up my tank. I replied of course his name was Danny and he did not work for the station but offered his services as an entrepreneur would. As he began to refresh my tank I asked how long he had been doing this for. His reply two years to help bring some money into the home. I noticed he was well dressed and was wearing nice shoes . I asked where he got such nice clothes, from the church he replied with a smile. He considered himself lucky as they were just donated and he was fortunate enough to get them. After filling up I told him how proud I was of him and compensated him for a job well done. I told him stay in school but continue to work hard and the future would be all his. After I got back onto the road I thought about so many children where I live. They are out playing hockey or x box and just enjoying a care free life with no worries. So far removed from the mean streets of Detroit where Danny comes from. I wonder if they could even comprehend how lucky they are to have the safety and security of a stable environment. On my return trip I plan to stop at the same station. There is something about the child that you know he will make a success of himself regardless of the circumstances. He has a great attitude and is very pleasant. Children should not carry the worries such as Danny but my hat is off to him for trying to earn a little money to help out. He did not know where his father was and was being raised by his mother who works two jobs. I admire the boy and wish the best for him. He is in my thoughts often but I believe his good nature and determination will carry him far.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The Trip
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ATTENTION NEWS-BUSINESS-LIFESTYLE EDITORS
“THE EMPTY TOUR”
Coming Soon To Your Town…Maybe
NEWS RELEASE
.
The Summer Of 2009 is here. Time for the big Summer Rock
Tours…U2….Aerosmith…Cold Play…and…. Empty.
Beg your pardon? Never heard of them.
Yes, Empty.
Not a multimillion arena tour with an entourage of hundreds, where
just the staging can cost millions and a concert ticket is a month’s
rent. Nope. One successful businessmen from Canada is embarking upon another tour—to discover “A New America”.
In a world where there are daily doomsday predictions of the recession, where the latest pronouncement from Washington is to bulldoze Flint, Michigan due to the death of the auto industry, where malls are as empty as bowling alleys, where former engineers at Microsoft are working as Dog Walkers, the world has turned inside out and upside down.
With no end in site.
With no answers from political and business leaders.
To Gardner, that’s just fine. I will go check it out myself
While stars like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Bono already
have mapped out the dates and cities for their multi-million dollar
extravaganzas, Gardner’s itinerary is…well, he has no idea.
But he has a plan. And it just might surprise some people.
“America is filled with smart, amazingly creative and intelligent
people who don’t have lobbyists working in Washington for
handouts. Who don’t come up with solutions, just invoices. But
like in any other era where there is a catastrophe, Americans are
proud and resilient. The answers are out there…they just need a voice and a platform…and we will go there, find them and give them
a chance.
And that is what the Empty Tour is all about. Finding a new way to live when the old ways are gone…forever.
I look around my town. GM just closed a plant and we lost 1400 jobs. I walk down the streets of and the expressions of the people are frightened…defeated…overwhelmed. Not because they can’t deal with a crisis, but because their elected leaders and corporate executives have no answers and no leadership.
“We looked to Washington for answers and they gave us TARP— recovery program for banks and insurance companies. The result? Vice President Biden told "Meet the Press" that "everyone guessed wrong" on the impact of the stimulus, the economy is worse off than anyone thought.
No longer is the government projecting 3.5 million jobs…they are hoping for 600,000—and even that is a stretch in credibility.
We don’t need Joe Biden to tell us that. Americans and Canadians have figured that out months ago. That’s why they are in such despair.
Is that all there is? Is that all they have to offer?
“We may be Canadians, but we are America’s kindred spirits. Our borders are soft, we are family. And when America gets a cold, Canada gets pneumonia.”
Instead of a fleet of exotically furnished rock star buses filled with large screen TVs. private chefs and opulent furnishings, Gardner will be hitting the road in a very unusual car. One that brings smiles to faces and makes people talk about their fears and happiness
Yep. No $300 tickets, no $60 t-shirts. This rock tour is EMPTY.
No money. No credit cards. No endowments.
And while the rock stars are eating lobsters and steaks, they will seek their sustenance from the people they meet on the road. “There’s an old saying that those who wander are not necessarily lost” says Gardner, who used to be 350 pounds and barely able to get around.
He spent two years traveling around the United States on a motorcycle and lost 150 pounds and reinvented his life. Now a svelte 200 pounds, there is a method to his madness.
He’s going back to the road.
“Here is what is really happening…we are not in a recession—we are in a Depression. The auto factories that have been closed will never be producing cars again. Not when India is exporting a $2,500 car this fall. The manufacturing industry in America is in Asia, and soon may be in Africa. Malls are as empty as bowling alleys. Millions of condos and homes around the country are abandoned, and the only living things are the swimming pools alive with mosquito infestation.
And what is the government’s answer? Bulldoze dead cities like Flint.
Cut off welfare and public assistance, cut school programs.
People have thrown up their arms in despair, because the leaders in
Canada and America have no answers. They fear for their livelihood, their security, their family.
But Gardner, who will be producing a documentary feature on this journey, is not pessimistic—he is very optimistic…”after the American Civil War, the country had to be rebuilt and the result was The Industrial Revolution. The day after Pearl Harbor in 1941, factories turned themselves over in weeks and were producing tanks and planes.
And now, in 2009, Gardner sees the need of a New American Revolution. Not a revolution of people rioting in the streets, but a revolution of ideas. A revolution of thinking and ingenuity…Gardner adds…perhaps our auto factories should stop thinking about cars and start producing high speed rail, cheap and efficient light rail and free public transportation…perhaps the health care industry—the source of huge deficits…needs to convert from treatment to prevention of diseases.
There’s plenty of work to do…and if we can’t get leadership and direction from Washington, we’ll find the answers in the farmlands, the bayous and the small towns.
Like that famous television show…”the truth is out there.”
THE EMPTY TOUR 2009
“Coming to a Town near You…Maybe”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ATTENTION NEWS-BUSINESS-LIFESTYLE EDITORS
“THE EMPTY TOUR”
Coming Soon To Your Town…Maybe
NEWS RELEASE
.
The Summer Of 2009 is here. Time for the big Summer Rock
Tours…U2….Aerosmith…Cold Play…and…. Empty.
Beg your pardon? Never heard of them.
Yes, Empty.
Not a multimillion arena tour with an entourage of hundreds, where
just the staging can cost millions and a concert ticket is a month’s
rent. Nope. One successful businessmen from Canada is embarking upon another tour—to discover “A New America”.
In a world where there are daily doomsday predictions of the recession, where the latest pronouncement from Washington is to bulldoze Flint, Michigan due to the death of the auto industry, where malls are as empty as bowling alleys, where former engineers at Microsoft are working as Dog Walkers, the world has turned inside out and upside down.
With no end in site.
With no answers from political and business leaders.
To Gardner, that’s just fine. I will go check it out myself
While stars like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Bono already
have mapped out the dates and cities for their multi-million dollar
extravaganzas, Gardner’s itinerary is…well, he has no idea.
But he has a plan. And it just might surprise some people.
“America is filled with smart, amazingly creative and intelligent
people who don’t have lobbyists working in Washington for
handouts. Who don’t come up with solutions, just invoices. But
like in any other era where there is a catastrophe, Americans are
proud and resilient. The answers are out there…they just need a voice and a platform…and we will go there, find them and give them
a chance.
And that is what the Empty Tour is all about. Finding a new way to live when the old ways are gone…forever.
I look around my town. GM just closed a plant and we lost 1400 jobs. I walk down the streets of and the expressions of the people are frightened…defeated…overwhelmed. Not because they can’t deal with a crisis, but because their elected leaders and corporate executives have no answers and no leadership.
“We looked to Washington for answers and they gave us TARP— recovery program for banks and insurance companies. The result? Vice President Biden told "Meet the Press" that "everyone guessed wrong" on the impact of the stimulus, the economy is worse off than anyone thought.
No longer is the government projecting 3.5 million jobs…they are hoping for 600,000—and even that is a stretch in credibility.
We don’t need Joe Biden to tell us that. Americans and Canadians have figured that out months ago. That’s why they are in such despair.
Is that all there is? Is that all they have to offer?
“We may be Canadians, but we are America’s kindred spirits. Our borders are soft, we are family. And when America gets a cold, Canada gets pneumonia.”
Instead of a fleet of exotically furnished rock star buses filled with large screen TVs. private chefs and opulent furnishings, Gardner will be hitting the road in a very unusual car. One that brings smiles to faces and makes people talk about their fears and happiness
Yep. No $300 tickets, no $60 t-shirts. This rock tour is EMPTY.
No money. No credit cards. No endowments.
And while the rock stars are eating lobsters and steaks, they will seek their sustenance from the people they meet on the road. “There’s an old saying that those who wander are not necessarily lost” says Gardner, who used to be 350 pounds and barely able to get around.
He spent two years traveling around the United States on a motorcycle and lost 150 pounds and reinvented his life. Now a svelte 200 pounds, there is a method to his madness.
He’s going back to the road.
“Here is what is really happening…we are not in a recession—we are in a Depression. The auto factories that have been closed will never be producing cars again. Not when India is exporting a $2,500 car this fall. The manufacturing industry in America is in Asia, and soon may be in Africa. Malls are as empty as bowling alleys. Millions of condos and homes around the country are abandoned, and the only living things are the swimming pools alive with mosquito infestation.
And what is the government’s answer? Bulldoze dead cities like Flint.
Cut off welfare and public assistance, cut school programs.
People have thrown up their arms in despair, because the leaders in
Canada and America have no answers. They fear for their livelihood, their security, their family.
But Gardner, who will be producing a documentary feature on this journey, is not pessimistic—he is very optimistic…”after the American Civil War, the country had to be rebuilt and the result was The Industrial Revolution. The day after Pearl Harbor in 1941, factories turned themselves over in weeks and were producing tanks and planes.
And now, in 2009, Gardner sees the need of a New American Revolution. Not a revolution of people rioting in the streets, but a revolution of ideas. A revolution of thinking and ingenuity…Gardner adds…perhaps our auto factories should stop thinking about cars and start producing high speed rail, cheap and efficient light rail and free public transportation…perhaps the health care industry—the source of huge deficits…needs to convert from treatment to prevention of diseases.
There’s plenty of work to do…and if we can’t get leadership and direction from Washington, we’ll find the answers in the farmlands, the bayous and the small towns.
Like that famous television show…”the truth is out there.”
THE EMPTY TOUR 2009
“Coming to a Town near You…Maybe”
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tornto international fim festival
Tiff Week
This week was an exhilarating experience for a small town guy out searching for the truth about our economic situation. It was the Toronto international film festival also knows as TIFF week and I found myself caught up in all the excitement and hype that comes with it. The streets of Toronto were transformed overnight to resemble Hollywood complete with Limousines, broadcast trucks and paparazzi on every street corner each vying to get the perfect shot of that elusive celebrity .There certainly was quite a buzz in the air as reports of A list stars were spotted dining in various restaurants around town. Hotels and clubs hired extra security people to help shield the famous from the diligent crowds who refused to leave their post in hopes of catching a glimpse of their favorite celeb. The energy in the city was one of excitement and joy as the onlookers clutched their cameras firmly in their hands not risking the loss of that rare shot. It was a nice feeling to see so many ordinary people having such a great time smiling and having so much fun and all for free. What could be better? Well I was very fortunate to actually meet a few celebrities and be invited to some A list parties. How I got invited remains a mystery to me. But never the less I was thrilled to be a part of all the festivities. I was honored to meet several icons from my past as well as the present. When I watched them on the big screen they were larger than life to me. I’m very happy to report they were all very kind and sincere just genuine people doing their jobs. Most importantly the staff at the many restaurants and hotels that hosted these gala events really went out of their way to be accommodating to me and were so wonderful, they made me feel very special and I so appreciate it. I stayed up most nights into the wee hours of the evening trying to breathe in all the good energy that could be felt by all. Of course I did not let my mission get clouded by all the fuss. At times I felt my theory must be wrong being surrounded by such opulent settings. But as the exotic cars left the streets and the stargazers retired for the night, I was left talking to the people who actually organized this event and work in the trenches year round not just for this magical week. The hard working people who managed the magnificent hotels explained to me how bad their vacancy rate is the rest of the year and in fact many have been operating at a loss for two years or more. Some are for sale with no perspective buyers in sight. Several of the finest restaurants report sales down forty to sixty percent an alarming number for any business to endure. The servers at these establishments claim their gratuities are down to the point where they cannot make ends meet. A small condo in the city ranges from 350k to 450k. When you combine utilities, insurance and cost of living one would have to make 120 k a year just to make ends meet. Most do not. Many hard working people in the city core work two jobs or more and log many hours just to survive. Some have resorted to roommates in their quest to become property owners. Once again these are not lazy people for the most part they are continuing to educate themselves and put in long days just to live the dream. This dream once seemed to me to be so easily attainable and now appears to be slipping out of the grasp of so many deserving people. With unemployment at record levels and no solution in sight it makes you wonder. Commercial rental vacancy is now approaching the double digits due to the laying off of workers. It is becoming very clear to me my little town with all the mighty factories sitting idle are not the only casualties in this changing of times. I do not care for the word recession; I feel it is not an accurate reflection of what we are facing. All the red carpets have been rolled up. The stars have left town in their private jets, the cameramen are gone and the streets are returning back to normal. I just wonder if normal can carry these businesses through until the next extravaganza comes to town. I must say the economy does not seem to discriminate against my small town any more than it does against the big city. I think it is time to go and investigate other places to find that town that is prospering and see how and why they are doing it. Wherever that may be.
Jeff Gardner
This week was an exhilarating experience for a small town guy out searching for the truth about our economic situation. It was the Toronto international film festival also knows as TIFF week and I found myself caught up in all the excitement and hype that comes with it. The streets of Toronto were transformed overnight to resemble Hollywood complete with Limousines, broadcast trucks and paparazzi on every street corner each vying to get the perfect shot of that elusive celebrity .There certainly was quite a buzz in the air as reports of A list stars were spotted dining in various restaurants around town. Hotels and clubs hired extra security people to help shield the famous from the diligent crowds who refused to leave their post in hopes of catching a glimpse of their favorite celeb. The energy in the city was one of excitement and joy as the onlookers clutched their cameras firmly in their hands not risking the loss of that rare shot. It was a nice feeling to see so many ordinary people having such a great time smiling and having so much fun and all for free. What could be better? Well I was very fortunate to actually meet a few celebrities and be invited to some A list parties. How I got invited remains a mystery to me. But never the less I was thrilled to be a part of all the festivities. I was honored to meet several icons from my past as well as the present. When I watched them on the big screen they were larger than life to me. I’m very happy to report they were all very kind and sincere just genuine people doing their jobs. Most importantly the staff at the many restaurants and hotels that hosted these gala events really went out of their way to be accommodating to me and were so wonderful, they made me feel very special and I so appreciate it. I stayed up most nights into the wee hours of the evening trying to breathe in all the good energy that could be felt by all. Of course I did not let my mission get clouded by all the fuss. At times I felt my theory must be wrong being surrounded by such opulent settings. But as the exotic cars left the streets and the stargazers retired for the night, I was left talking to the people who actually organized this event and work in the trenches year round not just for this magical week. The hard working people who managed the magnificent hotels explained to me how bad their vacancy rate is the rest of the year and in fact many have been operating at a loss for two years or more. Some are for sale with no perspective buyers in sight. Several of the finest restaurants report sales down forty to sixty percent an alarming number for any business to endure. The servers at these establishments claim their gratuities are down to the point where they cannot make ends meet. A small condo in the city ranges from 350k to 450k. When you combine utilities, insurance and cost of living one would have to make 120 k a year just to make ends meet. Most do not. Many hard working people in the city core work two jobs or more and log many hours just to survive. Some have resorted to roommates in their quest to become property owners. Once again these are not lazy people for the most part they are continuing to educate themselves and put in long days just to live the dream. This dream once seemed to me to be so easily attainable and now appears to be slipping out of the grasp of so many deserving people. With unemployment at record levels and no solution in sight it makes you wonder. Commercial rental vacancy is now approaching the double digits due to the laying off of workers. It is becoming very clear to me my little town with all the mighty factories sitting idle are not the only casualties in this changing of times. I do not care for the word recession; I feel it is not an accurate reflection of what we are facing. All the red carpets have been rolled up. The stars have left town in their private jets, the cameramen are gone and the streets are returning back to normal. I just wonder if normal can carry these businesses through until the next extravaganza comes to town. I must say the economy does not seem to discriminate against my small town any more than it does against the big city. I think it is time to go and investigate other places to find that town that is prospering and see how and why they are doing it. Wherever that may be.
Jeff Gardner
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The big city
Well being from an industrial based city that relies heavily on the auto industry, I thought perhaps I was wrong as to severity of the current economic situation. About six weeks ago I thought maybe a should venture out to a more urban setting. So off I went into Toronto . Living in a very close proximity to one of the largest cities in Canada it may dispel my worst fears. I drive somewhat of an unusual car that seemed to create quite a stir. As I toured around all of the areas of the city each rich in their own culture I felt much like a tourist in my own backyard. I met so many wonderful people from all different walks of life each adding to my experience in their own way. As I drove around people began to take pictures of me in my peculiar car not just a few, but hundreds on any given night. It was a great feeling to make so many people smile and hear their various stories and communicate with so many strangers. Once again my mission was clear to me. I really wanted to find out for myself if things were as bad as I feared. It was an unusual feeling to be approached by so many people on a regular basis, but it was something I truly enjoyed. One chance encounter I had was with a location man out shooting for tourism Canada. We met on a busy street and exchanged cards. A phone call later we have become good friends. From there I was introduced to a producer from a major network. We discussed my passion to seek the answers about the current economic situation and what I was prepared to do so maybe I could help others or I understand it at a working man’s level. I felt somewhat honored and relieved that others to shared the same concerns. After a few meetings it was decided that we would shoot some footage on my journeys throughout the city. Our first night out I met several young talented cameraman. These young gentlemen were in their mid to late twenties. They had worked for years at a major network some had personally interviewed world leaders. They seemed to have been raised in the finest of homes. They have travelled the globe and were very well schooled. One particular fellow was an avid sailor. As we begin to get acquainted with one another they explained to me their other jobs. Somewhat surprised I inquire as to what other jobs they held. A few of them work in the service industry to supplement their incomes. That was the first red flag for me with many more to follow. I thought about my own children and wondered about their futures. Here was some smart young talent who by most standards had much more opportunities than most will ever have. Serving coffee for minimum wage because there simply is no work in their chosen field. These young men were energetic and certainly did not lack intelligences. After the shoot I began the drive back to my much smaller factory town with all the empty businesses which once were are mainstay of our city wondering what the future will hold for our youth.
The economy
Greetings these are some of my thoughts concerning the global situation that we will all have to face at some time or another. I have for the last two years witnessed a decline spreading throughout America much like a plague. While travelling around one could just feel something was not quite right. It almost felt like the calm before the storm. Many hard working people with old fashioned core values began to feel as though they were slipping. Most were at a loss as to why they felt this way and blamed themselves in part. Many people identify their value not by there spiritual worth but only what they can produce in the form of an income. The unequal shift in the labour force is beginning to take its toll on all working class citizens of North America. What was once considered the envy of the world is now being looked upon as somewhat as a weaker scared nation. The truth is we are scared. The plan for fair global trade in theory sounded like a blessing to all. The world trade organization believed by outsourcing work to less advantaged countries we would raise their standard of living so they to could achieve equality with America . The plan sounded great at the beginning but soon large companies began to exploit other nations at any cost. These less fortunate countries are smart enough to remain quiet and appear thankful as we begin to export are less then desirable work to them. Knowing full well to be patient and soon they would control everything. Well this certainly is becoming the reality. The idea of of global trade was to raise the standard of living abroad. But one only has to look no further then main street America to see the devastating effects these polices are having on our on nation. We are now faced with empty factories , closed stores and vacant homes in every area of the country. At the rate this is continuing one has to wonder how we can reverse this plague before the damage is no longer repairable . In the past when we faced an economic downturn we idled factories until the demand for our goods was needed usually in the form of short term layoffs. Now the employees are barely out of the building and the demolition begins. The machinery is sold off to foreign interest for pennies on the dollar to be exported overseas and to begin production of our goods with little regard to the environment or the well being of the employees. As I drive through my local community and observe many modern state of the art facilities sitting empty with no hopes of recovery in sight it is a chilling reminder that we have made a horrible mistake. What took a generation to build is now being ravaged in a very short period. America has an abundance of natural resources as well as an energetic skilled workforce. We send our steel overseas at forty dollars a ton only to have it arrive back on our shores at eight thousand dollars a ton in the form of autos etc. We have clearly lost the electronics market as well as textiles, autos, furniture call centers, toys even the food market to name a few. At the current rate we are going there will simply be nothing left. When you are no longer a producer you are no longer a consumer hence the recession we are in. Many viewed the slow down at first blaming the sub prime housing market. Next it was the raising fuel cost and now the great leaders of this country have began to realize there seems to be some concern regarding unemployment. If you compare middle class to a leg on a chair. Once that leg is removed the chair will topple no matter what. Manufacturing states in the rust belt such as Michigan were the first to feel the effects joblessness has on the community. Now states such as California , Nevada, Florida are all on the brink of financial ruin. Life savings are being wiped out in mere months from the housing market bust. So it is becoming painfully clear it is time to put America back to work before it is to late. Countries such as Japan outsourced our work to the Koreans who in turn have outsourced to India and of course they will be looking at Africa as the next cheaper way to perform are work. What started off in theory as a great idea is backfiring on us at an alarming rate. Other countries are not so thankful about our careless generosity but must be laughing at us for giving away the goose that laid the golden egg. It is time we get that good old made in the usa feeling of pride back so the generations to come can prosper like many generations before them did. It will take a lot of hard work, time and sacrifice to rebuild the united states back into a country were everyone will be proud to say they are an american. Hard work is something to be proud off it instills pride in people and gives them a sense of worth that they are part of the solution. Now is the time to rally to create awareness and begin the tedious job of repairing the damage caused by to many short sighted over zealous poor business decisions.
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