Fort Smith, AR

[Mith242]

The problem in Fort Smith is its leaders and most of its residents DON'T WANT change. People who live in Fort Smith are of the old fashioned variety. They live in Fort Smith because they do not like the hustle and bustle of modern society. People are afraid that if there was enough change, it would bring a flood of new people and that would threaten traditions and the "everybody knows everybody" atmosphere of the area.

More value is placed on family tradition in this town than on education. They want to keep Fort Smith the way their parents and grandparents knew it. High tech jobs need educated people to exist, and they wont find much of that in Fort Smith. UAFS is a step in the right direction, but i believe many of its graduates leave town to find work in NWA and other places. I meet people all the time who have never used a computer, and some who have NEVER EVEN SEEN ONE. People are very discriminant agaisnt people who were not born and raised here, and are even more discriminant against minorities, blacks and gays in particular. There is a sense that any kind of progress a threat to guns and Christianity.

There are exceptions to this, and people in the city that don't fit the description above. I am speaking of the majority of the population of the city. Fort Smith is dying, and the bottom line is its not going to get better until its residents open up their minds, and are willing to accept change.

Thanks for the insight and welcome to the forum bchris02. Do you live in Ft Smith now or did you in the past?

[bchris02]

Thanks for the insight and welcome to the forum bchris02. Do you live in Ft Smith now or did you in the past?

I live there now, going to UAFS. I actually grew up in Oklahoma City, not Fort Smith, so finding decent employment here is very difficuilt. While it may be somewhat true everywhere, in Fort Smith, its definately not what you know but who you know.

I'm training in IT-Networking and I can't wait to get out because I have absolutely no future here in that career field. How easy is it to just relocate and find a job after college graduation?

Honestly, I would like to see Fort Smith thrive, which it has the potential to do if only the people would let it.

[Mith242]

I live there now, going to UAFS. I actually grew up in Oklahoma City, not Fort Smith, so finding decent employment here is very difficuilt. While it may be somewhat true everywhere, in Fort Smith, its definately not what you know but who you know.

I'm training in IT-Networking and I can't wait to get out because I have absolutely no future here in that career field. How easy is it to just relocate and find a job after college graduation?

Honestly, I would like to see Fort Smith thrive, which it has the potential to do if only the people would let it.

Yeah it seems to me that it has some potential. It certainly has some interesting history there. But I think being so close to Northwest Arkansas drains a lot of the better jobs and such.

[johnnydr87]

I live there now, going to UAFS. I actually grew up in Oklahoma City, not Fort Smith, so finding decent employment here is very difficuilt. While it may be somewhat true everywhere, in Fort Smith, its definately not what you know but who you know.

I'm training in IT-Networking and I can't wait to get out because I have absolutely no future here in that career field. How easy is it to just relocate and find a job after college graduation?

Honestly, I would like to see Fort Smith thrive, which it has the potential to do if only the people would let it.

Interesting. I had a similar perception of Fort Smith. I have a view Vietnamese friends from Ft. Smith...but they don't seem anything like the people you described.

[mcheiss]

Looks like Target will be coming to the city, it was approved tonight.

[bchris02]

Looks like Target will be coming to the city, it was approved tonight.

Thats great it passed. They actually were going to try to keep it out if you believe it. It might bring too much change. It will be great to have more retail choices. It wont save the city in the long run. Only a new city council and chamber of commerce composed of people under 70 will help.

It makes me sick how the chamber of commerce actively tries to keep white collar jobs out of the city.

[Mith242]

Looks like FT Smith is one step closer to getting the US Marshall's Museum. It's basically down to Ft Smith and Staunton Virginia. Not to get overconfident here but I really think that Ft Smith's history and the fact more US marshall are buried there than anywhere else will help put Ft Smith over the top. It also offers a nice central location as well. Hope to hear more news on this in the future. Sounds like the committee that will decide this will be visiting both cities in the near future.

[Aporkalypse]

Looks like FT Smith is one step closer to getting the US Marshall's Museum. It's basically down to Ft Smith and Staunton Virginia. Not to get overconfident here but I really think that Ft Smith's history and the fact more US marshall are buried there than anywhere else will help put Ft Smith over the top. It also offers a nice central location as well. Hope to hear more news on this in the future. Sounds like the committee that will decide this will be visiting both cities in the near future.

I was worried when I saw the other finalist was in Virginia because of its proximity to Washington DC but it turns out it's actually in a more remote part of the state far from Washington DC. Knowing that, I sure like Ft Smith's chances and it will go along well with the museum already down there.

[Mith242]

I was worried when I saw the other finalist was in Virginia because of its proximity to Washington DC but it turns out it's actually in a more remote part of the state far from Washington DC. Knowing that, I sure like Ft Smith's chances and it will go along well with the museum already down there.

Yeah I noticed that as well. Like I said, I hate to be overconfident but I really do like Ft Smith's chances.

[mcheiss]

It's been confirmed now that 700 employees at Whirlpool will be layed off by the beginning of 2008.

[Aporkalypse]

It's been confirmed now that 700 employees at Whirlpool will be layed off by the beginning of 2008.

These Whirlpool jobs are going to be tough to replace. It's not a good time to be dependent on manufacturing.

[Mith242]

Anyone know how many employees are there total? I hate to say this but it makes me wonder how long before there's more talk of the whole plant leaving. I wonder how bad of a hit that would be to Ft Smith.

[mcheiss]

I think they said that 20% of the workforce would be cut. So that's about 3,500 employees total at Whirlpool in Ft. Smith.

[tim2462]

That's 20% of their TOTAL workforce, not from just the Fort Smith plant. They also announced layoffs at a plant in Indiana...around 500 there.

[mcheiss]

Well how many would be affected at the Ft. Smith plant % wise?

[Aporkalypse]

If you read the article in the ADG this morning they are adding jobs at other American sites as well, 1100 at one of them. The net effect is to add jobs, Ft Smith is losing some.

I hate to say it but the next step is to close the plant. They cut 950 and now 700 and they're expanding elsewhere. Eventually they'll close up the whole shop.

[Mith242]

If you read the article in the ADG this morning they are adding jobs at other American sites as well, 1100 at one of them. The net effect is to add jobs, Ft Smith is losing some.

I hate to say it but the next step is to close the plant. They cut 950 and now 700 and they're expanding elsewhere. Eventually they'll close up the whole shop.

Yeah there's been talk of that in the past. Looks like they just prolonged it and are slowly cutting back jobs for an eventual shutdown.

[Aporkalypse]

Yeah there's been talk of that in the past. Looks like they just prolonged it and are slowly cutting back jobs for an eventual shutdown.

I kind of wonder if they are waiting to ramp up the expansion at the Mexican plant to completely close the one in Ft Smith, as in they need them just a little bit longer until the other plant's up to speed.

This happens. At one time Jacuzzis, Timex watches, and Schwinn bicycles were made in Little Rock. Now manufacturing is a very small percentage of the economy in LR and almost all of it is aerospace. It will be tough to convert from a manufacturing economy but it's in Ft Smith's long term best interests.

Our next governor's task is going to be to bring nonmanufacturing jobs to Ft Smith and Pine Bluff. I really hope to see that happen. I liked Win Rockefeller's chances at doing this the best, though.

[bchris02]

Our next governor's task is going to be to bring nonmanufacturing jobs to Ft Smith and Pine Bluff. I really hope to see that happen. I liked Win Rockefeller's chances at doing this the best, though.

Living in the Ft. Smith area and seeing its decline for none other reason than its lack of willingness to accept change, this is the #1 issue to me in this governor's election. Who do you think would do a better job?Hutchinson or Beebe? I'm leaning towards Beebe but i don't know a whole lot about either of them.

[mcheiss]

The city council voted no to allowing the Choctaw Nation to building a casino on the waterfront.

[Mith242]

The city council voted no to allowing the Choctaw Nation to building a casino on the waterfront.

Just wanted to point out that this is a different project than the onme we've previously talked about. As was mentioned this is one in conjunction with the Choctaws rather than the Keetoowah band. The Choctaw's proposal also was actually outside the Ft Smith city limits but within a 1.5 mile radius of the city and Ft Smith claimed extraterritorial jurisdiction. Ironically the city said the reason why it was turned down was because the Choctaws didn't follow their requirements to meet with all the neighbors. That's of course not to say Ft Smith still wouldn't turn it down anyway. I suppose this just gave them an easy excuse to turn it down.

[Aporkalypse]

Just wanted to point out that this is a different project than the onme we've previously talked about. As was mentioned this is one in conjunction with the Choctaws rather than the Keetoowah band. The Choctaw's proposal also was actually outside the Ft Smith city limits but within a 1.5 mile radius of the city and Ft Smith claimed extraterritorial jurisdiction. Ironically the city said the reason why it was turned down was because the Choctaws didn't follow their requirements to meet with all the neighbors. That's of course not to say Ft Smith still wouldn't turn it down anyway. I suppose this just gave them an easy excuse to turn it down.

I thought they wanted to build an RV park for the casino on Ft Smith's side (in Arkansas) and Ft Smith said no. I don't blame them, really. What does Ft Smith gain from an RV park?

[Mith242]

I thought they wanted to build an RV park for the casino on Ft Smith's side (in Arkansas) and Ft Smith said no. I don't blame them, really. What does Ft Smith gain from an RV park?

Hmmm....I was under the impression they had wanted to built a casino and a RV park.

[bchris02]

Ft. Smith is way too conservative for a casino. I've known from the beginning that it was a lost cause, just like any other improvments anybody proposes for the city.

Is there any improvement that would bring jobs and fly in a city as ultra-conservative as Ft. Smith? Maybe a Bible based theme park? Nonono, that wouldn't be accepted because the city doesn't want to become a tourist town. Ft. Smith's ultra-conservatism will clearly be its suicide.

Does anybody know of any other cities that have died off because they refused to progress with the times?

These people will never understand that its possible to hold to family values and accept growth in the community at the same time.

[johnnydr87]

Ft. Smith is way too conservative for a casino. I've known from the beginning that it was a lost cause, just like any other improvments anybody proposes for the city.

Is there any improvement that would bring jobs and fly in a city as ultra-conservative as Ft. Smith? Maybe a Bible based theme park? Nonono, that wouldn't be accepted because the city doesn't want to become a tourist town. Ft. Smith's ultra-conservatism will clearly be its suicide.

Does anybody know of any other cities that have died off because they refused to progress with the times?

These people will never understand that its possible to hold to family values and accept growth in the community at the same time.