Movers and Shakers

I think that Old Dog covered this technology question quite well. I can't think of anything to add, so I would like to just second his motion.

I'm sure that Cheboygan has its mover and shakers, but I don't think they're all in it together. When I first moved here in 1967 I was told that there were a dozen or so families that controlled everything. I don't know if that was ever really true, but I'm pretty sure that it's not true now. Proctor & Gamble had bought the paper mill in 1960, and there was some concern that they were trying to take over the town. I suppose that the people who were most concerned about it were the ones who believed that they themselves were in control at the time. I don't know how much of that control was illusionary, but I suspect it was more of a social thing than an economic thing.

The paper mill was our largest employer for a few years, peaking at over 700 but, as I reported previously, it was all downhill from there. When they closed in 1990, they were down to less than 200. After that the hospital and the schools took turns being the largest employer, with several hundred employees each. They have both downsized considerably since then, but I don't know their current figures. If I had to name our largest employer now, I would guess Walmart, but I'm not sure of that. One thing I am sure of is that, if you count all of our retail establishments as one, they would be our largest employer.

One thing that has diffused the local power structure over the years is our urban sprawl. When I first  moved here, the population of the City of Cheboygan was about 5,000, and it still is, while the population of Cheboygan County has grown from 10,000 to 26,000. With people spread out like that, I suspect it would be difficult for any person, family, or corporation to exert effective control over all of them at once.

I assume that, when Old Dog asks us for ideas about a better future, he means better for the whole world, or at least the United States. That's a pretty tall order but, since our personal futures are pretty secure except for their length, maybe we should tackle that one in the time we have left. Let me think about it overnight and I'll se what I can come up with.