Exploring Flint's Industrial Ruins

[@ChrisHarden]

Help me get my 2nd channel to 1,000 subs by the end of the year! kzbin.info/door/WswLxWncDgmc106ZHId02Qabout Flint Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLkAKbwTlGHeJEr5vsf6i-Y_lXWaiLdo5l American Hoods Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLkAKbwTlGHeLYlKLyBm1dGc7MRpNhCBZX Michigan Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLkAKbwTlGHeJoyujmAhEMOusr2cLGm_jK ==================================================================== EVERYTHING THAT I USE IN THE FIELD: Main Camera: amzn.to/3iS4vvF Side Cameras: amzn.to/2WuCYIs Media Mod for Camera: amzn.to/3j7CMGF Lav Mic: amzn.to/3lsMkz9 Drone: amzn.to/3ITcKBV SD Cards: amzn.to/3C2co9O Camera Mounts: amzn.to/2UXVR6p Cables Required for Longer Recordings: amzn.to/3BYnr3Q Computer: amzn.to/3787b2j External Hard Drive: amzn.to/3lb23Tf WHAT I USE AT HOME: Computer: amzn.to/3rKIdiN Sound Mixer: amzn.to/3C15Ubx Microphone: amzn.to/2VaCjvo Microphone Accessories: amzn.to/3v7A35Z INTERACTIVE MAP that shows you all of the places that I've made videos on: (Doesn't always work on mobile devices. Will always work on PC.) www.google.com/maps/d/u/2/edit?hl=en&mid=1Lhzf04ocimPu-ROkg4cfXEYEvKMNnlI5&ll=43.06219876674538%2C-83.82163216337808&z=10 SOCIAL MEDIA & CONTACT INFO: Email: [e-mail] On Twitter: twitter.com/Chris_Harden55 On Instagram: instagram.com/c_harden7/?... On Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisHardenYT/ DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you. As an Amazon Associate I do earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. As always, thank you for supporting my channel!

[@Right-Is-Right]

love what you do, just question what you mean by "jobs moving overseas" ? There is no sea between the US and Mexico, ,where most of Flints jobs laned up moving to.

[@itsme48423]

ford didnt take the bail out.your info is wrong....Ford did not need money from the $80 billion bailout program Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) , Ford did receive $5.9 billion in government loans in 2009 to retool its manufacturing plants to produce more fuel-efficient cars...but it did not take any of the 2008 $80 billion bailout money.... that was the other 2 that took it

[@kevinloving3141]

Sorry but I DON'T support corporate shills, you should ask corporate executives the subscribe to your other channel.

[@micheleburnside4656]

Born, raised and lived in Flint till I was 50 yrs old, I'm now 61. Grew up on the Westside of Flint in a middle-class residential neighborhood. Every male adult breadwinner in our neighborhood worked at one or another of the plants, my grandfather was a tool and die maker at Buick until he retired after 40+ yrs, he was one of the original sit-downers. Flint did rely on GM too much, but I can tell you that being born in the 60' and raised in the 70's living in Flint was a great place to be, it really was. I've moved north to Montrose and occasionally have a reason to travel south to Flint now and then, it saddens me. I go by my old childhood home and neighborhood and see the blight and decay of a once great place to live. I miss it. Thanks for the video tour, nice job.

[@demonseed032]

Both my grandfathers took part in the sit down strike. My mom remembers her older brother throwing his lunch over the fence for her dad.

[@jameswood231]

Same here. Born in Flint 1963.

[@josephbourassa7275]

Bullshit, you can blame crimes that continue to kill flint,the water problem is no an excuse to rob,rape,shoplifting, murder,shiting on streets. STOP MAKING EXCUSES

[@richardburdon3241]

My late father worked at AC Spark Plug for 42 years, when they tore down that plant, I think it broke his heart.

[@kirstenbentley2572]

GM got 33 million in grants to clean up the site. Now Ashley needs 17 million to clean up the site. City council and Genesee County commission have also approved millions to clean up the site. Where exactly have all these millions gone????

[@naomivought]

I’d imagine their pockets.

[@richardburdon3241]

likely to the same place as grant money to fix the water issue.

[@laurabethcook4132]

I grew up in Flint from '63 until '76 when my mother remarried and we moved to a little town called Durand. We lived right on the border between the city of Flint and Flint township. My dad worked at GMI (Kettering) starting as a janitor but then working as a textbook illustrationist until they laid him off. After that he worked on the production line at Fisher Body-Coldwater until he worked his way up to design engineer and then videographer. He eventually retired from GM but is still an active artist/musician in his 80's. Even though we didn't have a lot of money and were probably considered a lower middle class family while we lived there, there were so many things to see and do that were within walking distance or a bus ride and didn't cost a lot of money or were free. (The Cultural Center for example.) I have tons of happy memories from that time in my life and will always consider myself a Flintite even though I now live just outside the city. I still hold out hope that the city will continue to rebound from all of the crises it has endured.

[@phillyphil4824]

GM AND DEMCORATS DESTROYED FLINT! IF YOU VOTE DEMOCRAT YOU ARE PARTLY TO BLAME! 50YEARS IN A ROW WITH A DEMOCRAT MAYOR! GM = PAWNS FOR DEMOCRATS!

[@donaldcronin3015]

Boring...circling Buick city the whole clip?

[@thalleshoward3962]

You can blame both GM and the local government for Flint's down fall.

[@mgk920]

The Michigan legislature, especially with the Charter Townships Act, too. The metro area will be amalgamated into a single city soon enough, the powers the be will have no other choice.

[@Machoman-ct]

...the uaw also

[@Swagmaster-gh9dd]

It's sad that amost all buick models are made in China

[@AwesomeJohn100]

And Snyder administration….actively knew about the water crisis.

[@Swagmaster-gh9dd]

@@AwesomeJohn100 that whole thing was dumb they had factorys dumping stuff in there they should have checked the water before they did that

[@johnhatchel9681]

You nailed it with the UAW demands. They got greedy and corrupt and wound up hurting the workers they were paid to represent.

[@jenniferschramm8560]

I love how well you do these videos. You show the street and area so we’ll. Thank you

[@legendarytoby]

I'm 33 and I was born, raised and still live here. It makes me sad to see how Flint has changed over the years. It was already in decline when I was a kid but it has gotten a lot worse.

[@phillyphil4824]

DEMOCRAT DOMINATION FOR 5 DECADES WILL DESTROY ANY CITY!

[@robinmaelbrancke2560]

Have you heard of Grattan race track? Would you know if it is still in use? We use to come down from Canada and race our bikes there in the late 90's. Shame about your city. Saginaw too. Played some hockey in the Westland area of Detroit. War zones now I'm afraid..

[@BoratWanksta]

@@robinmaelbrancke2560 Has the area around Westland really declined that much? It seemed alright, when I Google street viewed it in the past. Like, let me know if it gets say like Highland Park, MI bad in any parts....

[@robinmaelbrancke2560]

@@BoratWanksta Compared to what it was like in the 1980's when I played hockey there as a teenager, when there were a lot of good paying automotive jobs , it has declined terribly so. My last visit was pre covid to go to Zug island for the Juggalo convention lol...

[@21737geb]

Good Job. I agree with about 75% of what is presented here. I worked for GM from 1965 to 1992 at various GM plants - being transferred as the plants closed. Flint lost revenue and management abilities as the plants closed. This made it almost impossible to keep Flint from turning into a disaster.

[@ChrisHarden]

That's a perspective I don't have. Never worked in a plant, neither have any of my family members.

[@saleemahh6129]

This is so sad to watch- yet I can't stop. Such a thriving city that doesn't show much of much anymore. When giants fall, they usually hit the ground pretty hard. I see places like this here in Texas, but in these cities in Michigan, it seems worse. Thanks for the sharing the history that goes along with your tours. It's always cool to get some back stories on what we are seeing. Too many of these video tours are just people walking and driving without telling anything about what we are looking at.

[@ChrisHarden]

Thanks for the kind words! Agree with you on the videos of people driving around with no context. It's a lot of hard work putting these together but I have fun doing it.

[@guymerritt4860]

Dude: the unions probably did wield too much power and some of their demands were probably extreme. But I was born and raised in Flint almost 71-years ago. I lived this story. On balance, the constant pressure to increase profits for shareholders and CEOs - I believe - is what destroyed Flint. Since the late 70's wealth has become concentrated, more and more, in the hands of the few......the shareholders and the CEOs. This isn't my opinion. You can have an erroneous opinion but you can't have your own facts. Since this corporate takeover wages have been stagnant since the mid-80's while the cost of everything has skyrocketed. Every kind of ordinary job has been moved to Bangladesh and Mexico. The data is the data. When the working class is really the "working poor" you get hopelessness, crime, drug addiction, and all of the other, attendant bad shit (that comes with this hopelessness) that we have on our hands today. Ordinary workers making jack shit money amounts to a form of slavery - that's not hyperbole, it's the literal truth. Yeah, when ordinary workers made really good money we had a stable country. When you have no unions you end up with a plantation state. Sorry, but that's how capitalism works when you remove the guard rails and unions. I've been there and watched it happen. The union demands did get extreme but what has happened was certainly not the fix. I know this, from listening to this one-sided nonsense: You did not grow up in poverty. You're drinking the kool aid that unions are evil. We won't have a country in another twenty years if ordinary workers can't make a living wage, have health care, etc. This place will simply implode. Just wanna add: GM workers, thanks to the union, were arguably making an unreasonable amount of money. I ran the computers for a company called Pinkerton and I knew the exact wages of the in-house security guys at the plants. Just prior to working for Pinkerton, in 1993, I had been making $4.35 an hour to walk around some of Flint's worst housing projects, in the middle of the night, as a security guard. When I got my 8-dollar-per-hour job in the office at Pinkerton the average pay for the security guys at GM at the time (a relatively cushy job) was $24 an hour plus a terrific benefits package. Very few new hires were making 14 dollar an hour. Sergeants were making $32.00 an hour. This struck me as kind of extreme. So there's some fault with the unions - but corporate greed is the larger problem, in my opinion. And add to all of this that while people are making less and less money (unless they're in the stock market) and everything costs more we're the only civilized country (well, we're kinda civilized) that doesn't provide everybody with health care. Yeah, completely get rid of unions, have no health care, etc. It becomes a form of slavery. And when you point this stuff out you get called a "socialist" or saddled with some similar label. What we have isn't gonna work. Last year almost half of the houses sold in Dallas, TX were bought by investors and corporations and that's going on everywhere to some extent. Flint is the canary in the coal mine. We're headed for bigger and bigger problems as a society - and completely getting rid of unions helped start this slide.

[@demonseed032]

The in house security was still there in 1994? They were on their way to being phased out which was announced in the late 80s. It's all contract in the Detroit area now and has been for years.

[@billyjoejimbob56]

Guy: You makes some very good points here. Yes there was and still is constant pressure for corporations to be profitable and become more so. BUT... remember... An unprofitable employer will become a lousy employer, destined to shrink and die. The real underlying problem is when employers' goals and employees' goals are in conflict. Companies SHOULD constantly strive for better efficiency and lower costs (not to mention better quality). When employees are motivated to increase their employers costs for their own personal gain, you have a recipe for decline and failure. The solution is a commitment to shared goals and shared rewards... Easy to say but difficult to achieve. It talkes relentless commitment and continuous effort. US automakers have yet to get it right IMHO. An additional factor that should not be overlooked: The more successful unions are at bargaining higher wages, the more incentive they give employers to automate. General Motors has not disappeared. It is today a profitable company, albeit after decades of poor decisions leading to government organized bankruptcy reorg. But it has been forty years since GM dominated the industry. Today that industry many foreign corporations, but the vast majority of vehicles sold in this market are built in North America (yes that includes Canada and Mexico). But UAW membership is less than 30% of its historical peak. Some of that because most of the foreign players operate non-union plants, but the underlying reason regardless of employer is much LOWER labor hours per vehicle, enabled by much HIGHER automation at every stage of manufacturing and assembly. The economics of any business are everchanging, and always will be. Wishing things would stay the same will never be a solution for long.

[@RickC-4]

"you can't have your own facts". That goes for you too, ya know. 🤣😂🤣😂

[@donnalittle5453]

Now their doing battery cars nobody wants or can afford no a win for automotive industry.

[@dannymccarty344]

GM pulled out of Flint because Union wages/benefits, forced them to pull out. Overpaid, lazy and spoiled workers, destroyed their own jobs. People stopped buying the shitty cars produced in Flint. I feel sorry for the families that never worked for GM, but still must suffer the aftermath....

[@CapFrmFlint]

0:22 That Apartment complex jus had tenants 3 years ago. It's crazy I seen it deteriorate

[@shelbyz1974]

Thank you for the auto history lesson. Agree with you about the unions.

[@cgimovieman]

Man, it’s hard to figure out what to say about places like Flint. I’m a former Michigan resident. Grew up there in the 80’s and 90’s. I don’t know that you can really point an absolute finger at any one group or person for collapses of places like Flint or an rust belt cities or areas. Unions, politicians, the economy, the right, the left, I think SO many things played a part. And I don’t think every place always can continue to thrive. But it’s tough to see when it does fall so hard. You see issues like what there are with Flint all over. Other cities, other states, and other countries. If not maybe quite this extreme. Again, it is tough to see, but you can either dwell on it, or just move on. In some ways I do think Flint and a lot of Michigan as a whole are doing that. But it’s difficult in a world that’s changed so much, with a state that was so rooted in certain overwhelming industries, and maybe antiquated ways. I suppose all that I can say is that I wish the best for my former home state, and that I’m rooting for it.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

Lots of these jobs either moved to Mexico or moved down south to right to work states like Tennessee. Honestly quite sad but the corrupt leadership they had for decades led to it

[@stephenbrand5661]

Yup, I grew up in Franklin, TN and I knew tons of Michigan people around there. Franklin had 20,000 people when I moved there in 1989 and now it's somewhere around 90,000. Nissan's US corporate headquarters moved here in the early 2000s.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

@@stephenbrand5661 Yep and alot of GM production moved to Springhill TN where they used to make Saturn's. Ford will soon have one of their largest production facilities just outside of Memphis

[@stephenbrand5661]

@@AdamSmith-gs2dv Yeah my best friend's dad worked at that Spring Hill plant before it closed in 2010. I used to play on trains loaded with brand new Saturn's when I was a kid.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

@@stephenbrand5661 The plant is still open it just doesn't make Saturn's anymore

[@bigstuff52]

Sure they moved south and to mexico but once they saw they could get-er-done cheaper in Asia,they moved there..I was around 50 years ago in 1973 when Joe Biden moved into the Senate..He was one of the prime movers of american job re-location..along with Dutch Reagan and both parties,they were the ones gettin her done..I remember Dutch tellin the american people that a "service" economy would be "way" better for the american people than an industrialized one..Now they are whinin that the chinese have all the money..Gee,I wonder how they got it...

[@CapFrmFlint]

9:36 IS 'Job Corps' the playground is for people with children in the program and that comes to the location to visit.

[@justanOldBird]

I'm in SC. Many small towns look like this on a smaller scale. I'm thinking the US is just in a downward spiral on purpose. Farming here dried upand the few factories that were here are gone. It's a wasteland here too

[@ChrisHarden]

Dang. Went to the dirty Myrtle about a year ago. Uploads coming soon. Haven't seen much else in SC yet.

[@phillyphil4824]

DEMOCRATS ARE TO BLAME!

[@LoriMooreThompson]

I'm also in SC. Born and raised in Flint, MI. In comparison, SC has far more to offer today than Flint. It's so sad to go back to Flint to see how incredibly run down it is. I lived on Stewart Avenue as a child. It was a great place to be a child back then. My childhood home no longer exists.

[@Right-Is-Right]

It is all part of what is known as the "liberal world order" and I am not making it up. The idea was China would westernize (classical liberalize), if we traded with them, so we dropped import tariffs starting in the 60's and have been on a down-slide ever since. It has nothing to do with political party, even though Trump did make some factories change their minds on moving, by threatening them with increased import duties of they did. But of course, orange man bad, so no one is allowed to talk about what good he did and how others should copy the good things into their play book.

[@RickC-4]

He was actually very nice to Flint in this video. Those are far from the worst areas. That looks like paradise in comparison to some other areas. Lol

[@DennisW19copyy-lg1du]

Having grown up in Genesee county I remember workers selling booze and other stuff in the plants. I also remember guys cheating on their time cards. When the workers were asked if they were worried about getting fired the response would be, they can't we are UAW. The downfall of Flint was a combination of GM, the UAW and the state and local governments.

[@nickwilczynski3684]

We live in Detroit. So, only about an hour away. But as a kid, I remember my dad having a work event in Flint and we all got to go with him. My parents never hid their feelings about things to us, and I always remember them talking about Flint like it was such a neat destination. And now as an adult I go there from time to time for work. There is a lot wrong with Flint but there’s also a lot that’s good. The downtown being smaller than Detroit’s means that its return to glory will take less momentum than Detroit still needs. Also there’s a lot of art flocking to Flint and where art goes, people and money tend to follow. I know that’s not much, but I feel optimistic for Flint.

[@Golfing422]

Downtown Detroit is doing great.

[@jeffaulik3980]

I have heard from friends who live in Lansing that the Flint UAW was very militant and uncooperative while Lansing was more accepting to necessary changes over the years. Therefore, Lansing was the recipient of new plants and projects while Flint was not.

[@demonseed032]

I can attest to that, your friends are correct.

[@ChrisHarden]

Interesting. I believe it!

[@demonseed032]

@@ChrisHarden I actually had a total of 10 relatives who retired out of Buick. I heard the stories and saw for myself! Again thanks for the video.

[@SU1C1D3xPR4D4]

Yep. Look into why Buick city was closed. GM isn’t afraid of gutting and redoing a plant and it keeps plants local to east Michigan.

[@SkullCandy5671]

Born and raised in Flint, my mom worked at truck and bus. My sister has been working at a Lansing plant for close to 5 years now and it seems like they are always getting ready to strike for something. I work for a contractor at a plant in the area. A lot of the union jobs that were GM are now contracted out, like my job. There are 2 production lines inside of the truck plant and only 1 of them is running. They don't make the medium duty trucks there anymore. They still use the Buick city lot to ship vehicles via railroad and for overflow.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

5:20 outsourcing all our chip manufacturering to Taiwan was such a stupid idea

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

@@Henry_Jones Intel and AMD used to have their own fabs, they now just outsource everything to TSMC

[@michaelatoz580]

As I recall Ford did not take any bailout money. GM and Chrysler took the money 💰

[@mwesolo1315]

thats true, and people want to say chevy is better, not what the sales say 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@AL4N.]

Ford sure did try to get some that bailout money tho.

[@anthonyholder1431]

Very accurate, Being born n raised here I’ve seen the upside n downside n deterioration of my home town

[@ChrisHarden]

I like Flint. Rooting for a comeback. It’ll take a long time if it happens though.

[@brayleeparkinsonauthor]

Great video, Chris. Nice job explaining what happened with the unions and automakers.

[@mrtwister3150]

I lived in Flint and Michigan for 47 years. Well not anymore. We moved to Florida. And much better wages and less taxes and no unions.

[@johnhatchel9681]

Funny how less unions create more prosperity.

[@wjb111]

I recall a 2008 article in the Flint Journal. It stated 30 years prior (1978) that GM had employed 78,000 people in Genesee county and was down to less than 8,000 in 2008. We all know it got even worse in 08 & 09. SAD!

[@billhoward1918]

I think a lot of UAW communities got used to the O.T. then when we just went to 40 a week that wasn't enough to make it, along with the fanny mae loan debacle letting people become easily upside down...live within our means guys.

[@randalscandal1588]

It was greed on the part of the workers and UAW. They drove labor costs too high and the company couldn't fire shitty workers. A lot of the auto plants were surrounded by bars that were packed all day and night with workers that would sneak out, get drunk and sneak back in. THAT is what killed Flint.

[@Ruffi0]

Wish I could have seen Michigan in its heyday

[@ChrisHarden]

Same

[@mikeywalmsley6341]

The Buick plant use to have a hotel in it and also a store

[@lowellwhite1603]

My father and a few of his brothers came to Flint from Missouri in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s to find work in the auto plants which most of them did. He worked at “Chevy in the hole” during the great sit down strike but instead of taking part, he and my mother drove to Missouri to visit relatives. During WWII, they changed to war production and he welded armor on to halftracks. In the 1950’s he was injured in an industrial accident but recovered and retired in 1970 and died a decade later. With his “Generous Motors” wages and benefits we lived a middle class lifestyle in a Flint suburb even though Dad barely finished grade school but learned skilled trades at “the shop”. My brother in law worked at Buick City for many years but had to retire on disability as the fumes he was subjected to gave him COPD. I was born in Flint in the early 1950’s but never lived in the city. However we went to a church on North Saginaw which still exists. I went to Mott college for a couple years but it was Genesee college back then and even met old CS Mott once. I worked a few jobs in college but by the time I graduated in the 1970’s the Flint economy had gone downhill and I took a job in Oakland county and moved down there although I returned often to visit family. I moved back to the Flint suburb I grew up in when I retired. I’m less than ten miles from Flint but rarely go there, maybe the Farmers Market or pass through if I have business on the other side of town. I remember what Flint was like in the glory days in the late 50’s and 60’s. The whole of Saginaw St was filled with thriving businesses and downtown was bustling. In the late 60’s and very early 70’s, Genesee Valley Mall opened and many downtown businesses moved there or the Eastland Mall. In 1973 when I just graduated from college, I had a job near downtown. I went to the Original Coney Island for lunch but downtown was dead, just in a few years. In 1970 there was a long ruinous strike which hurt and I always thought that was also the beginning of the end for Flint. Downtown Flint isn’t as bad as it was. Some businesses are back, aided by Flint UofM. The neighborhoods are still bad with an understaffed police force.

[@bobmackay3414]

Flint: Detroit's little sister

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

Reminds me alot of Schenectady NY but unlike Flint Schenectady managed to turn itself around

[@ChrisHarden]

@@AdamSmith-gs2dv Many of Michigan's cities and counties recieved their names from municipalities in New York. Genesee County... Rochester, Troy, Flushing, Holland and Farmington being some of the bigger ones. Michigan also adopted the same system that New York used when surveying the land for Townships, Cities and Counties.

[@brotherBard]

The birth of the union was the beginning of the end of manufacturing in the upper Midwest and now even the country itself. Now we see that the whole economy of this country suffers because of the lack of manufacturing. What happened to Flint will happen to the whole country. The deterioration is creeping all across the board. So many people are moving to Texas because it's the last beacon of light left......... soon it too will go down with the ship.

[@Golfing422]

Globalism, the race to the bottom.

[@johnhatchel9681]

I hope not Texas and Florida are our inspiration, lol.

[@bigstuff52]

@@johnhatchel9681 You got that right John..

[@bigstuff52]

Texas ,the last beacon of light..God help us..The only reason some of the corps are in Texas are because of the maquiladoras right aross the river..make the part in mexico and run it across the border(thanks to Willy Clinton) to Texas and assemble it.... Texas along with New Mexico and Arizona, three of the most corrupt states concerning transportation activities..Ask any truck driver,like me..

[@jetsons101]

To help Flint and other great American cities come back: Decouple from the CCP (china) Bring jobs back (Made in USA) Cut taxes and Regulations Buy "Made in USA" Jobs build a good tax base. Workers, management and state/local governments need to play nice with each other. Vote only people that support the above. Make schools and parks clean, safe and family friendly. Have "Trade Schools" - - - not everyone is destined for college. Have places for families to go and spend quality time with each other. We all need to get along with each other for the good for us all.

[@ddvette]

Name one Democratic administration that cuts taxes and regulations. Not going to happen.

[@shiznitts]

When Flint becomes Burton, you can immediately start telling the difference in the upkeep, policing standards, and general wellfare. Flint is being infected by addiction and bled dry by corruption. I'll be homeless Vet by tomorrow living in Flint. It's the only place I could afford and in actuality I was just slowly drowning. I have two kids and am divorced. I can't afford the child support, the rent, the car payment, bills, and groceries with what I make. I am working with the VA but the process is slow and I've had to start back at zero more times than I care to mention. I don't think Flint is that bad but there's something about it here that just defeats people.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

Another example of the women ruining the mens life. And people wonder why men don't want to get married

[@shiznitts]

@@AdamSmith-gs2dv Oh nah, she didn't ruin my life. She's a pretty good momShe wasn't there for me, didn't care about me and still doesn't but I'm the one who fucked shit up and I can't really blame her. We were both toxic to and for each other.

[@demonseed032]

Stay strong my friend and thank you for your service. You're correct about Burton.

[@JWsGarage]

I’ll never understand why people stay there or go back, I’m from flint myself joined the Marine Corps to get out and never went back. Best decision I ever made.

[@RickC-4]

Depends on where you're at in Burton really. I recently moved from Burton because I could see the transition. 1 month after I moved, someone was shot in the house next door!! With 2 daughters, I'm glad I got them out when I did. There is still a significant change in upkeep(for now) when you cross Hemphill but the change is happening.

[@jasonlawrence2143]

Yes I once applied at the last GM plant in Flint last summer as a joke. The security were super standoffish, yet helpful 😂 They pointed in a promising future in the field of janitorial work for Aramark. Who wants to clean those toilets 😂.Fenton resident here.

[@RickC-4]

Janitorial doesn't always consists of cleaning toilets. I wouldn't recommend working for Aramark though. I worked for them for several years at a few different Dupont locations. Had to quit just to get a raise! Only good thing I got out of that job is my wife of 21 years and our 2 beautiful girls.

[@timr31908]

The government and the union are the reason automobiles cost way too much

[@markscott5421]

The investors that bought the plants weren't too bright they should have made GM reduce the sale price or provide some type of funds in the sale to cover the cleanup costs. Whoever was the attorney reviewing the sale paperwork for the investors should have been fired.

[@Martbody6]

good job. Chris. enjoyed the video.

[@nuckin1]

Born and raised in Flint. Lived there from 63 to 75. This video didnt even show the worst part of Flint which is where they refer to as "The States" just off of Franklin. The one school that they showed was Lowell which is in the States. Its like the worst parts of the bronx or watts in LA..

[@AL4N.]

Oh stop, the north end is and always has been more dangerous. Than the states.

[@dustinwillis351]

Flint is the town that can't die

[@ChrisL-ni9tb]

Have family that retired from Flints Buick plant years ago. Although most are over 65, all have left Flint indefinitely due to deteriorating conditions in and around the area in general.

[@WoodworkerDan]

Excellent video. Your comments about the unions are, in my experience, quite accurate. I am a strong advocate of workers' rights, but the unions did not understand the effect their demands were having on the auto industry, nor did they give much thought to the long-term consequences of their actions.

[@ChrisHarden]

Exactly how I see it, you said it well yourself.

[@johnhatchel9681]

Exactly

[@ThePlayer442]

the university housing development is built on a old buick dump.

[@syu2003]

I am so sad watching this video 😭 I am from China and now living in the USA and really hope the manufacturing returns to this nation. My hometown Chongqing of China now produces 2 millions of cars & trucks annually and plans to double the production next ten years

[@jmd1743]

The company should clean it up and the feds should give the bill to GM.

[@michaelatoz580]

GM filed bankruptcy and formed a new GM thus walking away from cleaning up old abandoned plants.

[@jmd1743]

​@@michaelatoz580 If I were to look at their stock through a trading program would it say "GM" or "general motors"? What about on their financial filings? I say clean it up & turn the empty lot into a new hospital which would eat up a lot of empty space. You could build a really wide parking garage so you're actually able to back-out of your parking space without too much of a hassle. if the hospital doesn't eat enough empty space then slap down a nice animal vet clinic as well with space given for fenced pastures for grazing animals. That would attract a lot of workers that have middle class income. If Detroit is making a comeback then flint likely could as well.

[@michaelatoz580]

@@jmd1743 Detroit is not making a comeback. Pockets of Detroit have had hugh tax incentives to relocate sporting stadiums across town. Other pockets are getting tax breaks for development but that has never recaptured lost taxes for future tax revenue. You have Downtown, midtown and Cork town in Detroit showing some improvement but as a whole Detroit has way too much land mass to cover with little tax revenue. You have 142 SQ miles of the city population of 670,000. New York City has 300 SQ miles within the city with a population of 8.8 million people. Detroit does not have the population to make a real come back.

[@michaelatoz580]

@@jmd1743 The United States created a plan to help reorganize General Motors under Chapter 11. The new company, General Motors Company LLC, is entirely separate from the original General Motors. A variety of changes have been made to the structure of the company to ensure that it will be more successful in the future:

[@demonseed032]

@@michaelatoz580 Good post. I worked for the plant featured in this vid but ended up in the Detroit area and retired. Not from the automotive industry.

[@mattd.4133]

Yeah I live in an area full of car parts manufacturers and 2 Toyota plants not far away. Believe me the only people getting ahead in these plants is upper management and the high corporate assholes. We ALL deserve a livable wage!

[@Charles53412]

The old Buick grounds has tripled in storage and a New plant is being built across from Leer right now at Hamilton and Industrial. My guess it's to help with chip installation.

[@murcoxc]

Southwestern High School is still in use.

[@ChrisHarden]

Not as a traditional public high school

[@murcoxc]

Grades 9-12, flint community school.

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Fascinating video 😊

[@1L6E6VHF]

Also of note: The streets named after colleges are names of HBCU Colleges.

[@ChrisHarden]

A few of them are. Not all.

[@InsensitiveLout]

Late to the party here, but there are a lot of fingers to point for Flint's demise. There are 3 main offenders IMO: the UAW, GM management, and Flint city "leaders". UAW abuses during the 70s and into the 80s were legendary . . . clocking each other in/out when not there, liquid lunches, and "GM owes me a job" entitlement are just a few examples. This contributed to poor build quality which was the pebble that started the avalanche. Sadly, much of this mentality moved to Lansing and Orion as Flint facilities closed. Spineless GM management allowed this to happen, and even more importantly approved lackluster designs with substandard engineering. Combine the militant union with bad design/engineering and the quality issues throughout the 80s are what flung the door wide open for Japanese makers. Regarding Flint city officials, not much need be said. The lack of foresight having their wagon tied to a single horse lasted decades. City officials being "in bed" with the UAW only made it more difficult to diversify. The dysfunction of the City Council continues to this day.

[@ChrisHarden]

Well said.

[@johnhatchel9681]

You are right. That's exactly how it happened.

[@302Mustang13]

To me it looks like both GM and the unions are equally responsible for Flint's downfall from one of the best cities in America to one of the worst. Can't help but notice the unions put too much pressure on a company to the point they close down and relocate. Sounds counterproductive because most GM vehicles I see on dealer lots are made outside the United States.

[@duckie0892]

But it was dangerous and ghetto when the factories were still open

[@brianmartin5601]

Enjoyed the video

[@tonymontana3467]

110% correct about the Bolshevik unions.

[@demonseed032]

The Lear building must be the old admin building. It was really nice, my mom and aunt worked out of it.

[@MichaelDabish]

Hello from Flint. One interesting fact recently marijuana legalization has brought a bit of a economic stimulus to Flint as there are a high amount of dispensaries and growing operations in the city. The state of Michigan made a point to give some of the first licenses to the most economically impoverished cities in Michigan

[@rockystelone21]

You're kidding me right?

[@Rurot]

You should come back to flint and surrounding areas like Swartz creek and see how they are now !

[@demonseed032]

Thank you for the video though I feel like my heart has been ripped out. Born and raised on Forest Hill/Civic Park area until we eventually moved, it was a great place to be a kid. I worked at Buick as a per diem summer replacement, both sides of my family worked for GM but all ended up transferring to Buick by their retirement. I miss it so. Btw is the beautiful admin building at 902 E Hamilton still standing?

[@armorer94]

"Industrial Ruins" is a fancy way to say "Sh*thole".

[@Tuc85743]

The property where LEAR is setting use to be the BUICK Corporate HQ

[@davidgiezyng4195]

What was the address of the old GM BOC building in Flint Michigan ?

[@cooldog8856]

You should go visit Grand Rapids while your in Michigan, and if your back in Illinois Aurora-Naperville, Elgin, and Joliet are great places to visit and offer alot of variety in terms of rich to poverty. Waukegan is also another good option but I'm not to familiar with it.

[@ChrisHarden]

I live in Michigan. I’ll made videos on GR one day. I’ll be coming back to Illinois to finish things up there as well.

[@1L6E6VHF]

@@ChrisHarden Interesting. All along, I've been thinking you were from Illinois.

[@TheAnimeist]

Buick City should be converted into the world's largest flat ground skatepark. There would be so many opportunities for some obstacles. Graffiti and DIY allowed.

[@ChrisHarden]

Not a bad idea actually.

[@mazberry97]

Agree with you on the Unions 100%

[@a.b.d.3974]

Buick city just got a big grant for environmental clean up.

[@starnorthtoflintridge6657]

You got all of that Right

[@robertpotrykus8739]

you have more tha 4 colleges in flint now, U of M Flint Mott, Baker, Davenport, and Wayne State have joint operations in Flint.

[@buckshot6481]

Obozo told them to learn to write code !

[@jerrydemain2346]

thanks one more time sir, I LOVE you videos !!!

[@ChrisHarden]

Appreciate the kind words!

[@jean.luc.picard]

Nobody forces corporations to move overseas. I work in IT and they are moving jobs overseas. We are talking $30/hr jobs being replaced with $1/h employees. The literal function of a corporation is to make money at the expense of EVERYTHING else.

[@frankswecker8230]

What Union have you worked with?

[@ChrisHarden]

I'm the head of the Michigan KZbin Creators Union.

[@frankswecker8230]

@@ChrisHarden Hahaha that's a good one😃

[@frankswecker8230]

@@ChrisHarden anyway, unions are not the only reason for Flint and other rust belt city's. In the 70's and early 80's lots of workers where playing poker, drinking and doing drugs on the job. There is no Comparison on the UAW today to the UAW of 50 years ago. It seems to me that rust belt city's time was up no matter what because the auto industry was getting old and so were the factories, management and labor. Then came the Asian automakers and the industry was changed for the better, higher quality and cost. And the unions were changed too. The Union members I know are proud of there job AND the company they work for. Because if the company is successful then labor is successful. Anyway the rust belt city's will come back, but they will not be industrial company towns. Keep the videos coming, one of these days the city's you report on will improve but man is taking along time!😃

[@johnberry2877]

Flint, the only place in my lifetime where my vehicle was broken into. TWICE ! And I was just going through ! And the only place where, if you fall asleep with your mouth open, someone will steal your teeth 😂😂😂. OH, and the roads are worse than the ones in Fallujia 😂

[@johnberry2877]

The workers and management at GM both torpedoed Flint! The management was complacent with just about everything. The workers would literally punch in, go to the bar on the clock for their entire shift and come back HAMMERED and punch out or, go home after punching in and get drunk or, stay in the plant and sleep their entire shift. So, yeah Flint had it coming ! The entitlement mentality of the lazy GM slug still exists. I have worked as a contractor in many plants in Michigan, No just GM. Some Ford plants as well. The auto workers ARE the epitome of LAZY ! I strictly forbid my family from buying ANY American/ Mexican/ chi-com motors vehicles !

[@LoriMooreThompson]

I remember that as a kid. Guys were at the bar a good part of their shift. Making big bucks compared to our lower middle class family. My dad worked on the railroad in Flint.

[@anor94]

Flint has one public High School. Flint Southwestern Classical Academy is a part of the Flint Public School Sys.

[@ChrisHarden]

That's an academy, not a High School.

[@mistervacation23]

That's a real piece o' s*it town you got there son

[@kevinloving3141]

And to think GM got a government bailout and still laid off AMERICAN WORKERS.

[@michaelatoz580]

Look into the Mott foundation that will make a wonderful video for you. The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is a private foundation founded in 1926 by Charles Stewart Mott of Flint, Michigan. Mott was a leading industrialist in Flint through his association with General Motors.

[@ChrisHarden]

Talked all about the C.S. Mott Foundation, and C.S. Mott himself in my Downtown Flint video.

[@leesorenson6119]

Gm leaving flint is written in to a war portfolio I saw in DC 1983. The neglect is protected

[@roperflint8544]

I was born and raised in Flint

[@theugliest1794]

Buick city event center was a concert venue funded by patsy Lou and don Williamson... It opened in 2018 and closed in 2020 when don Williamson died. We had everyone from CeeLo green, to soulfly there...comedy shows, and big parties... Over a million dollars was put into that building to make it a good time and between don dying and covid... The city lost an amazing venue.

[@mayavenuemisfit814]

What I'm curious about is why these acts don't just use the Dort Center, since pretty much the only events that happen there anymore are hockey games.

[@theugliest1794]

@@mayavenuemisfit814 lol well first, the acts don't decide where they perform.

[@danielsentertainmentproduc1527]

What are some Flint suburbs that you know?

[@ChrisHarden]

Burton, Flint Township, Grand Blanc, Grand Blanc Township, Genesee Township, Flushing, Swartz Creek, Davison, that's about it.

[@1L6E6VHF]

@@ChrisHarden Beecher (an unincorporated community just north of flint) is quite bad as well. It has seen a five-year-old child stealing a gun from a crack house and killing a six-year-old girl with it, and a tornado killing more than a hundred residents. That tornado reigned among the worst until the recent Joplin, Missouri tornado.

[@LoriMooreThompson]

Burton, Grand Blanc, Flushing, Mt. Morris, Davison...

[@anneboban2002]

@@ChrisHarden Fenton & Fenton Township, Linden

[@quartytypo]

Show these cities in brutal winter so people can get an idea of how difficult it is to live there

[@NunyaBizznaz]

The Neeley sign in the midst of the decay is priceless. He's a clown.

[@kellysavage7073]

I bet if one wanted to make a post appocalyptic movie, the first place they could go would be Flint Michigan and the city would totally look the part of Post Appocalyptic thats for sure.

[@gregpanek523]

Well, there's still a solid downtown area to build around and plenty of industrial space for corporations to build on as long as you can find land that isn't a toxic waste dump. This should be a key focus of building back America.

[@ChrisHarden]

Flint's totally capable of coming back. All of the sites are capable of being cleaned up and safe for use again. Who knows if it will.

[@josephjuno9555]

My family is perfect example of that? All adults males in my family from my older brother to my Grandfather worked for GM? Now My 2 sisters, myself and my nephew are all in the Medical field instead! GM came to our schools in the late '70s and had big assembly in gym and told us straight out, "You will. NOT WORK FOR GM! There will Not be Any jobs for you in the future so don't plan to work there in the future!' They were right about that?

[@josephjuno9555]

I am the only male in my family to never work for GM. None of the younger ones will ever work for GM either. So sad to watch our city whither away...

[@robinmaelbrancke2560]

Done many laps at nearby Grattan raceway back in the day. I don't recognize it now. Saginaw too. Also played a lot of hockey in the Westland area of Detroit. My advice is to head north and join the Michigan Militia...

[@ejpulido1141]

It’s sad to see this only we can make things way better

[@milissapoisson6369]

If General Motors is solvent now, they should be required to refurbish this area...

[@rockystelone21]

No

[@shannonalaminski2619]

Looks like telegraph road in real life.

[@ryanpeake4256]

Flint is changing, in time we will come back.

[@hughjhardon8080]

Lol. No it won’t.

[@ameliarhodes5000]

I have to wonder how your observation of Flint may relate to Kenosha, WS. I had family there and use to visit them often, my 'nuclear' family lived in Chicago. In the 70s Kenosha seemed like another world. Still country but also benefitting from the AMC plant that employed people coming to Kenosha from Chicago and Milwaukee, maybe Green Bay as well as elsewhere for jobs. we all know about the presence of BLM and what it did to Kenosha. Beyond BLM violence and arson, I wonder how much of a once beautiful town is left.

[@ronaldlegree285]

What's left of America when jobs go to other nations.

[@Shatyice420]

Unions definitely hurt, but the bigger problem which is GM had the choice on multiple occasions: Flint, or the shareholders. Needless to say who got the short end of the stick every time

[@frankstantonjr1153]

All the new grant money will be pilfered just like the old grant money

[@MrCtsSteve]

Well when you have 80,000 workers at GM down to roughly 8,000 ...this is going to happen.

[@TDurden527]

When a town/city is dependent on one employer like Flint a wise manager with the support of the citizens will diversify and attract employers in different manufacturing areas, and increase education to help that along. Obviously, the city and voters went along for the good times with the car industry and paid the price for looking at the short term. I feel sorry for Flint but Flint could have changed with the times and for a bunch of reasons not all of their own doing they didn't. Now they are paying and some that were not even alive when the decisions were made. Sad. 6:55 Ya . . . I was wondering when the clean up of the toxic wastes left by the car companies was gonna come up, lol. Of course . . . shut down the business and let the US taxpayer pay for cleaning up your shit.

[@buckfan1969]

A buddy of mine is from Flint. He refers to residents as 'Flintoids'...;) And I still remember a strip club called 'Frank's Titty City' in Flint. There was a sign on the wall above the bar that said; 'We don't report sexual harassment here; we grade it"....;) Flint is the culmination of decades of a monopoly industry and a union rewarding each other and then having to pay the price when competition arrived. My hometown and many other rustbelt cities went through it, but nobody got hit harder than Flint and maybe Detroit.

[@WFO.Ian.30]

Gm should be paying double taxes on the land they’re using for storage.

[@rockystelone21]

Why?

[@btoldem4850]

Now come see how it’s back flourishing now 😏