{"id":1968311,"date":"2023-07-10T07:45:02","date_gmt":"2023-07-10T11:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-twist-on-nimby-no-factory-in-my-backyard\/"},"modified":"2023-07-10T07:47:05","modified_gmt":"2023-07-10T11:47:05","slug":"new-twist-on-nimby-no-factory-in-my-backyard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-twist-on-nimby-no-factory-in-my-backyard\/","title":{"rendered":"No factory wanted in my backyard."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">12<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnew-twist-on-nimby-no-factory-in-my-backyard%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1968311&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><strong>By Timothy Aeppel and Ben Klayman<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>MARSHALL, Mich. (Reuters) \u2013<\/strong> Fred Chapman has a message for Ford Motor Co, which is planning to build a sprawling factory on the outskirts of this town to make batteries for electric cars and which promises to employ 2,500 people.<\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-1\" style=\"min-width: 320px; min-height: 50px;  text-align: center;\">  \t<script>  \t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-1'); });  \t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"ad-slot__ad-label\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cWe don\u2019t need jobs,\u201d<\/strong> he says.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a surprising view coming from Chapman, a 62-year-old toolmaker who has spent his whole career in manufacturing and watched, over the decades, as factory after factory in the region shut down, including one in Marshall that made auto parts where Chapman worked for nearly a decade. He now commutes to a factory job in a nearby city.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most enduring ideas in the U.S. industrial heartland is that a manufacturing renaissance is necessary to finally shake the region\u2019s \u201cRust Belt\u201d image. And there are some signs that may be starting to happen.<\/p>\n<p>Construction spending on U.S. factories more than doubled over the past year, hitting an annual rate of nearly $200 billion in May, according to the Census Bureau. <\/p>\n<p>President Joe Biden has made a factory revival a centerpiece of \u201cBidenomics,\u201d and his administration has pushed through legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act that both injected direct funding and tax incentives for manufacturing construction.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing now accounts for nearly 13 million U.S. jobs, the highest since 2008. But that belies the fact that factory work is increasingly a niche slice of the U.S. job market, accounting for just over 8.3% of jobs as of June, the lowest share ever.<\/p>\n<p>Many of the new factories now going up are huge, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-twist-on-nimby-no-factory-in-my-backyard\/\" title=\"No factory wanted in my backyard.\">involving multiple billion-dollar investments<\/a> and creating thousands of jobs. Developers call these \u201cmegasites\u201d and there\u2019s a surge in their construction across the U.S.    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<h2>SIGN OF THE TIMES: \u2018STOP THE MEGASITE\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Ford officials have run up against resistance to its plans, however, in the latest iteration of a phenomenon known as NIMBY, which stands for \u201cNot In My Back Yard.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is a trend that we are seeing across the country,\u201d said Gabby Bruno, Ford\u2019s director of economic development, \u201cand one that has really ramped up recently due to a number of these megasites finally being developed, especially in the clean energy space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Not everyone wants giant projects, even in places that would seem ripe for a factory renaissance. Soon after Ford\u2019s project was announced in February, worried residents jammed town meetings, demanding more details on what was coming. Signs popped up on roadsides that plead: \u201cStop the Megasite.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis whole thing would be different if they had brought the community into the discussion,\u201d said Glenn Kowalske, a retired engineer and one of the local leaders of the group fighting the project.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents contend the project was rushed through final approvals and could cause environmental damage. It\u2019s being built on former farm fields and woodlands next to a winding river just outside the city. Some worry the new technology of battery-building could lead to accidents, which might allow lithium to leach into the groundwater.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m an engineer,\u201d said Kowalske, \u201cI know what lithium is \u2013 it\u2019s a very volatile element.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ford\u2019s Bruno said the carmaker\u2019s plant design includes plans for such safety features as double-walled tanks, dedicated piping to collect industrial wastewater, and special fencing to prevent soil run-off into the nearby Kalamazoo River.<\/p>\n<p>Critics also balk at the involvement of a Chinese company in the project: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd. Ford has a license to use CATL\u2019s technology in the plant along with services provided by the Chinese battery giant.<\/p>\n<p>Bruno countered CATL\u2019s involvement is \u201climited\u201d and the plant is 100% Ford\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>The sheer size of the project is also a sore point. A parcel of about 750 acres has been zoned for industrial development since the 1960s, and over the years, other manufacturers have looked at building a factory here. But as local economic development officials worked with Ford and other prospective investors, it became clear they needed a much bigger footprint. They added two adjacent parcels that added about 1,100 acres.<\/p>\n<p>Only about 950 acres will be used by Ford, said Bruno, with a portion of that set aside as a conservation easement along the river. The rest has been earmarked by economic development officials for suppliers and other developments.<\/p>\n<p>To be sure, residents often fight big developments that threaten to alter the character of their communities. In some cases, they win, as happened when New York City residents rebuffed Amazon Inc\u2019s efforts to build a second headquarters in the city.<\/p>\n<p><h3>COMMUNITY ROADBLOCKS<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>The more common outcome is delays, as local opponents mount legal challenges and throw up other roadblocks. In Marshall, residents petitioned to hold a referendum on the project, gathering over 800 signatures in a city of 6,800. That effort is stalled, however, after the town rejected the petition. Activists are now suing.<\/p>\n<p>James Durian, CEO of the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance, which has spearheaded the development, said he understands that some residents were startled by the project\u2019s size and the speed at which it came together. But he contends that was necessary to land Ford.<\/p>\n<p>Durian said he understands the concerns about the Chinese involvement in the project. The U.S. has an adversarial relationship with China, but he said it has gotten \u201ca little weird and paranoid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sue Damron, owner of Schuler\u2019s Restaurant and Pub in downtown Marshall, supports the project. She believes factory workers will move to Marshall to work for Ford. \u201cThe people coming to work for Ford have spouses and children,\u201d she said. \u201cThey will give me an employee base to add to my small business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Chapman, the toolmaker, remains skeptical. His house sits across the street from the Ford site, known as BlueOval Battery Park, and he\u2019s been approached about selling his house to the developers. But he doesn\u2019t want to move.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, he sees a looming labor problem. The jobless rate in surrounding Calhoun County is 4.6% \u2013 above the national jobless rate of 3.6% \u2013 but still low by historical standards. He notes that the factory he works at, in nearby Battle Creek, has struggled to find skilled workers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m in the industry. I see it,\u201d he said, adding that his company has even recruited workers from Mexico to fill positions. \u201cIt\u2019s just weird, there\u2019s not a supply of workers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p> (Reporting by Timothy Aeppel in New York and Ben Klayman in Marshall, Michigan; Editing by Dan Burns and Nick Zieminski)<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/uncategorized\/new-twist-on-nimby\/attachment\/file-photo-chapmans-pose-for-a-picture-in-front-of\/\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/uncategorized\/new-twist-on-nimby\/attachment\/general-view-of-a-mural-in-downtown-marshall\/\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/uncategorized\/new-twist-on-nimby\/attachment\/file-photo-ford-motor-to-build-3-5-billion-electric-vehicle\/\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Facebook and Meta\u2019s Mark Zuckerberg releases new Threads app, which many say is a \u2018softer\u2019 version of rival Elon Musk\u2019s Twitter app, but the new app faces controversy.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>National Political Correspondent Neil W. McCabe interviewed pollster Doug Kaplan about his Kaplan Strategies poll showing Louisiana\u2019s Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry with a commanding lead in his race to be the next the next Pelican State governor.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>New reports allege that a top Conservative group is imploding, after it\u2019s been revealed that the founder is aligning herself with one presidential candidate. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg releases his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tusk-ceo-jeff-bermant-on-threads-launch\/\" title=\"Tusk CEO Jeff Bermant discusses Threads launch.\">latest social media app<\/a> to rival Twitter, In his feud with Elon Musk.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>BENGALURU (Reuters) \u2013 Foxconn said on Monday it is pulling out of a joint venture with Vedanta Ltd that was set up\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>(Reuters) -The group representing China\u2019s auto manufacturers has retracted a pledge to avoid \u201cabnormal pricing\u201d that it had brokered between 16 automakers,\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>LONDON (Reuters) \u2013 British online supermarket and technology group Ocado said on Monday its first robotic warehouse in Asia, built for Japanese\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>By Karin Strohecker LONDON (Reuters) \u2013 Some two dozen central banks across emerging and advanced economies are expected to have digital currencies\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>message from Fred Chapman to Ford Motor Co. in Marshall, Mich. He states that despite their plans to build a large factory employing 2,500 people for electric car batteries, the town does not require additional jobs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":1968312,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[542],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1968311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oann"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1968311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1968311"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1968311\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1968312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1968311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1968311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1968311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}