Jimmy Carter and the Search for Industrial Jobs

"This is my fifth visit to Flint, Michigan, and I always enjoy coming here. And I particularly wanted to come here this morning—and in a way I hate to say this, but I'm going to be frank with you-because of all the cities that have been hurt by the changes that have taken place in the automobile industry, with excessive imports and too slow a change to new models, Flint has been hurt the most. As President, my heart goes out to those who suffer, and I know that the people in Flint, Michigan, have been suffering. And I came here to let you know that I, as President, Vice President Mondale, Secretary Goldschmidt of Transportation, my whole administration is working with the leaders of UAW and all the manufacturing leaders in the automobile industry to put Flint, Michigan, back on its feet economically and to provide jobs for you workers. That's why I came."

President Jimmy Carter
October 1, 1980

Energy deja vu

With the Michigan economy suffering through yet another assault from high gas prices and plummeting auto sales, and the entire nation gripped with anxiety, it's instructive to look back to the late seventies and early eighties and remind ourselves that this "crisis" is not exactly unexpected. Take a minute to rediscover the energy policies of a very unpopular president — Jimmy Carter — and the man many consider the most successful leader in the modern era — Ronald Reagan. (Apologies for the low volume on the man from Plains, Georgia.)

Who had the right approach?