TONGANOXIE, Kan. — When Shannon Reischman takes in the sweeping view from the big hill behind her in-laws' farmhouse outside the northeastern Kansas town of Tonganoxie, she sees a rural oasis that's an easy commute to Kansas City-area jobs.
Tyson Foods Inc. looked at the bedroom community of about 5,300 people and saw a good place to build a $320 million chicken-processing plant. And when the Springdale, Arkansas-based agribusiness giant announced its plans in early September, residents such as Reischman were quick to mobilize. But they weren't on social media to court the company. They used their posts to organize protests to drive Tyson away.
Two weeks after the announcement, local officials withdrew their support. Tyson put its plans for Tonganoxie on hold and, while emphasizing that it has not abandoned them altogether, it is considering other options.
Industry and state officials are a bit mystified that any community would turn away 1,600 jobs. Kansas is still trying to attract the plant, but in another town.
"We don't want to be a chicken town," said Reischman, a 36-year-old mother of four who lives on a 10-acre (4-hectare) farm.
More
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Good for them.
ReplyDeleteToo Late For us here on the shore
ReplyDeleteuse to be a good place to live
Now it is just a good place to be FROM
So now when these Dumbasses complain about no jobs we can shove this in their face!
ReplyDelete$13 to $15 an hour. Perdue don't pay that. Da bury chikin town!
ReplyDeleteTyson has a history of bringing in refugee labor
ReplyDelete"Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteSo now when these Dumbasses complain about no jobs we can shove this in their face!
October 31, 2017 at 8:48 AM"
Slaughter houses are a main cause of poverty and blight, low property values, low home ownership, high entitlement recipients. They prevent good paying jobs for moving in because most people do not want to poison themselves or their families with the toxic waste dumps slaughter houses make of the surrounding land and waterways.
Slaughter houses are a main cause of poverty and blight, low property values, low home ownership, high entitlement recipients. They prevent good paying jobs for moving in because most people do not want to poison themselves or their families with the toxic waste dumps slaughter houses make of the surrounding land and waterways.
ReplyDeleteOctober 31, 2017 at 11:18 AM:
You don't make a single valid point. Everything you say is false, and you don't have anything to back up your falsehoods. And if you feel that way, I dare you to eat chickens, one of the healthiest meats a human can consume. I suppose you are one of those liberals that would rather see the thousands of employees,that are employed by the chicken industry, be on the government dole, rather than employed at jobs with benefits, producing goods we all want.
Former MD Governor Willie Schaefer was right - we folks here on the eastern shore are from the sh--thouse side of the bay.
ReplyDeleteHe's got that right. Low wages, stench, environmental pollution, poverty, that's nothing new for us eastern shore-men. We've gotten use to being treated as Maryland's second class citizens.