Jun 01 2009
“When Detroit Sneezes, Toledo Catches a Cold”
I remember hearing that saying a lot while growing up in Toledo in the 1970s. It makes me wonder: now that Detroit is on life support, what does that mean for Toledo, and for the rest of the state?
The old adage comes, of course, from Toledo’s role as a supplier of parts to the then “Big 3″ Detroit automakers. Now when we read of GM, Ford, and Chrysler plant closings, an Ohio plant is almost invariably on the list.
Now some may say, “what do you care, Mr. Hyundai driver?” Well, I do care, but it is all much more complicated than that.
I knew firsthand about Detroit’s sneezes, as my parents were UAW workers. I remember when I bought my first car–a used Chevrolet Chevette–I had bought it at the local Toyota dealer and they had put their name on the back. One day I noticed someone had covered “Toyota” over with electrical tape! Who in the world would do that? I mentioned it a few times, and finally Dad confessed. “I just couldn’t bear to look at that name in my driveway.”
My Dad was so scared by the imports that he couldn’t even look at a name. He knew they were a threat to his livelihood, but in many ways the threat came from within. My Dad used to tell me stories of how fellow UAW workers would deliberately sabotage parts and equipment to get back at management, or how they would goof off all day, and when caught the UAW would run in and threaten to shut the line down. So management did nothing.
So what was the result? That Chevette just about fell apart in a few years, as did practically every GM, Ford, and Chrysler product I have owned. I kept sticking with it, trying to “buy American” and support my UAW heritage. Meanwhile friends were buying Honda and Toyota products and driving them 200,000 miles and not fixing a thing.
The last straw was my wife’s POS 1998 Buick that literally fell apart in just 7 years and 99,000 miles. We bought a Hyundai, and we are having a much better experience with it than I have ever had with a GM, Ford, or Chrysler product.
So as Detroit sneezes Toledo into a death spiral, I wonder how much of that death was self inflicted. But it is still sad. Michael Moore says it all.
In looking for references to this saying, I came across someone who wrote song lyrics around “When Detroit sneezes, Toledo catches a cold.” Here they are:
http://forums.countrytabs.com/boards/m_120687/mpage_1/key_/tm.htm#121250
Your Buckeye, John Kazalia.
