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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2010 > March > 08 > Entry
Editorial: ‘Last Truck’ very much an ongoing story
In the time between the debut of the “The Last Truck” at the Schuster Center last year and the remarkable scene at the Academy Awards show Sunday night, March 7, the story told by the documentary only got bigger and more important.
The HBO film made by Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar was about the General Motors Moraine Assembly Plant closing at Christmas 2008. Now the four former GM workers who went with the filmmakers to Hollywood for the Oscars are still out of work. That makes it a different kind of story.
Lots of people lose jobs all the time. Indeed, thousands of other auto workers have lost jobs in recent decades. But losing jobs is one thing when there are other jobs around.
The timing of the closing of the Moraine plant could not have been worse.
It happened to coincide with the historic collapse of the banking and financial sector of the American economy, a collapse that was to send the country into its worst economic tailspin in generations.
Imagine being a laid-off auto worker trying to find a job in that climate. That’s a whole other movie.
One scene might be from the Academy Awards show itself, with the unemployed workers fittingly present, having not only starred in the movie but helped to film inside the plant when the moviemakers themselves weren’t allowed in.
So there they were. One often hears of actors who are unemployed one year, then — struck by Hollywood lightning — find themselves at the Oscars the next. But the Daytonians were at the Oscars even while unemployed.
What a remarkable moment in the history of this community it would have been if “The Last Truck” had won in its category. Not exactly happy for the community, of course, given the nature of the story; but certainly a moment to be listed on a timeline history of Dayton.
Nobody in Dayton would relish having the city known for its problems. But what is is. Best to get the truth out there, then think about sequels, if not for HBO, then for the community.
Instead of an Oscar, the movie won itself a footnote in Oscar history as one of the nominees in the category that saw a “Kanye moment,” an outburst reminiscent of when Kanye West rapper interrupted Taylor Swift’s speech at the MTV Video Music Awards last fall.
The winning short-subject documentary was “Music by Prudence,” a fact which precipitated an interruption at the microphone and a nasty exchange afterward among “Prudence” people.
Unfortunately, however, such unseemly episodes don’t result in awards being rescinded and re-awarded to somebody else.
What the concrete result of an Oscar would have been for Dayton — or Moraine — is not clear. Some attention would have been drawn to the fact that Dayton has, to this day, a lot of unemployed workers ready to work in new enterprises.
Perhaps the most useful result would have been a renewed focus on just how hard it has been for many victims of job loss to recover, certainly in Ohio, and on just how much attention is still needed to the task of creating new jobs and fostering transitions to those jobs.
“The Last Truck” is not, most important, a story about the decline of the American auto industry. It’s not about history or 2008. It’s about today.
Permalink | Comments (11) | Post your comment | Categories: Auto industry, Editorials, Locals in national affairs, Martin Gottlieb
Comments
By It's Great in Dayton!!!
March 9, 2010 10:53 PM | Link to this
ALL OF THIS IS SIMPLY ANOTHER INDICATION THAT: —————-DAYTON’S DYING—————— ———-DAYTON’S DYING—————— ——————-DAYTON’S DYING—————— ——DAYTON’S DYING—————— ——————DAYTON’S DYING—————— —————————-DAYTON’S DYING——- ———-DAYTON’S DYING—————— -DAYTON’S DYING—————— ———————DAYTON’S DYING——————
By truthdoctor
March 10, 2010 7:40 AM | Link to this
What nonsense. Who in their right mind would hire an ex-union worker? Even if they were a good worker they went along with the destruction of the company they worked for and would gladly do it again. No businessman will start a company under the current fascist administration in Washington! Jobs belong to the company and none will return soon until there is a more friendly atmosphere in D.C. and Dayton.
By Rational Man
March 10, 2010 8:09 AM | Link to this
It’s Great in Dayton. Time for you to get a mental health checkup! Your obsessive posts indicate a compulsive disorder. Your tone indicates anger and sadism. Do yourself a favor and get an examination instead of posting your constant rage on this web site.
By It's Great in Dayton!!
March 10, 2010 8:38 AM | Link to this
Rational Man: Kiss my butt, you sanctimonious jerk!——How’s that for anger and sadism? I’ll try to work up a little OCD for you later.
By Rational Man
March 10, 2010 9:20 AM | Link to this
You protest quite loudly. Be sure to see a good mental health professional. It would do you some good.
By It's Great in Dayton!!!
March 10, 2010 9:38 AM | Link to this
I think you’re the guy to help me….what’s your name? Address? Where do you work?
By It's Great in Dayton!!
March 10, 2010 11:54 PM | Link to this
DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING DAYTON’S DYING
By fortressdayton
March 11, 2010 12:26 PM | Link to this
While the film may document a ‘sad chapter’ it is reminiscent of North Korean propaganda films: place the blame elsewhere, pine for ‘the good old days’ and sing solidarity. It’s time for the Last truck to drive away. And not come back. The jobs that Dayton/Moraine lost lie at the feet of greedy union bosses, who sacrified the milk cow for a juicy steak. You are your own worst enemies, UAW. The UAW nail in Dayton’s coffin is particularly large.
By JamesB
March 11, 2010 2:34 PM | Link to this
Hey fortressdayton, The Moraine plant was an IUE plant, not a UAW plant. Please make sure your moronic propaganda is spewed corretly. But then again idiotic statements such as yours have no direction do they?
By DAYTON EVACUATION COMMAND CENTER
March 12, 2010 8:48 AM | Link to this
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Due to the rapid collapse of the City of Dayton, an immediate evacuation of the city has been ordered. For your safety and that of your family, please proceed out of Dayton as quickly as possible, by any means possible. Aid station have been set up on major roads for Dayton refugees. Medical help will be available for those with gunshot wounds, lice/crab/bedbug infestations, or individuals requiring detox.
By fortressdayton
March 12, 2010 10:04 AM | Link to this
@James B: If am mistaken, then I stand corrected. The UAW had nothing to do with the Moraine plant? I am asking seriously. If not, as I said, I stand corrected. My statements do have direction, sir. I mean to indicate exactly what I said. The US auto industry put itself on the block, but not without the greedy help of Top Management. If I offended your (presumably) union sensibilities, please accept my apologies. This I stand by: for a nation built on the concept if competition, it is oddly hypocritical that its largest industries, CEOs and Unions should do its best to avoid it.