Ps I will be going to Elmira on wed oct 4th for the lecture.

I'll take a look around and let you know if it is worse than went I was there for the conference.

Jules

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Laura Trombley
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2017 2:38 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: depressing article about current economic downturn in Elmira

Totally agree Matt!
It has been very sad to see Elmira struggling over the decades.
Laura


Sent from my iPhone

> On Sep 28, 2017, at 11:29 AM, Matthew Seybold <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> I have problems with many of the economic presumption underlying this 
> = account, but that aside, the most depressing line is definitely = 
> =E2=80=9Cperhaps best known as the hometown of American fashion icon = 
> Tommy Hilfiger.=E2=80=9D Poor reporting.
> 
>> On Sep 28, 2017, at 2:11 PM, Steve Hoffman =
> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> =20
>> Don't know if folks will be able to access this or=20 whether it's 
>> behind Wall St Journal's paywall (I=20 subscribe to it) but there's a 
>> big article in=20 today's edition about how our beloved Elmira NY 
>> is=20 hurting from decline in brick and mortar sales.=20 see link 
>> below. The huge area shopping mall is=20 just one large anchor-store 
>> closing away from=20 going out of business.  Sales tax revenue is 
>> way=20 down, depriving the city of revenues and forcing=20 cutbacks 
>> in municipal services.  And so on .....=20 As the article describes, 
>> with Elmira having lost=20 its manufacturing base, the large shopping 
>> mall is=20 one of its major employer, and now those=20 
>> brick-and-mortar retail jobs are disappearing as=20 well. T
>> =20
>> There is no mention in the article of the College=20 or the Twain 
>> connection ....
>> =20
>> Btw, during this summer's conference in Elmira, I=20 went to that 
>> mall and it was depressing as hell!
>> =20
>> =
> https://www.wsj.com/articles/retail-stores-made-elmira-n-y-an-unlikely
> -suc=
> cessnow-theyre-gone-1506525802
>> =20
>> Steve Hoffman
>> =20
>> Takoma Park MD