The steel mills

[WNYresident]

As a tax base in business versus residential, how much revenue was being pulled from the mills when they were booming?

[Chet Kowal]

Basing this only on memory, something like 90% of Lackawanna's taxes (in 1970) comes to mind. To compare: in 1950, the largest taxpayer in Buffalo was the New York Central Railroad - but I don't know what percentage they paid.

[WNYresident]

Basing this only on memory, something like 90% of Lackawanna's taxes (in 1970) comes to mind. To compare: in 1950, the largest taxpayer in Buffalo was the New York Central Railroad - but I don't know what percentage they paid.

Did they consume 90% of the needed services?

[mikewrona]

Did they consume 90% of the needed services?

Yeah they did. The city was was filthy with soot from the mill, it smelled up all along Route 5, it destroyed Smokes Creek, and put Mercury and other industrial solids into Lake Erie. The owners of the plant fulfilled the Libertarian promise that business does only good and will do nothing to devalue their property.

Because of Bethlehems Libertarian guardianship of it's land, the plant is gone, the land is useless, and no good old American businessman will invest his money in a property that another good old American business destroyed for our lifetime and more.

What's your point?

[Mr. Lackawanna]

Yeah they did. The city was was filthy with soot from the mill, it smelled up all along Route 5, it destroyed Smokes Creek, and put Mercury and other industrial solids into Lake Erie. The owners of the plant fulfilled the Libertarian promise that business does only good and will do nothing to devalue their property.

Because of Bethlehems Libertarian guardianship of it's land, the plant is gone, the land is useless, and no good old American businessman will invest his money in a property that another good old American business destroyed for our lifetime and more.

What's your point?

The Democrat Party in Lackawanna at this time was bought and paid for by Bethlehem Steel. Most of the pollution at this time was not illegal. Over the years Bethlehem Steel spent billions in trying to clean up and protect the environment but the government kept changing the standards. This may be one of many reasons heavy industry left this country and went to a country where their are no environmental laws. All factory's in WNY were also polluting the environment but they created jobs. Do you have something against jobs.

Are you driving a car? If so you are destroying our environment. Will you stop driving a car?

[mikewrona]

The Democrat Party in Lackawanna at this time was bought and paid for by Bethlehem Steel. Most of the pollution at this time was not illegal. Over the years Bethlehem Steel spent billions in trying to clean up and protect the environment but the government kept changing the standards. This may be one of many reasons heavy industry left this country and went to a country where their are no environmental laws. All factory's in WNY were also polluting the environment but they created jobs. Do you have something against jobs.

Are you driving a car? If so you are destroying our environment. Will you stop driving a car?

Mr Lackawanna Steeler - If you want to talk about all the other companies that pollute start another thread. The discussion here is about Bethlehem Steel. You must have been one of those guys who held a job at the Plant, DPW, and Fire Department all at the same time, sleeping while at two of them (most likely the night shift at Bethlehem).

Don't blame environmental regulations as Bethlehem problem. The problem is cyanide, mercury, Slag, limestone and iron ore impurities, Sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and other waste products that are in the ground, creek, and water were put there by Bethlehem Steel.

Who do you think should be cleaning that up?

Since you raised the question, what's the practical non-polluting alternative to the car for personal transportation?