I find this article and the comments deeply disturbing. It is because this hits way too close to home. I am just going to let loose, and say what I feel I ought to say. I am from Middlebury. I know everyone of the places mentioned in this article intimately. I don't know how to give a rebuttal to the article, or to the comments. First off, unless you have lived down there, there is something you just don't understand. If you want a job, you will have to work for the RV industry. The only decent paying jobs for a 100 mile radius are either building RV's or supplying to the manufacture. Middlebury is a community that put all it's eggs in one basket. Since the 60's men have worked HARD in those factories, and have made well above avg. wages. I remember when you could work in Middlebury for $35/hr. get mad at your boss, walk out on the job, go across the road, and have a new job by lunch time paying $40/hr. The competition was fierce. Only the ablest bodied men could handle those jobs. I worked for Coachmen RV. I loved my job. I made very good money. I had so many benefits, it took an entire day to sign on to them all. Despite the fact I made more than the guy mentioned in the article (in part time hours!) I was not the highest paid RV employee. Many other companies paid much more, but they were hell holes! People took drugs, just to keep up with all the meth addicts on the assembly lines, working 7 days/week. For a clean man, it would kill them to work like that. But that is not my point. When I saw everything going under, I abandoned ship. My plant of 200 was cut to 100 and then to 50. I went to my boss, and told him, I felt I needed to leave, and to give my job to someone else. I left for bible college in Minneapolis. Have you ever looked for a job, where 60% of the populace is LAID OFF?! And the only surviving businesses are cut back to 3 or 4 days/week, including some employees laid off?! White trash? Well, maybe that guy had some issues. But I am going to tell you what Middlebury is like. If you can't work hard, you will not last. My immediate impression the first time I drove into that town was how strappin strong all the men were compared to towns around it. It is not a lazy man's town. But now, every other multi-million dollar factory is shut down, and weeds are growing up through the concrete. And all those fancy houses? (Middlebury is (WAS) an affluent community) Vacant! You see, Middlebury was the most coveted place for professionals to live. It has this dreamy white picket fence, small town, turn of the century feel. It's a trip back in time to the "good old days". The stuff of Norman Rockwell prints. But now it's a trip into the great depression era. Even the Amish are affected by the economic collapse. Many of the Rv factories were manned by Amish who needed those jobs just to pay for their farms. I am outraged that the S. Bend tribune would portray Middlebury like it's a cess pool of lazy white trash milking unemployment. There are only x amout of jobs. When most places go out of business in one year, all of those displaced workers are begging for any work they can find! I left. I saw it all coming, and I said, "It is time to get the Hell out of here!" You would not believe the people who fled! But,...there are many, who could not... for reasons unknown. Family? Heritage? Memories? We are talking about rich, well paid, American dream families here. Not white trash. Yes, at the Winner's Circle, you could expect to find some "losers". It's a bar! But this guys story is not at all representative of the populace. I watched hard working men, stand in line at that food pantry, stricken with shame and remorse. They did not want to be there. I can not describe what I saw. Strong, industrious men, ashamed, heads hanging low...hiding tears, with a hollow look of unbelief, and confusion, hungry, and thinking of their wife and kids' hunger. All I have to say is... this changed my life. It made me aware, that this is REAL. and it can happen to our nation in one fell swoop. So I have said my piece. BE PREPARED. And don't count on that good paying (or any paying) job to be around.