{"id":309654,"date":"2026-10-19T05:24:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T05:24:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/309654\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T05:24:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T05:24:12","slug":"bethlehem-pennsylvania-in-a-former-us-steel-city-ordinary-people-struggle-to-get-by","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/309654\/","title":{"rendered":"Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: In a former US steel city, ordinary people struggle to get by"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a US city once known for its steel industry, workers enjoy family outings beside retired, rust-streaked blast furnaces.<\/p>\n

This massive steel mill in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, fell silent in the 1990s.<\/p>\n

But the partially redeveloped industrial site came alive again at a recent Oktoberfest event featuring attendees in Bavarian dress, large beer steins and a massive screen playing American football.<\/p>\n

Among the event’s attendees were supporters of President Donald Trump, who\u00a0stand by his Republican Party, despite disappointments.<\/p>\n

Commercial roofer Nev Hamm recalled living “right behind” the steel plant in the 1980s, when it was still running.<\/p>\n

“It was good and they screwed up here. They gave it away,” the 62-year-old told AFP.<\/p>\n

But he believes that industry is “coming back” thanks to Trump’s protectionist policies.<\/p>\n

“It’s gonna be better as soon as we’re done with the Iranian war,” Hamm added, referring to the US-Israel war with Iran that started in late February.<\/p>\n

Bethlehem sits at the heart of the Lehigh Valley, a former US stronghold of heavy industry.<\/p>\n

Workers now find jobs in logistics, food manufacturing — especially pet food — and a growing pharmaceutical sector, with a plant for weight-loss drugs opening soon.<\/p>\n

Beth Piniella, 40, feels that her family is doing all right.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

“I make decent money,” she told AFP of her job cleaning a warehouse for a packaging and business supplies distributor.<\/p>\n

On Trump, for whom she voted, she added: “I really think it’s hit or miss on certain things.”<\/p>\n

Nearby, her husband Brian said he was “a little disappointed.”<\/p>\n

“I thought prices were coming down,” he said.<\/p>\n

– ‘Stuck’ –\"The<\/p>\n

The district where they live could tip control of the US House of Representatives to Democrats following the November 3 midterm elections.<\/p>\n

Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie won by a narrow margin in 2024.<\/p>\n

His Democratic rival is Bob Brooks, a former firefighter and political newcomer who positions himself as a voice for the working class.<\/p>\n

Still, voters like Henry Martin plan to skip the polls entirely this time, frustrated with both major political parties.<\/p>\n

“They’re living the high life,” said the 32-year-old warehouse manager. “The everyday average Joe like me, we’re not doing great at all.”<\/p>\n

He feels “stuck” between the “terrible” rent he has to pay and home prices that are “insanely out of reach.”<\/p>\n

In nearby Allentown, a billboard urges drivers to vote for Brooks.<\/p>\n

Ramona Chery, who works at a tire shop just below the sign, said the city’s large Latino community has been shaken by Trump’s hardline immigration policies and inflation.<\/p>\n

Gains among Latino voters in the 2024 presidential election helped return Trump to the White House.<\/p>\n

But Chery said: “There’s more poverty than before.”<\/p>\n

– ‘Enough is enough’ –<\/p>\n

Mike Shupp, who is president of the local United Auto Workers’ union, said:\u00a0“I wish there was a manufacturing boom, but I’m not seeing it.”<\/p>\n

At his office in Allentown, the labor leader recounted how the area used to be lined with manufacturing facilities.<\/p>\n

He worries that American truck manufacturer Mack will continue cutting US production, shifting jobs to Mexico.<\/p>\n

About a 20-minute drive away, the region’s last remaining Mack plant employs some 2,800 people.<\/p>\n

The company had announced plans to lay off up to 350 workers at the facility in April 2025, partly due to Trump’s tariffs.<\/p>\n

\"Manufacturing<\/p>\n

Around 170 employees were ultimately let go, only to be recalled when business conditions improved — and Trump himself visited the site in June to tout his policies.<\/p>\n

“I wasn’t interested in being involved with that,” said Shawn Smith, 52, a technician who puts finishing touches on heavy trucks.<\/p>\n

Smith, a union representative, supports Democratic candidate Brooks.<\/p>\n

He added that workers “don’t talk politics” at the plant as it “just starts an argument.”<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, he believes: “There’s enough of a disconnect, and there’s enough independents and Republicans that (will) say enough is enough, and they want a little bit of a change.”<\/p>\n

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