Iowa

which was a town where unions had some sway to a town where the money was in charge.

We first moved to the area about 1980. At that time I really liked Muscatine. It was a union town and the people were friendly.
You could palpably feel the changes going on during the Reagan years. By @ 1990 money had asserted itself. The town was much less friendly. It was almost as if a fear was the undercurrent.

As contracts came due, business demanded and got concessions and give backs. Workers who were once middle class were now scraping by.

We used to go there to shop and see friends. Now I refuse to even go there except to see friends. We try not to shop while we are there. I don't want to give any of those merchants a nickel except for a select few.