In a struggling Pennsylvania town, Elon Musk discusses ‘purpose’

McKEES ROCKS — At the newly renovated Roxian Theater along Chartiers Avenue in a struggling river town, Loren Stephenson said she and her fiance, Alex Ames, had been at the front of the line since 8 a.m. to hear billionaire Elon Musk speaking at 2 p.m.

Stephenson, a professor at Duquesne University, said he came to see Musk speak because he respects his brilliance as an entrepreneur and innovator.

“I like his ideas about our safety, less government spending, talking about purpose and getting the country back on track,” she said.

The Pittsburgh native held a homemade sign declaring that she was an independent voter.

“I have been for over 20 years” Stephenson said of her voting record and affiliation.

“I don’t go one way or the other. I take things problem by problem” she said, which is what initially led her to vote for former President Donald Trump.

“How many people do we, any of us, really agree with 100% wholeheartedly? So we all have things we agree with and things we don’t agree with. Both sides of the fence. But generally the policies and the things that I feel are aligned with him.” she said of Trump.

Behind Stephenson and her fiance in line were Brian Bliss and his wife, Lori Bliss, of Ross Township in the Pittsburgh suburb of North Hills. When asked if they were hoping to win the million dollar bounty Musk offered at the event, they had no idea it was a thing.

“I’ve never heard that before” Brian Bliss said, his wife nodding in agreement. “We’re just interested in hearing Musk talk.”

Last week, Musk, for the second event in a row, gave one million dollars to a Pennsylvanian, which he pledged to do every day until November 5th. The money goes to registered voters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, Michigan. , Wisconsin and North Carolina who signed the America PAC petition supporting the Constitution.

The choice of location for Musk’s visit to Pennsylvania was significant to those in the area because place matters, especially a place like Roxian that has sat neglected for decades, unused — yet is looking to be useful again and be part of something bigger than them. . These sentiments are common in areas outside the super rich and powerful zip codes of New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley.

The Roxian was on a roll when it was built as an elaborate vaudeville venue in 1929, as even then the comic genre was already losing popularity as movies began to replace live performances. So it became a movie theater and lasted as long as the prosperity of McKees Rocks lasted before closing in 1979 when much of the middle-class population fled to the suburbs.

The place then had several more lives as a banquet hall before it closed and remained closed for nearly 20 years. Just a few years ago, thanks to a developer, it came back to life as a venue for live music and comedians with the aim of bringing new life “The Rocks”, a local nickname for the city that hugs the Ohio River.

On October 20, it was a lively crowd as thousands of young and not-so-young alike clamored to see Musk live on stage. The CEO spoke about the importance of preserving the First and Second Amendments, exercising the right to vote, and fighting for a life full of purpose and innovation.

Musk, sitting with a terrible towel (a Pittsburgh Steeler tradition) over his shoulder after waving it when he took the stage, addressed the issue of apathy toward politics among people who feel unheard and unrepresented in Washington.

“We have an apathy problem” he said. “Some people think their vote doesn’t count and, for whatever reason, they haven’t registered to vote. It’s important to get out there and explain the importance of this election and how democracy is on the line.”

Musk, the innovative and entrepreneurial owner of companies such as Tesla and SpaceX, whose Starship rocket recently made history when its lower half was captured by a giant pair of mechanical arms on its return to the launch pad, began a swing in Pennsylvania. at the beginning of this month. The itinerary included stops in Folsom, suburban Philadelphia, Harrisburg and western Pennsylvania.

Each in-person event was held in small venues, drew thousands of people, and required attendees to register to vote and sign to pledge their support for the First and Second Amendments. October 21 was the last day to register to vote in Pennsylvania and also the last day to register to petition. The event was sponsored by Musk’s America PAC and focused on getting people to register to vote and then actually vote.

The events were broadcast live on X, recording millions of views.

Most people heading to the event, like the Bliss family, weren’t even aware of the million dollar raffle.

Kristine Fishell was the October 20 winner. She smiled widely at the announcement, raised her check above her head as she took the stage, and thanked Musk profusely.

“Thank you very much. I truly believe in everything you do. You don’t have to do it.” Fishell told him.

For anyone from western Pennsylvania, seeing the main thoroughfare of the McKees Rocks business district buzzing with life on a Sunday or any day was a sight to behold. Similar to so many river towns in this region, such as Braddock, Aliquippa, Duquesne, and Monessen, the city’s prosperity peaked in the early 20th century on the backs of immigrants from Poland, Germany, and Italy, and lasted well beyond end of the world The Second War. It subsequently declined rapidly due to automation and other economic and political changes.

In once-vibrant social clubs deeply committed to improving their town, membership began to drop, as did adult softball teams, often sponsored by local bars and restaurants. Churches emptied, then closed, and Chartiers Avenue saw business after business close as production declined, desperation and crime increased, and people left for opportunity and stability.

Borough President Archie Brinza told local NBC affiliate WPXI this spring that when it comes to crime, “Twenty years ago, when you asked the question, I would have said I was proud to be from McKees Rocks. A lot of people now would answer differently.”

Locals who watched the hundreds of people line up to see Musk said they were excited to see their city seen in a positive light.

On Oct. 18, Musk reached a very important point for Harrisburg voters who have found their skills and purpose outside the world of college campuses and found their way through working with their hands and intellect.

“I think the value of a college education is somewhat overrated,” he said. “Too many people spend four years, rack up a ton of debt, and often have no useful skills to apply afterwards. I have a lot of respect for people who work with their hands, and we need electricians and plumbers and carpenters, and that’s far more important than having political science majors. I think we shouldn’t have this idea that to be successful you need a four-year college degree.”

“You can’t run a business like Tesla or SpaceX without the best plumbers, HVAC workers, carpenters and welders to make your business work. He shows that he sees and values us by calling our abilities by name.” said one woman, whose son is a welder in the energy industry, as she left the event.

Salena Zito is a reporter and columnist for the Washington Examiner and a former reporter for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.