My father is from here, he grew up in Boonville.. he was drafted to the Vietnam war he’s senior year in high school when he got out he settled in Versailles Ky landed a factory job he worked for 44 years until he retired .. he made a good life for us and we lived in a nice home in a good neighborhood . He took us up to the mountains to visit his family and my great grandparents when we were young, and I loved being in the mountains with them! They lived in a small house my great grandfather build from a chicken coup way before my dad was born… it had coal burning stoves . It was like going back in time .. they were the most sweetest people on earth and never had much of anything but lived life lovingly… I’m 50 and they have been long gone.. miss them so much and that part of my childhood… but Appalachian mountains will always be a part of me ❤
Tommy I'm a 65-year-old man and most of your videos can hold my attention for a young man you can fit into any kind of crowd it seems. You can go from one extreme to the other and still let people feel comfortable talking to you. That is a rare talent. I see you growing.
It's funny they bitch about Biden but are asking for someone too turn their area into a socialist gift so they can afford to live without doing it for themselves ... Presidents don't control the price of groceries or milk .. this is all a byproduct of our of control capitalism these companies are making record profits and there isn't a reason for it .. oil costs the same now as when Trump was in office why does it cost twice as much at the pump ? Greed
That's right best rapper ever. He said "the goal isn't to change the world it's to spark the mind of the person who will" real stuff right there. No hope for our youth tho in places like this
I'm Appalachian. Great video man, we are the most forgotten part of America. Such an important and beautiful place on earth, I've been all over Europe and still appalachia has beauty unlike any other.
I live up top Appalachia in PA now and have lived in west Virginia Appalachia and it's beautiful for sure, nothing better then waking up in Appalachia in the morning and having a cup of coffee with a smoke In the middle of nowhere.
It does. First time in WV and I was in awe the entire time but then again I never left new jersey either so everything was an adventure to me. Now living in Florida and it's hot as a mofo out here. Cheers to y'all
Originally from a Tiny town in West Virginia called Kimberly. No other place in the world so beautiful. Probably can’t find it if ya tried. But I’m so happy I grew up there
Fentanyl hit small counties in 2016, heroin 2013. I live in fluvanna county Virginia, about 50 classmates i graduated with in 09 are dead. Im lucky, 1 year sober now.
@@jennaquinn84 appreciate it 🙏 first time sober as an adult. I'm 33, and finally have a little bank account. I couldn't feel better about life currently
The government is solely responsible for the fentanyl epidemic. They told Dr's to hand out pain meds like candy then once people were dependent they cut them off. That forced many to illegal drugs to get by.
Congratulations.i did seven flat in TX for tar ten bucks worth.moved from Dallas to West TX big country no downers just uppers but have stayed out of it all even being broke s. Joke
I feel for this town. I live in a small rural town in Canada and I can understand the lack of jobs and the struggle to cover bills. I’m one of the lucky ones I work in town, 40hrs a week. Once you get full time here to do everything to hold onto that position. Even with working 40hrs a week I struggle to keep up with gas and groceries. My groceries were $350 biweekly for 4 people prior to Covid, now my biweekly groceries range from $500 to $700 (that’s not even getting everything we need). It’s ridiculous, I pray we’re all able to come out of this.
i started to tear up when that older fella issac i think his name was, started talking about his wife and how it feels to lose the person you love the most. i pray for that man and anyone else who’s been through that or going through it. i cant imagine losing my woman it takes some serious strength to try every day for your life after something like that
@TommyGMcGee Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
This is why I live in my car driving across the country. It breaks my heart life is this hard but I’m beyond happy you are making a video in my home Tommy. I really appreciate you.
@TommyGMcGee Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
As do I, my friend. I'm got the hell out of Eastern Kentucky in 2016 and haven't looked back. I'm currently working security for a movie set for a production that Kevin Costner is doing here in Southern Utah. Life got so much better for me as soon as I got out of that Hell hole.
As someone who has family around this area and have spent a lot of time in Lee/ owsley county, the people of eastern Kentucky in general are some of the most strong and resilient people in America. It doesn’t matter who you are how much money you make what you to they will give you their shirt off their back. Thank you for bringing light to this community ❤️
what's great about this video is how upgraded the overall production feels, 2022 still was good, but man 2024, your speaking skills, production, camera quality. Everything has improved. Good job!
@TommyGMcGee Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
Ive gone on 6 mission trips to Harlen Kentucky, one of the other very unfortunate counties in East an east Kentucky, the people are very grateful and haven't had one bad experience when assisting them. People are the absolute salt of the earth in east Kentucky.
Drugs are always everywhere, it's when the ppl don't have shit and get depressed that it starts a generational cycle of addiction that get worse with each cycle.
Was with you until the end. I came up. I stayed away. You can too kids. You want out? Get out! It's your hometown. it's your mother. It's your grandfather. And now your brother's selling off the corner. You are you. Stay safe.
@@KillShotGaming07 He says an stuff a lot and stuff lol I'm from Bowling Green KY born in Mulenburgh KY simular to Owlsey, Mulenburgh used to be a big coal town now there is nothing. BGKY is the 3rd largest city in KY so lot more here.
Ive been clean 8 years. Im telling you i got drug induced psychosis after using meth and it was terrifying. I went to jail for grand theft auto bc i thought i was in a gang and they left the keys in the car for me 🙄 it embarrassing now but it got me to where i am now. Im a wife, mother, sister, daughter. Im dependable. I got back to work as an RN. I have a whole new life now and its only bc God got me thru it. Tommy i love your videos and the areas you highlight. Its much needed content to highlight on a lot of over looked populations.
God didn't get you through it, YOU got you through it - give YOURSELF some credit. Not that it matters, but, I'm 5 years clean and also had major drug induced psychosis, so, from one ex druggie to another - you survived when many didn't and you have every right to be proud of yourself for that 😊🎉
@@cassiehartford8997 that's a common misconception when I share my testimony. I tried every way I could think of to get clean and it never worked. When I found myself in jail and pregnant with nothing else to do but read the Bible and spent a lot of time alone in a cell, I was really desperate to get clean. I cried out to God to please help. I really meant it from the bottom of my heart. I asked to do things whatever way he thought was right. I promised once I got clean I would share my testimony and be his hands and feet. I fail daily and I'm not perfect by any means but I do always try my best to work for the Lord.
@@cassiehartford8997God did. Didnt you hear her? You think she was strong enough on her own to go from where she was to where she is now without God? Ill pray fro you.
ford8997 her faith had alot to do with it regardless if you like it's real or not but the outcome sure is real pretty sure her morality kept her from doing the wrong thing like most religious texts teaches
As a recovering addict myself, drug addiction comes from wanting to escape life. Doesn’t matter how much money you have, what your living situation is, we all got problems and we all look for a way to escape them sometimes, hence where drug addiction starts. I adored this video and the good ol boys. I was born and raised in middle Tennessee, and this is the way of life here in the south. Theirs so many parts of Tennessee that are just like this.
Drug addicts choose to be addicts. I’m tired of people saying it’s a disease. No addict that gets clean ever stays clean. They will relapse, and again it’s a choice
I grew up in a similar place in Arkansas. I’m 35 and have lost more than 50 friends to drugs, gun violence and long term prison stints. I’m tired of losing my people. Fortunately I chose a higher road and have become a successful artist but it has left me dealing with guilt and imposter syndrome after losing so many. Eating dinner with art directors all over the country and photo shoots with mayors and public officials makes me feel out of place. I wish I could have done more to guide my friends and family but at the end of the day it’s your decision on the roads you take. Hints why I left home and have been gone since I was 17. If I hadn’t I’d be in the same place they are. I wish the best for all my people. And yalls!
Same, grew up and still live in saline county. Not as bad as somewhere like fort smith or just most of southwest arkansas but we got people living in the county who dont have AC or heating for the winters, meth capitol of arkansas it breaks my heart to see. Im only 19 and i have old friends who are strung out on crack. I dont blame you for moving away I just hope something happens soon to help our state.
I’m just a few counties away from Owsley county. I’m a Realtor and sell young people homes all the time. Drugs are horrible there. Education is free if they just take advantage of any one of the numerous programs available to them. The people who take advantage of the educational opportunities, trade training, and drug rehabilitation ALL FOR FREE get out of poverty. So many have no desire to better themselves by working!
I know a lot of people who veer in and out of this county and I do not know you. I can see that you are not "EDUCATED" about how drug rehabilitation works.
Me being from KY I can say that a lot of people may be poor in some counties but we have to be some of the most self reliant nicest people I have ever met. This is coming from someone who has been all through America and multiple countries in Europe.
@@Bliitzburgh Well sorry but ur opinion doesn't mean anything. The stats show Kentucky ranks at the bottom for education, health, and economics how is that great?
I live in my van in the desert now. I used to live in Wolfe County and decided that if I was going to be poor, then I was going to be out west, where it's definitely more beautiful than than anything in Eastern Kentucky. 5000 dollars a year would be a good financial success for me. Eastern Kentucky is the cling-on on the butthole of the world.
Salute to that deputy! One of the most articulate interviews with an officer I have seen to date. He seems very fair and justice, the internet could truly benefit from seeing more of that level-headed style of interviews with police officers.
Throwing a huge "THANK YOU" your way for doing what you're doing. You have put a spotlight on alotta people & places that need to be heard & seen, but are tragically silenced & overlooked. Keep on hustling, your work is necessary if any kind of change is to be accomplished.
Society loves to label white people privileged and wealthy, never mentioning every color struggles. I love that this video finally shows that. Again, not being political, just being real. Everyone struggles, I hope more people start to see it.
Random relative fact: there's more caucasian/white people on welfare & government assistance than any other ethnicity & race in America, it's pretty ironic.
These are problems not only in Owlsley county, but also many of the other counties in the region like Knox, Clay, Breathitt, Leslie, Perry, Bell, Harlan. Basically all of Southeastern Kentucky is suffering the same fate. While the video highlights mainly Owlsley, hopefully it will bring attention to the problems that are faced here. Great stuff as always from Tommy, and again thanks for shedding light on our situation here.
Yea you're right unfortunately. Where I live there's a trailer park down the street that's had 3 meth labs blow up this year. They all looked just like that
Back when i was in the military i met allot of folks from these kinds of towns. It was theyre best option. Learn a good trade, free school, see the world and many more benefits.
True that. Signing up to fight in Ukraine on behalf of Black rock or where ever wells Fargo needs you to go is a good out for sure. Gives a young person more skills and choices.
That 75 yr old man talking about his wife was sad. It’s been 15 years but you can tell he still struggles. I learn more about what’s going on in the states with Tommy G than any other source
Glad to see you doing these videos in Kentucky as my dads side of the family are from Harlan and they all worked the mines. I was fortunate that Dad moved us to Arizona and i never got into the drugs and alcohol. In general there are good people in Kentucky and im praying one day the mines open back up and put people back to work.
I've been watching Tommy G since the beginning, this is the first video that brought tears to a 31 one year old man. Keep up the good work, we gotta do better as a country. God Bless everyone struggling and I pray for better times to come for all these people.
@TommyGMcGee Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
Dont just pray...make sure you dont vote 4 the 2 clowns running for POTUS... VOTE INDEPENDENT AND DO YOURSELF, THIS COUNTRY, AND THE WORLD A BIG FAVOR, ROBERT F. KENNEDY,jr 2024 & 2028! Go BOBBY! 🇺🇸🇺🇸❤❤🙏🙏🥳🥳😊😊
As a 22 year old male who does electrical for a living the opener to the 2024 section of this video just had me heart broken. I bust my ass day in and day out, our generation catches a lot of heat for being lazy and I can see that with some but let me tell you the people I surround myself with and many others work their asses off. To buy a home in Massachusetts (where I’m from) today is almost unfathomable where as if I had went out on a whim with my savings in 2019 the year I graduated I could own a home today comfortably. Not to say obtaining a home is truly unfathomable if you work it’s just to the point that’s it’s unjustifiable. Homes are outrageous. It’s truly depressing. What is being made of our world? I can’t imagine what the next 50 years hold for us.
I have the same fears man, grew up in mass too. Don’t see how it’s possible to ever own a house where home is. These days just makes the future look scary.
It's because we've turned every aspect of life into a commodity to buy and sell and speculate on. Which is fine for microwaves and tennis balls but people can't survive without shelter. Market fluctuations shouldn't prohibit basic existence but they do so we need to find another way. People think pure capitalism is the best of our bad options but it's really only the best for the wealthy. It never trickled down because it was never going to, control from the top down only works for those in control. We have to lose some of our hyper individualistic ideas and start depending more on the people around us who actually have an interest in our welfare. Relying on the government or corporations to think for us is what got us where we are today.
I'm from owsley and it's the same here we're we are close to natural bridge. The rock climbing has become a big hit and big city ppl are moving in a a property that would have went for 20k or 30 k back 4 or 5 yr ago is now 100k or more.
I just found your TH-cam channel by chance last night. I'm going to start watching all of your videos now. You do some pretty awesome TH-cam journalism of life in America. Thank you!
This is the Tommy G style I fell in love with some years ago! This is raw, talented journalism, amazing editing and storytelling, and most of all, taking risks in conflict areas to tell a powerful story. Keep up the amazing work, Tommy! 👏👏👏
@TommyGMcGee Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
Whats even more important? Thats them quoting the Bible... This country was BUILT around the values the Bible holds true and its greatness is born and signified by its relationship with God hands down. No if ands or buts Turn your back on God ... He will turn his back on this Nation and what makes it so great is what holds it together... "One Nation, UNDER GOD..."
@@austinfuller8323 the first amendment protects freedom of religion. Our founding fathers protected the freedom to worship who you choose. Not just Christianity so I’m confused as to what you mean isn’t the freedom what makes America great?
At one moment he seems like he grasps how finance, economy, supply & demand, and just basic capitalism and consumerism works. Says life is what you make of it, and says it doesn't matter how much you make, it's how you live. But then he also thinks a president must snap their fingers and magically set gas & food prices, as well as tell corporations where to build and invest. And, somehow the immigrants are apparently "stealing" jobs and money from his pocket. At one point i'm like "He gets it. And he has a basic understanding of capitalism." Then at another point i'm like "Noooooo. No. No. No. That's not how that works., or why that happens, or how the cause & effect of that works.""
as a brother from Canada I see how both our nations are struggling. I sympathize and hope we all can pull together for real change. Its plain to see we love our countries but we don't like whats happening happening to them. Yes we help other nations but we need to help ourselves now. God bless us all.
I owned a farm there before moving away after raising three girls in Berea. When I bought the farm in 2018, i loved it. The people are nice and very poor. I had 20 acres of quietness and peace. Lost a job and sold it to move and work in Arizona. I spent 30 years in wonderful Kentucky, and I may return there someday! That gas station is right below my house/farm up on the hill. My neighbor overdosed. Drugs are rampant, but thats everywhere. My teo bedroom home/3 car garage and 20 acres was $595 mortgage payment including taxes and insurance. They have a famous NY yankee that cane from Owsley. I miss these folks. Really good people
If you bought that farm in 2018 you didn't stay long before you moved away? I wish someone would do a better job of describing the drug problem in a way that gives you a real representation of how many in 10 are on drugs. Like 4 out of 10? Rampant is hard to picture.
@klwthe3rd no I lives in Estill and Madison counties for 30 years then moved to the country. Lost a job in 2019 so I had to sell it and moved to Arizona to work as an investigator. I will return in the next few years to find a farm again
I recently moved to a rural school district, and it really changed my perspective on poverty in general. For the first time in pretty much my entire life, I got to witness white poverty up close and I realized race has nothing to do with poor outcomes (for the most part), it's truly a socioeconomic issue. I've even worked in low-income majority black schools, but the level of poverty in these rural areas was still incomparable.
@TommyGMcGee Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
I’m a native Kentuckian who frequents the area and I can tell you that living in this area of the country feels like an utter a total free for all. Even if all these people had jobs a considerable amount of them would still pull government disability to feed their drug addiction. One of my favorite facts about SE KY is Beatyville, the town right next to booneville got a LARGE surplus of money handed to them and for the past like 2 years they have been “fixing” the road by making it actively horrible to drive on
@TommyGMcGee Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
I live in west Ireland and I’ve had this Blue T-shirt for around a year now I picked up at a second hand event , it’s blue with UK wrote on it , today I realised it’s University Kentucky , thought that was cool 👌
I live in one of the poorest places in Nova Scotia, used to be a booming small coal mining town, once the mines were gone they pulled the bank out and put in a funeral parlour in the same building, and then about 20 years later they closed the funeral parlour and someone bought it and turned it into a building full of junk
Warren Buffet said, "We don't mind paying taxes at Berkshire, and we are paying a 21% federal rate. If we send in a check like we did last year, we sent in over $5 billion to the US federal government. And if 800 other companies had done the same thing, no other person in the United States would have had to pay a dime of federal taxes, whether income taxes, no Social Security taxes, no estate taxes, no… . It's open down the line." All the money paid in the poorest county in the USA well if the average person paid no federal tax well, they would have more money in their pocket. They could consider starting a business, buying a home not renting. Not having credit card debt. And if enough people own their own home, they will try to fix it up and there goes more economic activity increasing the velocity of their local economy. Those that really own this country have allowed the poor sad state of these struggling people. I'm sorry to say the elitist want them uneducated, poor, eating junk and fast food and using hard drugs to thin the herd. Yet I'm guessing many residents there would think Trump will save them. Trump was in for 4 and they are still poor. Biden has been President during massive inflation and yet as you see the grocery store is a monopoly and names its price. Merger madness has been allowed in this country creating near monopolies in everything you pay so much for. The industrial military complex with countless wars gets a massive amount of your hard-earned tax dollars. Has any Republican in your district voted against a war in the last 30 years. look it up. I bet you can find a n=one. but alas now Democrats vote like heck for wars too. I am not saying the Dems will save you. Consider a third-party candidate like RFK, Jr. and please don't be married to any political party. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. This story was co-published with The Washington Post. One of President Donald Trump’s lesser known but profoundly damaging legacies will be the explosive rise in the national debt that occurred on his watch. The financial burden that he’s inflicted on our government will wreak havoc for decades, saddling our kids and grandkids with debt. The national debt has risen by almost $7.8 trillion during Trump’s time in office. That’s nearly twice as much as what Americans owe on student loans, car loans, credit cards and every other type of debt other than mortgages, combined, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. It amounts to about $23,500 in new federal debt for every person in the country. The growth in the annual deficit under Trump ranks as the third-biggest increase, relative to the size of the economy, of any U.S. presidential administration, according to a calculation by a leading Washington budget maven, Eugene Steuerle, co-founder of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. And unlike George W. Bush and Abraham Lincoln, who oversaw the larger relative increases in deficits, Trump did not launch two foreign conflicts or have to pay for a civil war. Yet Trump will get tons of votes in the poorest county in the USA. Keep em dumb ,eating crap food, using tons of addictive substances and they will vote against their own interest every time...
Well said. Every single person I know that's struggling or has job issues is thinking trump is the greatest thing going. He didn't help the first time, do you think he is gonna help the second? They just keep drinking the coolaid.
This was an amazing story Tommy G. Im happy there's people like you putting out content like this, its very knowledgeable and you my help someone out. I salute 🫡 you brother
@TommyGMcGee Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
Tommy is showing so much love to Kentucky! Much love from the capital, keep it up, we have such beautiful land yet we are the poorest due to population and location
@TommyGMcGee Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
@@suechristian12thank you Sue Christian for pointing out the whole truth...not just the negative stuff that gets the "click bait" I mentioned your comments here in an earlier text and didnt check the name..my apologies for referencing you as a "guy" ...shoulda realized to look first at who writes these comments I was too impressed with your comment. Shoulda figured...only women seem to understand that there's 2 sides to every story!
I’ve never believed in giving American a UBI (Universal Basic Income) but there’s an argument to be made for it in towns like this that were the backbone of America during and after the Industrial Revolution and then we sent all our jobs over seas to save a couple buck
UBI isn't going to solve this problem. Bingo, what he said so many of their population would rather rely on government assist then work. This has snow balled. How to help?
i appreciate you being so pure into wanting to know more but also bettering america and helping with addiction n mental n cost overall i wish i met u when u started in milwaukee
Been following these videos to help better gain perspective in many areas in life, thank you for keeping them true open and honest! True TopG content man!
@TommyGMcGee Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
@@suechristian12YOU GO SUE...LOVE YOUR PERSISTENCE! CAN YOU SUGGEST THAT PEOPLE NOT VOTE FOR THE 2 CORRUPT POLICAL PARTIES THAT CREATED THIS MESS IN EVERY CORNER OF AMERICA EXCEPT MARTHAS VINEYARD? SPREAD THE WORD THAT THERE IS A 3RD CHOICE OTHER THAN THE 2 CLOWNS WHO DEBATED ON CNN LAST THURDAY NITE THAT 3RD CHOICE IS ROBERT F. KENNEDY, jr I'm NEVER GOING TO VOTE FOR THE LESSER OF 2 EVILS POLITICALLY!! THIS COUNTRY DESERVES BETTER THAN THAT. WE GAVE THEM ALMOST 100 YEARS OF VOTING FOR THEM...AND LOOK WHERE WE ARE NOW?... IM 74 AND ITS TIME TO START THE REVOLUTION...IF WE DON'T DO IT NOW..WHEN WILL WE? THE REVOLUTION REQUIRES WE DO IT QUIETLY AND PEACEFULLY...WE SHOW UP AT THE POLLS ON NOVEMBER 5TH LIKE LOCUSTS...EVERYONE! AND WE DITCH BOTH PARTIES!! WE CANT KEEP VOTING FOR THE SAME CRIMINALS AND EXPECT A DIFFERENT RESULT! IT AINT GONNA HAPPEN THAT WAY! YOU CANT COMPLY YOUR WAT OUTTA TYRANNY! WE FINALLY HAVE TO FIGHT TO GET BACK OUR COUNTEY, OUR PEOPLE, AND THIS BEAUTIFUL PLANET!! WE GOTTA WAKE UP AND DO THIS!! B4 ITS TOO LATE...WE HAVE A $35 TRILLION DEFICIT.. UNTIL WE VOTE FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN & WILL CHANGE THAT PRICES WILL KEEP GOING UP! ITS LITERALLY A WAR BETWEEN US & THE ELITES! WHATS IT GONNA BE , VOTERS?
@@thinknz I did. But hadn't you rather be informed by someone who knows the true story as to support a mostly fictional one and one where he only talked to folks who would give him the 'story he wanted?'
I work in Booneville where this was filmed . Crazy seeing it on film. Id like to add that part of my job is working on houses in the county for folks in need and i can tell you first hand while they might not have much .. some of them are the finest people you will ever meet🤝👍 i wouldn't trade it for any city 😊
@TommyGMcGee Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
@@suechristian12❤ your persistence, girl! I'm right with you! KENNEDY IS THE REMEDY FOR ANY SMALL TOWN SUFFERING LIKE THIS! GO BOBBY! 2024 & 2028..( IT WILL TAKE 8 YEARS TO FIX THE MESS THE 2 PARTY CORRUPT SYSTEM HAS CREATED FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS! 😮😮😮🥳🥳🙏🙏😊❤❤🇺🇸🇺🇸❤❤🙏🙏😤
I would suggest traveling to Harlan County, KY. It's a very beautiful county that is plagued by poverty and drugs, specifically fentanyl. You'd actually probably have a great time there, too.
The eggs thing put it into perspective for me big-time. I'm 28, oldest of three sisters, and my mom's a single mom. She would take out of state contract jobs to bring home more money and I ran the house. I remember taking my sisters grocery shopping to get whatever we would need while mom was gone. I remember paying $1.89 for a dozen large eggs at Kroger. My mom left us $100 for about four days. There's absolutely no way that I could have kept my sisters and myself fed with that in today's age. And this all was happening only 6-7 years ago.
@TommyGMcGee Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
I like that many of them are just fine with what they do have and make, they don’t need or want more. I used to have a shirt from the thrift store that read “live simply so others may simply live”. I think many are brainwashed by consumerism, sometimes those who are the poorest financially live the richest lives not saying it isn’t the opposite many times but it’s all personal perspective
We do what we got to to make by with what little we got but I tell you what it damn sure sucks sometimes when you have an administration in the White House that don't give a s*** about the working people of this country. They always trying to please the preppy college kids and the softest snowflakes. And that is why this country will always be the divided States of America. There is a definite clear divide between rural America and the cities.
i live here. and i lived up north. it all evens out in the end. the northerns have around as much expendable income as the southerns. the cost of living really evens out much more fair then you would think.
@@Weather_NerdLol I grew up poor in Appalachia PA, believe me most people wish they were rich, it's all pretty mixed in public schools so you'll have the dirt poor and then the rich from outside areas and they go to the public school just so the parents save money cause the generational rich families stay rich by saving and investing in the right things.
750.00 for two to three bedroom is expensive, shit here a studio apartment is 1700.00 a month, and minimum wage is at 13.00 here and it is still a struggle for me
Tommy I live in a neighboring county. There is all kind of hiking and stuff in the red river gorge you can do. Our county, Wolfe County, is very similar. I think it would be cool to show some of the beauty of the area to maybe bring some tourist money in.
such as economic opportunities, access to education, healthcare, and infrastructure-can shed light on broader issues facing marginalized populations in the country
i'm from KY and i like the way the approach was done. my people! Appalachia is a great place, ya gotta take the good with the bad, though. opiates started here in KY in the early 2000's, with the pain pill thing. first lortabs and xanax, then it was more oxy 30s, then heroin, then mainly fentanyl. i been clean for almost 7 years now, it was that or die. but when it begun, it was largely a result of Purdue intentionally targeting places like KY, WV and elsewhere to market Oxycontin, for a few reasons. that's a whole other ball of wax though, lol. but the land, music, culture and people, plus the history and random strange things, make it a very special place for me. i'm proud to be an Appalachian, wasn't always but, i am now. thank you for bein respectful to us mountain folk, lol we usually don't mean nobody no harm if they mean us no harm. Appalachia's been consistently left behind, forgot and exploited. i hope we can find a way to get more jobs, investment, and new people to hopefully move into some of these dying towns, and find ways to hang on literally. and also hang our to our traditions, our way of speakin, our music, our everything. hopefully people start to understand, the stereotypes ain't all we are. the truth of Appalachia is much richer, darker and more violent, and more complex than you'd think. and there's a lot of stuff you wouldn't necessarily expect to find here, til you find it. its a very, very special place here though, it's different here! i love it so much. its so peaceful in the holler at night, where it gets all the way dark and quiet, and you can hear the deer rustlin around and the coyotes in the distance, or the nightjars and cicadas and frogs singin. its plum full of natural beauty, everywhere you turn there's just beautiful scenery, when you get good and far back off the beaten path. thank y'all for doing it justice though, much obliged! y'all come back whenever you get a chance! there's a lot more to see, and there's always surprising stuff to stumble across in KY
I’m from that region originally. You have to be brave enough to leave to ever have anything. No opportunities are left for those people. I rarely visit and when I do it literally like going back in time 15-20 years. I moved just a few hours away and lit was a different world 30 years ago and a different planet now
There’s Native American community’s in other states like North Dakota and MS that are poorer conditions and worst govt funding than this county in Kentucky just saying.
You are correct!!! I've been to the Rosebud Rez in S. Dakota. I helped a fella there, he was a Vietnam era veteran, sent a huge box up that way full of goods. Poor feller had nothing. No way to haul wood to his house to cook with and heat with. No power or running water. This was a few yrs. ago, sure hope he's still making it. It was bad up there, far worse than these folks in the video here.
I saw one of your videos a while back and was kinda put off when you strapped a vest on and advertised for it. Then I watched more of your videos and realized. Damn. Total respect! Appreciate you doing these. Especially that town with the corrupt mayor. Keep at dude.
Right in the feels...20:13 I hope this man's family visit as much as he prefers. If not, we should organize something kind, respectful, and helpful; imagine the wisdom this man has to share! These type of men right here are everything good about America, everything good about being a man. Thank you for shining a light on this legitimate national treasure. Shout out to all the other "Papaws" out there doting on their grandbabies, letting them ride go-karts, making biscuits & gravy for breakfast, taking them fishing, and down to the hardware store...you are the best parts of our life.
With that kind of landscape, why are people starving? You can grow seeds you can raise rabbits and somebody locally can start sticking up for everybody. I think towns need to treat themselves like villages and start unifying more.
Fun fact: Im related to Daniel Boone and also I am a new subscriber. I must say your videos are not only educational but they (the videos) I think help open the eyes of people who dont live in these towns. I hope you continue to make videos.
I'm born and raised in West Virginia and we always got by my whole life. We weren't rich but we didn't go without too often. And now I make decent money and I can't hardly afford to buy food. Alot of times I'll have to just be hungry for a day or so til I get paid. Something needs to change starting with Biden.
To support independent media and have access to rare + wild clips, my patreon link is here www.patreon.com/tommygmcgee
TOMMY G BIG FAN !!
Chicken and Herbs junkie cry babies 😂
Men are born Men. Take that down.
Tommy G is a man with a rudimentary mustachio. Take that down.
Tommy G looks like his body is made out of a avocado toast.
My father is from here, he grew up in Boonville.. he was drafted to the Vietnam war he’s senior year in high school when he got out he settled in Versailles Ky landed a factory job he worked for 44 years until he retired .. he made a good life for us and we lived in a nice home in a good neighborhood . He took us up to the mountains to visit his family and my great grandparents when we were young, and I loved being in the mountains with them! They lived in a small house my great grandfather build from a chicken coup way before my dad was born… it had coal burning stoves . It was like going back in time .. they were the most sweetest people on earth and never had much of anything but lived life lovingly… I’m 50 and they have been long gone.. miss them so much and that part of my childhood… but Appalachian mountains will always be a part of me ❤
Rr donley in Versailles ?
Wow that story is fascinating to me i appreciate u sharing I luv learning about different peoples lives thanks again cheers 🍻 best wishes from Boston
@@CoreyBryant-um5hk no my dads name is Larry
Tommy I'm a 65-year-old man and most of your videos can hold my attention for a young man you can fit into any kind of crowd it seems. You can go from one extreme to the other and still let people feel comfortable talking to you. That is a rare talent.
I see you growing.
Tommy is a great interviewer, he’s already made it big but I see him making it way bigger
Is my music good?
No @@OfficialJalenSmith
Is it because this is purely a pro trump channel lol
It's funny they bitch about Biden but are asking for someone too turn their area into a socialist gift so they can afford to live without doing it for themselves ... Presidents don't control the price of groceries or milk .. this is all a byproduct of our of control capitalism these companies are making record profits and there isn't a reason for it .. oil costs the same now as when Trump was in office why does it cost twice as much at the pump ? Greed
Tupac said “we got money for wars but cant feed the poor” no truer words spoken
These people have money for guns and ammo, Tattoos, and Cigarettes and all that stuff cost big money. and I forgot all the trump junk .
Z hand outs? Helps but not a cure. Education Jobs, is the answer. The problem is over our heads on what to do.
Dummy!@@jstrawser
That's right best rapper ever. He said "the goal isn't to change the world it's to spark the mind of the person who will" real stuff right there. No hope for our youth tho in places like this
Work for your own shit. No handouts
I'm Appalachian. Great video man, we are the most forgotten part of America. Such an important and beautiful place on earth, I've been all over Europe and still appalachia has beauty unlike any other.
I live up top Appalachia in PA now and have lived in west Virginia Appalachia and it's beautiful for sure, nothing better then waking up in Appalachia in the morning and having a cup of coffee with a smoke In the middle of nowhere.
That's bc u live in the fucking backwoods in seclusion yall make yourselves forgotten lol
It does. First time in WV and I was in awe the entire time but then again I never left new jersey either so everything was an adventure to me. Now living in Florida and it's hot as a mofo out here. Cheers to y'all
Give us some tips. I like to travel
Originally from a Tiny town in West Virginia called Kimberly. No other place in the world so beautiful. Probably can’t find it if ya tried. But I’m so happy I grew up there
Fentanyl hit small counties in 2016, heroin 2013. I live in fluvanna county Virginia, about 50 classmates i graduated with in 09 are dead. Im lucky, 1 year sober now.
Congrats 🎉 one day at a time. We do recover
@@jennaquinn84 appreciate it 🙏 first time sober as an adult. I'm 33, and finally have a little bank account. I couldn't feel better about life currently
The government is solely responsible for the fentanyl epidemic. They told Dr's to hand out pain meds like candy then once people were dependent they cut them off. That forced many to illegal drugs to get by.
Congratulations.i did seven flat in TX for tar ten bucks worth.moved from Dallas to West TX big country no downers just uppers but have stayed out of it all even being broke s. Joke
Wow … 50?! 09?! 😮…. Blessings to you. Press on
I feel for this town. I live in a small rural town in Canada and I can understand the lack of jobs and the struggle to cover bills. I’m one of the lucky ones I work in town, 40hrs a week. Once you get full time here to do everything to hold onto that position. Even with working 40hrs a week I struggle to keep up with gas and groceries. My groceries were $350 biweekly for 4 people prior to Covid, now my biweekly groceries range from $500 to $700 (that’s not even getting everything we need). It’s ridiculous, I pray we’re all able to come out of this.
What province is this?
Isn't that sad that we are forced to consider ourselves lucky for being able to work 40 hours a week? 😢
I'll say a prayer for you, God willing things get better in Rural areas. North Idaho here, near Canada.
My heart goes out to the gentleman who lost his wife. You can really hear the hurt in his voice. You will be in my prayers, sir.
i started to tear up when that older fella issac i think his name was, started talking about his wife and how it feels to lose the person you love the most. i pray for that man and anyone else who’s been through that or going through it. i cant imagine losing my woman it takes some serious strength to try every day for your life after something like that
@TommyGMcGee
Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
i wanna give him some cash for a new set of pants or some beer....how can i do that.
@@whiteking4895maybe try to contact tommy. see if theres something he can arrange maybe a gofundme or some shit
That old fella is just being a cry baby. Life happens. So what, his wife died… people die every day so get over it pal
Return of the 1930s depression era, it's hitting hard everywhere... The amount of people out there struggling is so overwhelming!
😂😂 we're nowhere near the depression. This place has been poor for many many years.
$800 a month in food isn't bad.I spend about $1200 now for myself.
@@Monitored2 it is very bad.
It has been bad here since the forever Everyone acts like it hit last month.
This is why I live in my car driving across the country. It breaks my heart life is this hard but I’m beyond happy you are making a video in my home Tommy. I really appreciate you.
God bless you bro glad your happy man that’s what it’s all about ya know
@TommyGMcGee
Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
@@suechristian12 do you know my dad or grandpa? Timothy (Tim) Chandler or jeff Chandler?
May God bless you in your travels.
As do I, my friend.
I'm got the hell out of Eastern Kentucky in 2016 and haven't looked back.
I'm currently working security for a movie set for a production that Kevin Costner is doing here in Southern Utah.
Life got so much better for me as soon as I got out of that Hell hole.
It’s the same in every country as long as the top dogs are eating and living comfortably they don’t care about the poorer people.
They care about the money WE make them!
Exactly this!! Greed greed and more greed..
@@jwfinley7808 workers need to wake the f up.
True!!
True !!
As someone who has family around this area and have spent a lot of time in Lee/ owsley county, the people of eastern Kentucky in general are some of the most strong and resilient people in America. It doesn’t matter who you are how much money you make what you to they will give you their shirt off their back. Thank you for bringing light to this community ❤️
what's great about this video is how upgraded the overall production feels, 2022 still was good, but man 2024, your speaking skills, production, camera quality. Everything has improved. Good job!
@TommyGMcGee
Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
KENNEDY IS THE REMEDY...GO BOBBY!
2024 & 2028
Ive gone on 6 mission trips to Harlen Kentucky, one of the other very unfortunate counties in East an east Kentucky, the people are very grateful and haven't had one bad experience when assisting them. People are the absolute salt of the earth in east Kentucky.
Drugs are always everywhere, it's when the ppl don't have shit and get depressed that it starts a generational cycle of addiction that get worse with each cycle.
Was with you until the end. I came up. I stayed away. You can too kids. You want out? Get out! It's your hometown. it's your mother.
It's your grandfather.
And now your brother's selling off the corner. You are you. Stay safe.
that jailer is fluent in Boomhauer
I’m from owlsey 😂 that’s not even as thick as his accent gets
"In stuff"
Facts lmaooo I thought I was trippn 😂🤣😂🤣
But is he really a jailer or an eater?!?
@@KillShotGaming07 He says an stuff a lot and stuff lol I'm from Bowling Green KY born in Mulenburgh KY simular to Owlsey, Mulenburgh used to be a big coal town now there is nothing. BGKY is the 3rd largest city in KY so lot more here.
Ive been clean 8 years. Im telling you i got drug induced psychosis after using meth and it was terrifying. I went to jail for grand theft auto bc i thought i was in a gang and they left the keys in the car for me 🙄 it embarrassing now but it got me to where i am now. Im a wife, mother, sister, daughter. Im dependable. I got back to work as an RN. I have a whole new life now and its only bc God got me thru it. Tommy i love your videos and the areas you highlight. Its much needed content to highlight on a lot of over looked populations.
God didn't get you through it, YOU got you through it - give YOURSELF some credit.
Not that it matters, but, I'm 5 years clean and also had major drug induced psychosis, so, from one ex druggie to another - you survived when many didn't and you have every right to be proud of yourself for that 😊🎉
@@cassiehartford8997 that's a common misconception when I share my testimony. I tried every way I could think of to get clean and it never worked. When I found myself in jail and pregnant with nothing else to do but read the Bible and spent a lot of time alone in a cell, I was really desperate to get clean. I cried out to God to please help. I really meant it from the bottom of my heart. I asked to do things whatever way he thought was right. I promised once I got clean I would share my testimony and be his hands and feet. I fail daily and I'm not perfect by any means but I do always try my best to work for the Lord.
@@cassiehartford8997 congrats on being sober!! It's definitely not easy but it is worth it!
@@cassiehartford8997God did. Didnt you hear her? You think she was strong enough on her own to go from where she was to where she is now without God? Ill pray fro you.
ford8997 her faith had alot to do with it regardless if you like it's real or not but the outcome sure is real pretty sure her morality kept her from doing the wrong thing like most religious texts teaches
As a recovering addict myself, drug addiction comes from wanting to escape life. Doesn’t matter how much money you have, what your living situation is, we all got problems and we all look for a way to escape them sometimes, hence where drug addiction starts. I adored this video and the good ol boys. I was born and raised in middle Tennessee, and this is the way of life here in the south. Theirs so many parts of Tennessee that are just like this.
*You are GORGEOUS !!!! WOW !!!*
🔥🫠🔥🫠
Mucha droga en USA
@@Javierolizola89they're everywhere
Congratulations 🎊 keep up the good work !❤
Drug addicts choose to be addicts. I’m tired of people saying it’s a disease. No addict that gets clean ever stays clean. They will relapse, and again it’s a choice
He said he don’t know how his house burnt down, then it cut to a scene of a burnt up cig laying in the back window of the car ☠️
Or meth house g tf he dnt kno 😂😂😂
@@SRTJo-j6pmeth, cigs, or Jewish lightening
Is My music good?
@@OfficialJalenSmith don't quit your day job
That's from smoking and throwing it out the window and it coming back in. Source: ex smoker
I grew up in a similar place in Arkansas. I’m 35 and have lost more than 50 friends to drugs, gun violence and long term prison stints. I’m tired of losing my people. Fortunately I chose a higher road and have become a successful artist but it has left me dealing with guilt and imposter syndrome after losing so many. Eating dinner with art directors all over the country and photo shoots with mayors and public officials makes me feel out of place. I wish I could have done more to guide my friends and family but at the end of the day it’s your decision on the roads you take. Hints why I left home and have been gone since I was 17. If I hadn’t I’d be in the same place they are. I wish the best for all my people. And yalls!
They all love to blame Biden but it's pretty clear that they have all been like this for 10+ years
You feeling guilty for being successful & leaving people who wouldn't even urinate on you if you was on fire, stop bro.. enjoy it!!
Same, grew up and still live in saline county. Not as bad as somewhere like fort smith or just most of southwest arkansas but we got people living in the county who dont have AC or heating for the winters, meth capitol of arkansas it breaks my heart to see. Im only 19 and i have old friends who are strung out on crack. I dont blame you for moving away I just hope something happens soon to help our state.
Yo you have to move away if you want change I’m from pine bluff ar
Can you please help me shout out my art work on TikTok? @coreyperez2
I’m just a few counties away from Owsley county. I’m a Realtor and sell young people homes all the time. Drugs are horrible there. Education is free if they just take advantage of any one of the numerous programs available to them. The people who take advantage of the educational opportunities, trade training, and drug rehabilitation ALL FOR FREE get out of poverty. So many have no desire to better themselves by working!
Completely ,,,TRUE ❤❤❤❤ I HAVE FAMILY THERE 😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮
I agree, but I hope that is known, advertised.
I feel bad about the high prices.
That is very true.
You going to come down to Stidhans and tell all us poor qe just on drugs and dont wanna work?
I know a lot of people who veer in and out of this county and I do not know you. I can see that you are not "EDUCATED" about how drug rehabilitation works.
Me being from KY I can say that a lot of people may be poor in some counties but we have to be some of the most self reliant nicest people I have ever met. This is coming from someone who has been all through America and multiple countries in Europe.
The greatest state in the country in my opinion
Eastern Kentucky here 😢 very beautiful && sad at same time
@@mrs.elitenugz8491 Northern KY. I live closer to the city now though.
@@Bliitzburgh Well sorry but ur opinion doesn't mean anything. The stats show Kentucky ranks at the bottom for education, health, and economics how is that great?
I live in my van in the desert now.
I used to live in Wolfe County and decided that if I was going to be poor, then I was going to be out west, where it's definitely more beautiful than than anything in Eastern Kentucky.
5000 dollars a year would be a good financial success for me. Eastern Kentucky is the cling-on on the butthole of the world.
Salute to that deputy! One of the most articulate interviews with an officer I have seen to date. He seems very fair and justice, the internet could truly benefit from seeing more of that level-headed style of interviews with police officers.
Throwing a huge "THANK YOU" your way for doing what you're doing. You have put a spotlight on alotta people & places that need to be heard & seen, but are tragically silenced & overlooked. Keep on hustling, your work is necessary if any kind of change is to be accomplished.
Society loves to label white people privileged and wealthy, never mentioning every color struggles. I love that this video finally shows that. Again, not being political, just being real. Everyone struggles, I hope more people start to see it.
Ever heard of a stereotype?
@@OneChallengeChannel I like Panasonic
Random relative fact: there's more caucasian/white people on welfare & government assistance than any other ethnicity & race in America, it's pretty ironic.
Shut up
Facts at the end of the day it’s not black and white, it’s poor and rich
I live in northern Indiana, but my family has had a cabin in Owsley County for over 20 years! Amazing four wheeling trails and very nice people!
Thanks for the kind words most of us in owsley are pretty nice.
I dont think I've met a bad person since i moved here a year ago @3524ashley
These are problems not only in Owlsley county, but also many of the other counties in the region like Knox, Clay, Breathitt, Leslie, Perry, Bell, Harlan. Basically all of Southeastern Kentucky is suffering the same fate. While the video highlights mainly Owlsley, hopefully it will bring attention to the problems that are faced here. Great stuff as always from Tommy, and again thanks for shedding light on our situation here.
He’s not going to tell you he blew up his trailer cooking some shit 😂.
Yea you're right unfortunately. Where I live there's a trailer park down the street that's had 3 meth labs blow up this year. They all looked just like that
I knew what happened when he said he came home at 3am. Wth are you doing out at 3am when you don't work.
Coming home from the bar that almost an hour away !? That's the way it is in the sticks. @@ronvaughn6464
Dude smiled then started playing in the gravel. Definitely knew a lil something unfortunately
Right 👍😂😂😂
Back when i was in the military i met allot of folks from these kinds of towns. It was theyre best option. Learn a good trade, free school, see the world and many more benefits.
True that. Signing up to fight in Ukraine on behalf of Black rock or where ever wells Fargo needs you to go is a good out for sure. Gives a young person more skills and choices.
My husband is fr owsley and retired fr the military.
I love how much you talk about mental health I just lost a younger brother recently keep it up please 🙏🏼
That 75 yr old man talking about his wife was sad. It’s been 15 years but you can tell he still struggles. I learn more about what’s going on in the states with Tommy G than any other source
That old guys a wimp and cry baby
@@Brad7298-r4b Nobody likes you.
Glad to see you doing these videos in Kentucky as my dads side of the family are from Harlan and they all worked the mines. I was fortunate that Dad moved us to Arizona and i never got into the drugs and alcohol. In general there are good people in Kentucky and im praying one day the mines open back up and put people back to work.
I've been watching Tommy G since the beginning, this is the first video that brought tears to a 31 one year old man. Keep up the good work, we gotta do better as a country. God Bless everyone struggling and I pray for better times to come for all these people.
@TommyGMcGee
Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
Dont just pray...make sure you dont vote 4 the 2 clowns running for POTUS...
VOTE INDEPENDENT AND DO YOURSELF, THIS COUNTRY, AND THE WORLD A BIG FAVOR, ROBERT F. KENNEDY,jr 2024 & 2028! Go BOBBY!
🇺🇸🇺🇸❤❤🙏🙏🥳🥳😊😊
@@shirleymartin4938 Sorry, but nope. Voting ❤TRUMP ❤ for the 3rd time.
As a 22 year old male who does electrical for a living the opener to the 2024 section of this video just had me heart broken. I bust my ass day in and day out, our generation catches a lot of heat for being lazy and I can see that with some but let me tell you the people I surround myself with and many others work their asses off. To buy a home in Massachusetts (where I’m from) today is almost unfathomable where as if I had went out on a whim with my savings in 2019 the year I graduated I could own a home today comfortably. Not to say obtaining a home is truly unfathomable if you work it’s just to the point that’s it’s unjustifiable. Homes are outrageous. It’s truly depressing. What is being made of our world? I can’t imagine what the next 50 years hold for us.
I have the same fears man, grew up in mass too. Don’t see how it’s possible to ever own a house where home is. These days just makes the future look scary.
It's because we've turned every aspect of life into a commodity to buy and sell and speculate on. Which is fine for microwaves and tennis balls but people can't survive without shelter. Market fluctuations shouldn't prohibit basic existence but they do so we need to find another way. People think pure capitalism is the best of our bad options but it's really only the best for the wealthy. It never trickled down because it was never going to, control from the top down only works for those in control. We have to lose some of our hyper individualistic ideas and start depending more on the people around us who actually have an interest in our welfare. Relying on the government or corporations to think for us is what got us where we are today.
Also from Mass & the struggle is real. Rent has skyrocketed, but my pay hasn't.
I'm from owsley and it's the same here we're we are close to natural bridge. The rock climbing has become a big hit and big city ppl are moving in a a property that would have went for 20k or 30 k back 4 or 5 yr ago is now 100k or more.
don't worry man it feels worse to be 27 and still have no chance of owning a home, I started my job the week the pandemic started
I just found your TH-cam channel by chance last night. I'm going to start watching all of your videos now. You do some pretty awesome TH-cam journalism of life in America. Thank you!
Ditto that. Just finished this video, and subscribed.
This is the Tommy G style I fell in love with some years ago! This is raw, talented journalism, amazing editing and storytelling, and most of all, taking risks in conflict areas to tell a powerful story. Keep up the amazing work, Tommy! 👏👏👏
@TommyGMcGee
Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
I agree completely
ON THE STATUE OF LIBERTY IT SAYS GIVE ME , YOUR TIRED , YOUR HUNGRY , YOUR POOR . WELL ITS AMERICANS WHO ARE TIRED AND HUNGRY AND POOR .
Facts
American history X?
Whats even more important? Thats them quoting the Bible... This country was BUILT around the values the Bible holds true and its greatness is born and signified by its relationship with God hands down. No if ands or buts
Turn your back on God ... He will turn his back on this Nation and what makes it so great is what holds it together... "One Nation, UNDER GOD..."
Amen
@@austinfuller8323 the first amendment protects freedom of religion. Our founding fathers protected the freedom to worship who you choose. Not just Christianity so I’m confused as to what you mean isn’t the freedom what makes America great?
I like that grandpa. He was a nice dude. Feel like he would build you up well, work you hard, treat you well and give you great advice.
Rent is around $2000 in the Northeast for a decent place and eggs are almost $7 for a dozen....
Yea no shit cuz they got bigger salaries there
@hunterno we do kot bottge7179
8.99 for eggs in ohio low salaries here also.
and people who keep chickens are told to delete them because "bird flu".
Yeah and pay rates are higher there too. In KY $10-$12 hr is 'making good money '..
“Do you feel represented as an American?”
“Uh yeah uh I feel pretty good n stuff” 😂😂
W
That guy was killing me lmao
10/10 would have a beer with that guy
He wasn't making any excuses. Instead of sitting around blaming the government. Good guy.
At one moment he seems like he grasps how finance, economy, supply & demand, and just basic capitalism and consumerism works. Says life is what you make of it, and says it doesn't matter how much you make, it's how you live. But then he also thinks a president must snap their fingers and magically set gas & food prices, as well as tell corporations where to build and invest. And, somehow the immigrants are apparently "stealing" jobs and money from his pocket.
At one point i'm like "He gets it. And he has a basic understanding of capitalism." Then at another point i'm like "Noooooo. No. No. No. That's not how that works., or why that happens, or how the cause & effect of that works.""
You had a Bowling on your show! There were some Bowlings on American Hollow! I am so sorry for the loss of his wife. May God comfort and bless him. 😢
as a brother from Canada I see how both our nations are struggling. I sympathize and hope we all can pull together for real change. Its plain to see we love our countries but we don't like whats happening happening to them. Yes we help other nations but we need to help ourselves now. God bless us all.
I owned a farm there before moving away after raising three girls in Berea. When I bought the farm in 2018, i loved it. The people are nice and very poor. I had 20 acres of quietness and peace. Lost a job and sold it to move and work in Arizona. I spent 30 years in wonderful Kentucky, and I may return there someday! That gas station is right below my house/farm up on the hill. My neighbor overdosed. Drugs are rampant, but thats everywhere. My teo bedroom home/3 car garage and 20 acres was $595 mortgage payment including taxes and insurance. They have a famous NY yankee that cane from Owsley. I miss these folks. Really good people
It is not that affordable anymore. 20 acres is a few hundred thousand l.
@spannersautoandcomputerser1649 Bidenomics my man. Can't spend a trillion dollars every 100 days and not have inflation
If you bought that farm in 2018 you didn't stay long before you moved away? I wish someone would do a better job of describing the drug problem in a way that gives you a real representation of how many in 10 are on drugs. Like 4 out of 10? Rampant is hard to picture.
@klwthe3rd no I lives in Estill and Madison counties for 30 years then moved to the country. Lost a job in 2019 so I had to sell it and moved to Arizona to work as an investigator. I will return in the next few years to find a farm again
I recently moved to a rural school district, and it really changed my perspective on poverty in general. For the first time in pretty much my entire life, I got to witness white poverty up close and I realized race has nothing to do with poor outcomes (for the most part), it's truly a socioeconomic issue.
I've even worked in low-income majority black schools, but the level of poverty in these rural areas was still incomparable.
Friend, is it 3rd world style poverty?
I'm glad you came back for seconds on this story Tommy.
BANGER!!!
uploading this frequently shows the dedication, for that alone i will buy some merch right now. Keep grinding tommy
@TommyGMcGee
Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
What's crazy, is that property values are still high in these poor counties.
I’m a native Kentuckian who frequents the area and I can tell you that living in this area of the country feels like an utter a total free for all. Even if all these people had jobs a considerable amount of them would still pull government disability to feed their drug addiction. One of my favorite facts about SE KY is Beatyville, the town right next to booneville got a LARGE surplus of money handed to them and for the past like 2 years they have been “fixing” the road by making it actively horrible to drive on
@TommyGMcGee
Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
@@suechristian12KEEP SAYING IT LOUD AND PROUD SISTER!!
I live in west Ireland and I’ve had this Blue T-shirt for around a year now I picked up at a second hand event , it’s blue with UK wrote on it , today I realised it’s University Kentucky , thought that was cool 👌
Thats funny. Live in New Orleans but went to UK lexvegas. Was pretty cool. Waste of time though.
UK grad here, That place is way overrated. Always have their hand stuck out for money.
I live in one of the poorest places in Nova Scotia, used to be a booming small coal mining town, once the mines were gone they pulled the bank out and put in a funeral parlour in the same building, and then about 20 years later they closed the funeral parlour and someone bought it and turned it into a building full of junk
Appreciate the longer form videos lately!
That man knows exactly who methed with his trailer
😂💀
Exactly what i was thinkin
😂😂😂
Thanks for your content man! I love seeing different places and learning how living is different every where. Keep bring the content! ❤
Man... The older man you spoke to that lost his wife, reminded me of my grandpa. Id wanna give him a hug lol.
That big dude with the cuffs was on some king of the hill shit
Warren Buffet said, "We don't mind paying taxes at Berkshire, and we are paying a 21% federal rate. If we send in a check like we did last year, we sent in over $5 billion to the US federal government. And if 800 other companies had done the same thing, no other person in the United States would have had to pay a dime of federal taxes, whether income taxes, no Social Security taxes, no estate taxes, no… . It's open down the line." All the money paid in the poorest county in the USA well if the average person paid no federal tax well, they would have more money in their pocket. They could consider starting a business, buying a home not renting. Not having credit card debt. And if enough people own their own home, they will try to fix it up and there goes more economic activity increasing the velocity of their local economy. Those that really own this country have allowed the poor sad state of these struggling people. I'm sorry to say the elitist want them uneducated, poor, eating junk and fast food and using hard drugs to thin the herd. Yet I'm guessing many residents there would think Trump will save them. Trump was in for 4 and they are still poor. Biden has been President during massive inflation and yet as you see the grocery store is a monopoly and names its price. Merger madness has been allowed in this country creating near monopolies in everything you pay so much for. The industrial military complex with countless wars gets a massive amount of your hard-earned tax dollars. Has any Republican in your district voted against a war in the last 30 years. look it up. I bet you can find a n=one. but alas now Democrats vote like heck for wars too. I am not saying the Dems will save you. Consider a third-party candidate like RFK, Jr. and please don't be married to any political party. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. This story was co-published with The Washington Post.
One of President Donald Trump’s lesser known but profoundly damaging legacies will be the explosive rise in the national debt that occurred on his watch. The financial burden that he’s inflicted on our government will wreak havoc for decades, saddling our kids and grandkids with debt.
The national debt has risen by almost $7.8 trillion during Trump’s time in office. That’s nearly twice as much as what Americans owe on student loans, car loans, credit cards and every other type of debt other than mortgages, combined, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. It amounts to about $23,500 in new federal debt for every person in the country. The growth in the annual deficit under Trump ranks as the third-biggest increase, relative to the size of the economy, of any U.S. presidential administration, according to a calculation by a leading Washington budget maven, Eugene Steuerle, co-founder of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. And unlike George W. Bush and Abraham Lincoln, who oversaw the larger relative increases in deficits, Trump did not launch two foreign conflicts or have to pay for a civil war.
Yet Trump will get tons of votes in the poorest county in the USA. Keep em dumb ,eating crap food, using tons of addictive substances and they will vote against their own interest every time...
Well said. Every single person I know that's struggling or has job issues is thinking trump is the greatest thing going. He didn't help the first time, do you think he is gonna help the second? They just keep drinking the coolaid.
This was an amazing story Tommy G. Im happy there's people like you putting out content like this, its very knowledgeable and you my help someone out. I salute 🫡 you brother
@TommyGMcGee
Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
I hauled cattle out of Kentucky for years and this is very real.. Great Job on the reporting!!
This county need to blame Mitch McConnell for this situation here.
Tommy is showing so much love to Kentucky! Much love from the capital, keep it up, we have such beautiful land yet we are the poorest due to population and location
Same! Capital city here, as well! Thanks for putting a light on some of our fellow Kentuckians that need help.
@TommyGMcGee
Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
@@suechristian12thank you Sue Christian for pointing out the whole truth...not just the negative stuff that gets the "click bait" I mentioned your comments here in an earlier text and didnt check the name..my apologies for referencing you as a "guy" ...shoulda realized to look first at who writes these comments
I was too impressed with your comment.
Shoulda figured...only women seem to understand that there's 2 sides to every story!
I’ve never believed in giving American a UBI (Universal Basic Income) but there’s an argument to be made for it in towns like this that were the backbone of America during and after the Industrial Revolution and then we sent all our jobs over seas to save a couple buck
UBI isn't going to solve this problem. Bingo, what he said so many of their population would rather rely on government assist then work. This has snow balled. How to help?
i appreciate you being so pure into wanting to know more but also bettering america and helping with addiction n mental n cost
overall i wish i met u when u started in milwaukee
"I lost $168,000"
What he means is lost $168.00.
I thought he was going to say "in the stock market" rofl :)
Kudos to you Tommy watching here down under Australia.Appreciate your sincerity.Good interviewer,well done mayynn👍
Corporate greed is largely responsible for the poverty in this country.
That and sellout politicians
So is stupidity, and laziness.
If you hustle, no corporate greed can stop you. That is an excuse.
KENNEDY IS THE REMEDY! GO BOBBY!
2024 & 2028
No, blaming other people for your problems is the real reason.
Eggs are 7.00 in Connecticut! The average 1 bedroom apt is close to 2k. Gas is almost 4.00 a gallon.
Quality of the vids are insane
Been following these videos to help better gain perspective in many areas in life, thank you for keeping them true open and honest! True TopG content man!
@TommyGMcGee
Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
@@suechristian12 please aim your directive at the up-loader and not someone merely making their own observation
@@suechristian12YOU GO SUE...LOVE YOUR PERSISTENCE! CAN YOU SUGGEST THAT PEOPLE NOT VOTE FOR THE 2 CORRUPT POLICAL PARTIES THAT CREATED THIS MESS IN EVERY CORNER OF AMERICA EXCEPT MARTHAS VINEYARD? SPREAD THE WORD THAT THERE IS A 3RD CHOICE OTHER THAN THE 2 CLOWNS WHO DEBATED ON CNN LAST THURDAY NITE
THAT 3RD CHOICE IS ROBERT F. KENNEDY, jr
I'm NEVER GOING TO VOTE FOR THE LESSER OF 2 EVILS POLITICALLY!! THIS COUNTRY DESERVES BETTER THAN THAT. WE GAVE THEM ALMOST 100 YEARS OF VOTING FOR THEM...AND LOOK WHERE WE ARE NOW?... IM 74 AND ITS TIME TO START THE REVOLUTION...IF WE DON'T DO IT NOW..WHEN WILL WE?
THE REVOLUTION REQUIRES WE DO IT QUIETLY AND PEACEFULLY...WE SHOW UP AT THE POLLS ON NOVEMBER 5TH LIKE LOCUSTS...EVERYONE!
AND WE DITCH BOTH PARTIES!! WE CANT KEEP VOTING FOR THE SAME CRIMINALS AND EXPECT A DIFFERENT RESULT! IT AINT GONNA HAPPEN THAT WAY! YOU CANT COMPLY YOUR WAT OUTTA TYRANNY! WE FINALLY HAVE TO FIGHT TO GET BACK OUR COUNTEY, OUR PEOPLE, AND THIS BEAUTIFUL PLANET!!
WE GOTTA WAKE UP AND DO THIS!! B4 ITS TOO LATE...WE HAVE A $35 TRILLION DEFICIT..
UNTIL WE VOTE FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN & WILL CHANGE THAT PRICES WILL KEEP GOING UP! ITS LITERALLY A WAR BETWEEN US & THE ELITES! WHATS IT GONNA BE , VOTERS?
@@thinknz I did. But hadn't you rather be informed by someone who knows the true story as to support a mostly fictional one and one where he only talked to folks who would give him the 'story he wanted?'
I work in Booneville where this was filmed . Crazy seeing it on film. Id like to add that part of my job is working on houses in the county for folks in need and i can tell you first hand while they might not have much .. some of them are the finest people you will ever meet🤝👍 i wouldn't trade it for any city 😊
You all need to support this man. He is one of the few good social media entities
@TommyGMcGee
Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
@@suechristian12❤ your persistence, girl! I'm right with you!
KENNEDY IS THE REMEDY FOR ANY SMALL TOWN SUFFERING LIKE THIS!
GO BOBBY! 2024 & 2028..( IT WILL TAKE 8 YEARS TO FIX THE MESS THE 2 PARTY CORRUPT SYSTEM HAS CREATED FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS!
😮😮😮🥳🥳🙏🙏😊❤❤🇺🇸🇺🇸❤❤🙏🙏😤
I would suggest traveling to Harlan County, KY. It's a very beautiful county that is plagued by poverty and drugs, specifically fentanyl. You'd actually probably have a great time there, too.
Do you live in Harlan?
Ain’t nun like Mexico tho 🤦🏿♂️
@@Firebird-dd3by Part time, yeah.
@@solocryt7566 Absolutely not, I've never been. lol
@@solocryt7566 I actually wonder what's the difference between this county and a regular poor Mexico county what looks harder to live
The eggs thing put it into perspective for me big-time. I'm 28, oldest of three sisters, and my mom's a single mom. She would take out of state contract jobs to bring home more money and I ran the house. I remember taking my sisters grocery shopping to get whatever we would need while mom was gone. I remember paying $1.89 for a dozen large eggs at Kroger. My mom left us $100 for about four days. There's absolutely no way that I could have kept my sisters and myself fed with that in today's age. And this all was happening only 6-7 years ago.
Tommy G from Milwaukee putting Wisconsin on the map so proud of him
fr lol feel like nobody knows of wisconsin fr
only from that’s 70’s show, “Hello, Wisconsin!!!!!!!!”
@@cobyblue4177😂😂😂
@TommyGMcGee
Sir, you have done the same thing to Owsley County and our community that so many journalists, self-avowed or otherwise, or any self-appointed social media personalities have done for years. You took a story, images and data and slanted it for clicks. I saw that you failed to talk to those of us in the community who have been doing a lot of work to make changes here. Yes - we do have a drug problem, but so does ANYWHERE that there are people who are on them. That is basically everywhere. No matter how much, or how little the drug problem is --- it is still a problem - but we're working on ours. There are also some people in this video that I question as being Owsley Countians. Being in such a small community, we know most everyone, and there was a person, or two, that seemed like they were not actually residents that we would know. And yes - we do have poverty - but we're working on it. We are also no longer the "poorest county" as you deemed us. Yes - we do have higher prices than some other places - but we're working on that too. Also, if you had of talked to some of the people in this county that work every day trying to make this a better place for our children to live, grow and stay (that you should have tried to connect with), you would have realized that our community does not have an available workforce suitable for a factory that 'some' feel that people 'wanting to work' would flock to. A lot of our population is aged and or young, and those who really want to work could find a job. However, there are a few barriers to that in which we are also working on. Such as lack of childcare and potential transportation. If they did not want to work in Owsley, then possibly in London, KY (35 miles away). It may not be what they prefer, but employers here struggle finding people for jobs - not so much finding jobs for people anymore. Also, you showed Owsley in the worst possible light that you could. You seemed to target parts of our county that struggles the most and put them on blatant and heartless display so you could 'tell a story.' Some of your photos were not of Owsley. We would all be curious if you know how to properly 'cite' photos and videos that you use in production of yours. There are rules and expectations to follow for propriety purposes. Nor were all of them recent. If you would have authentically tried to capture Owsley County in 2024, as you claimed to have, you would have been able to show the world that Owsley is making a lot of changes in our community. Our theater is getting restored, a new childcare center is opening, we put in a new artisan corner in town. There are about 7-9 vacant and previously blighted buildings getting renovated for business. We only have around 64 buildings in our entire town and out of the 14 vacant and blighted buildings, many are being restored. We also have one of the fastest internets in the country that has supported the ability for around 400 (over 10% of our population) people to work from home through Teleworks. There are many jobs to be found as remote. One thing that I can say in your defense though. Those of us who have been scorned and burned by others who come trying to tell our story refuse to give you and others seeking a 'story to tell' the time of day. We know what you and others like you will do. Shame on you for what you have done, and....for future reference - we will tell OUR OWN STORY!! One that is truthful, hopeful and totally factual. #AlwaysAnOwl #BuildingBoonevilleBetter #onlyinowsley
Appalachia America is always the poorest. I love to see how these people live and make it work on the bare minimum! ❤
I like that many of them are just fine with what they do have and make, they don’t need or want more. I used to have a shirt from the thrift store that read “live simply so others may simply live”. I think many are brainwashed by consumerism, sometimes those who are the poorest financially live the richest lives not saying it isn’t the opposite many times but it’s all personal perspective
We do what we got to to make by with what little we got but I tell you what it damn sure sucks sometimes when you have an administration in the White House that don't give a s*** about the working people of this country. They always trying to please the preppy college kids and the softest snowflakes. And that is why this country will always be the divided States of America. There is a definite clear divide between rural America and the cities.
i live here. and i lived up north. it all evens out in the end. the northerns have around as much expendable income as the southerns. the cost of living really evens out much more fair then you would think.
@@Weather_NerdLol I grew up poor in Appalachia PA, believe me most people wish they were rich, it's all pretty mixed in public schools so you'll have the dirt poor and then the rich from outside areas and they go to the public school just so the parents save money cause the generational rich families stay rich by saving and investing in the right things.
Drive, really really far to work.
750.00 for two to three bedroom is expensive, shit here a studio apartment is 1700.00 a month, and minimum wage is at 13.00 here and it is still a struggle for me
Tommy I live in a neighboring county. There is all kind of hiking and stuff in the red river gorge you can do. Our county, Wolfe County, is very similar. I think it would be cool to show some of the beauty of the area to maybe bring some tourist money in.
thank you for everything you do Tommy G bro. May God bless you and be with you always on your journeys ❤🙏
I love how Tommy G seem's to never judge.. Much love to everyone out there
such as economic opportunities, access to education, healthcare, and infrastructure-can shed light on broader issues facing marginalized populations in the country
i'm from KY and i like the way the approach was done. my people! Appalachia is a great place, ya gotta take the good with the bad, though. opiates started here in KY in the early 2000's, with the pain pill thing. first lortabs and xanax, then it was more oxy 30s, then heroin, then mainly fentanyl. i been clean for almost 7 years now, it was that or die. but when it begun, it was largely a result of Purdue intentionally targeting places like KY, WV and elsewhere to market Oxycontin, for a few reasons. that's a whole other ball of wax though, lol. but the land, music, culture and people, plus the history and random strange things, make it a very special place for me. i'm proud to be an Appalachian, wasn't always but, i am now. thank you for bein respectful to us mountain folk, lol we usually don't mean nobody no harm if they mean us no harm. Appalachia's been consistently left behind, forgot and exploited. i hope we can find a way to get more jobs, investment, and new people to hopefully move into some of these dying towns, and find ways to hang on literally. and also hang our to our traditions, our way of speakin, our music, our everything. hopefully people start to understand, the stereotypes ain't all we are. the truth of Appalachia is much richer, darker and more violent, and more complex than you'd think. and there's a lot of stuff you wouldn't necessarily expect to find here, til you find it. its a very, very special place here though, it's different here! i love it so much. its so peaceful in the holler at night, where it gets all the way dark and quiet, and you can hear the deer rustlin around and the coyotes in the distance, or the nightjars and cicadas and frogs singin. its plum full of natural beauty, everywhere you turn there's just beautiful scenery, when you get good and far back off the beaten path. thank y'all for doing it justice though, much obliged! y'all come back whenever you get a chance! there's a lot more to see, and there's always surprising stuff to stumble across in KY
I’m from that region originally. You have to be brave enough to leave to ever have anything. No opportunities are left for those people. I rarely visit and when I do it literally like going back in time 15-20 years. I moved just a few hours away and lit was a different world 30 years ago and a different planet now
Gee willikers!! There sure is nothin' quite like a Tommy G video to get me absolutely bricked the fuck up on this fine Tuesday afternoon!
😂
Great googly moogly, might I add
Is my music good?
@@OfficialJalenSmithnope . Walmart’s hiring btw
@@OfficialJalenSmithhell na bruh, I even tried to give it a chance. Hot trash.
The Jailer looked like Chris Farley.. love the vids man
Eggs cost $6-$10 a dozen here in Oregon, and rent is $1,800-$2,400 per month! No Joke! We are barely keeping our head above water in Oregon!
always a good day when tommy g uploads!! 🎉❤❤
Love how real Tommy is with the videos no sugar coating the truth.
I’m from Louisville Kentucky, after watching a few Kentucky videos, I think it would be beneficial to show both sides the poor and the rich.
There’s Native American community’s in other states like North Dakota and MS that are poorer conditions and worst govt funding than this county in Kentucky just saying.
You are correct!!!
I've been to the Rosebud Rez in S. Dakota.
I helped a fella there, he was a Vietnam era veteran, sent a huge box up that way full of goods.
Poor feller had nothing. No way to haul wood to his house to cook with and heat with.
No power or running water.
This was a few yrs. ago, sure hope he's still making it.
It was bad up there, far worse than these folks in the video here.
I saw one of your videos a while back and was kinda put off when you strapped a vest on and advertised for it. Then I watched more of your videos and realized. Damn. Total respect! Appreciate you doing these. Especially that town with the corrupt mayor. Keep at dude.
“It just keeps getting worser and worser!”
I giggled too. lol
Right in the feels...20:13 I hope this man's family visit as much as he prefers. If not, we should organize something kind, respectful, and helpful; imagine the wisdom this man has to share! These type of men right here are everything good about America, everything good about being a man. Thank you for shining a light on this legitimate national treasure. Shout out to all the other "Papaws" out there doting on their grandbabies, letting them ride go-karts, making biscuits & gravy for breakfast, taking them fishing, and down to the hardware store...you are the best parts of our life.
Great job bro! A true journalist with compassion!
With that kind of landscape, why are people starving? You can grow seeds you can raise rabbits and somebody locally can start sticking up for everybody. I think towns need to treat themselves like villages and start unifying more.
For egglands best eggs the 18 count I pay 7.99 to rent a 1 bd where I live is 1200 month, I live in southern Utah
Fun fact: Im related to Daniel Boone and also I am a new subscriber. I must say your videos are not only educational but they (the videos) I think help open the eyes of people who dont live in these towns. I hope you continue to make videos.
I appreciate the stats and facts my man, you don’t just post opinions you post actual facts!
The fact that we get free videos on TH-cam by Tommy G is truly a gift. 👍👍👍
How about putting politicians in office that care about the people instead of their own pockets.
I'm born and raised in West Virginia and we always got by my whole life. We weren't rich but we didn't go without too often. And now I make decent money and I can't hardly afford to buy food. Alot of times I'll have to just be hungry for a day or so til I get paid. Something needs to change starting with Biden.
Factoid: Kamala is Biden lite.