I’ve worked for a Steel Company in that part of Arkansas before. In my experience what drove companies to move there were:

• Lax environmental regulations
• Access to the Mississippi river for raw materials
• Cheap electricity from local coal and gas plants
• Anti Union state and local governments
• Tax incentives from the state and local governments

Wages weren’t really bad from what I remember. Many jobs starting at $80k, with good production bonus incentives. Though the work was often very physical with long working hours.

Normally I’m not a commenter, but reading this article made me cringe harder and harder as the article went on. Never have I seen someone so self confident in the decisions they made that are potentially going to ruin their own life. She was so happy to tell us how anti trans she was and still is, but she complains that her anti trans advocacy is now leading to discrimination against her. Truly a prefect leopard eating face moment. Hell, it seems like she still supports the leopard, despite her head being in it’s mouth.