Dear friends in Charlotte,
I recently read in the New York Times that right now many of your residents are suffering because of the near failure and impending purchase of Wachovia, one of the two major banks in town. Apparently friends know friends who have been laid off, probably through no fault of their own, but through, as someone who works at the competitor said, a bad decision.
It sounds like times are tough because either of the new owners will probably move the headquarters out of Charlotte, the two contenders being Wells Fargo and Citibank. And those of us who have lived in a town where such a large business has pulled out know that many other businesses close, and many others must shrink, and the economy must absorb all of that.
The reason I mention this is that I lived in San Francisco, the former home of Bank of America, former home of the Bank of America Building, where Nations Bank bought them and removed the headquarters to, guess where? Charlotte.
We wish you a speedy recovery, particularly if Wells Fargo gets the gig.
Sincerely,
(some former) Californians