Once again we are quick to blame the guy that is office for the shortfall's of today.
I too would like to buy american but how can these companies compete with the free trade and nafta. By the way who was responsible for the nafta and free trade and opening up this country further to the Chineese and such was his name Bill Clinton. We in this country want good paying union jobs yet we open our doors to un-fair foriegn competition. American companies deal with OSHA, EPA and a host of other government hand cuffs and on top of that we pay competitive wages and benifits and retirements and etc... Now don't get me wrong I am as much for these benifits as any one I want my retirement to be good. But what about the slackers that we can't get rid of because the Union's protect them. How do carry these people on our backs and compete with the rest of the world. How can we bring products into this country that are made under conditions that would not be allowed in this country.
I have read that Bill Clinton was the working man's guy well I for one want to thank Mr. Clinton for NAFTA who did it benifit ? the importers and big business that everyone says the republicans are for. You and I know who feathered thier pockets you sell nights in the White house so you can solicit campaign donation and then give the country away this guy is for the working man ?
It is time that we have a bit of a wake up call here in the USA the next time we look at products that are so well priced we should take a look at the label and see which foriegn country we support with this purchase. We all want the good life and too much of it. We are willing to sacrifice jobs and economy so that we can have something, we are willing to tax and then increase spending on programs that benifit only a few. Is it so important that we have something right now that we give our jobs away or worse yet our niehbors job so that we can have it , That seem's pretty me only. What we should do is buy products that are produced with similar and like work forces to what we as Americans want for ourselves. If we want a global economy then let's make the rest of the world step up to the plate and live by the rules. How can someone that makes $20.00 an hour compete with a forien copetitor that pay's $1.98 and no fringes. Is the math that hard to do.
I for one am telling Mr. Bush that even though I agree with some of the administration that I whole heartedly disagree with his Imigration policy to admit Illeagles to this country and in fact those policies should be 180 deg and more effort should be spent eliminating the illeagle migration of these people.

You guy's that tout the benifit's of the Union, and what you have because of it. Do you look at the products that you buy and where are they made? When your children want something do you pass up the US union made product's and buy foriegn made, because they are the ones you can afford. Do you hide behind the statement that you have to buy these products because there are no Us manufactures. I can tell you in almost every case There use to be .
Sometimes we all hide behind statements and comments made that are half truths. I think it is time for all of us to sit down and decide which part of the problem we are, and correct it irregarless to what the other guy is doing , or there will be no future. I just heard on the new's that the generation that we are starting to raise now will be the first generation ever to expect a lower standard of living than thier parents. NAFTA??


I apoligize for the length of this and I am off my stump now.

 

I have reached the conclusion that we have no one but ourselves to blame for all the imported goods, and this goes for the Ram pickup, too. If we didn't buy imported stuff, they would quit importing it. It is for this reason that I won't go into Walmart, Target, etc. if I can avoid it.

We are delusional if we think that we can maintain our overall high standard of living if all our goods are manufactured overseas. Every company that pulls up stakes to go to another country to exploit cheap labor is praying that his competitors stay here and continue to pay the high wages necessary for there to be a market for his now cheaper to produce (but still sold at the same high price) goods. The only way that can work is if we have some kind of good or service to export at an exorbitantly high profit margin. Other than Boeing airplanes and foodstuffs, I can't think of much else we export. What percentage of our population will that support?

Much is made of this global economy malarky, but what it eventually has to come to is a reduced standard of living for some (us) and an increased standard of living for others. There is NO WAY the rest of the world is going to come up to ours. Call me selfish, but I don't particularly want any part of sacrificing our standard of living so that that Bangladeshi sweat shop workers can live in a better refrigerator carton.

Now, something about unions. They serve a purpose. If not for what union members get paid, I wouldn't make what I do. There is no way my pay would remain what it is if the union members pay is reduced. I have been in a couple of unions, and have seen the best and worst of them. On one hand, they keep companies from abusing workers and provide a stability among the work force. OTOH, they ensure that the worst worker is paid exactly the same as the best. Many people take advantage of this.

 

I am sure most of us make enough money each year to support our desired lifestyles, but we just pay too much in taxes. I am tired of hearing how much money we send to places like Israel, or to police the entire world, or even the lazy baby factories and illegals we support in our own country. I also would like to see the federal government run ads to encourage people to buy american made products, but without all the union mumbo jumbo thrown in to confuse the message being presented. In fact I am still a little torqed to find that my Ram was built in Mexico and not the states. I could care less if it was built by Unions but I am really upset that it was not built by Americans. As the poster above stated "we have done it all to ourselves" with all the imported goods that we buy. I will usually spend a few more dollars for a product to help support a local or regional small business over a big national chain and I should be willing to do the same on American made versus Imported goods. My fathers business was at a trade show last week and he commented on how many people inquired if the goods were American made and some even went further to ask if they were union made. This is a good sign although I am anti Union I respect the fact that they are looking out for their fellow workers. Next time you all open up your wallets maybe check around a little further to see if there truly is an acceptable american made counterpart even if it is a few bucks more because after all your job future could depend on it.

 

People should not be so fast to bash nafta, it, as everything, has it's good points and bad. My company is now able to sell our pumps to "3rd world" countries, as they are called. We import alot of our parts, and we have found that our supplier has just as good, if not better quality as the U.S. o.e.m.. When most o.e.m. suppliers obsolete a part that is used here and the end user wants to stay with their current equipment, what are we supposed to do. I got cost to have patterns made here for a pump, try over $100,000.00, that does not include our machining cost, and that is for just ONE pump. I can send it overseas and get the pattern made, and we are have some parts made with what is called an "investment casting", these are cast to within a few thousands of finish size. I think it all goes back to when I was a manager, and was told by my boss, "I needed to get my contibution up higher" AKA PROFIT, because the "stock holders" where not happy with a 49% profit rate. I told him what I needed to get to the level they wanted and was told "NO", you'll have to do it with the guys you have now, no new equipment. That's when the song "take this job and shove it" came to mind. I learned later that he had been told how I was getting my guys to meet our quota each period, "we meet the quota, and you get a day off with pay, I cover it and you ask no questions, just give me enough notice to arrange the schedule" one guy decided he wanted the next day off with pay, when I said no, he blew the whistle and screwed everyone. I also took everyone out on a Friday for lunch at a good steak house, with pay, once a period. YES, I guess all this was against the company, money grubbing policy, but they only looked at what it was costing them, not what it was making them. If companies here would stop and look at WHO really makes the company a company, there would be no need for a union, it's not the "company" it's the greedy stock holding bastards that want it all. I'm glad I told them to shove it, I ain't rich, just up to my eyeballs in debt, but it's nice to lay down at night and sleep, knowing that I have people that like coming in to work, and if anyone is wondering, the meals and other stuff come out of mine and my wifes pocket.
So why don't some of these union members that work for a big company, start BUYING your company stock, this will give you more of a voice in the company, and convince other employees to do the same, buy all you can, and then go to the stock holder meetings and voice your opinion.
The company I worked for was a "privately" held company, the "family" would not let us buy stock

 

Forgot to mention, the last year I was there, the "company" had over $990,000,000.00 in sales. My shop did over $8,000,000.00 in repairs, with only 8 guys, and 1 girl in the office. Go Figure

 

Ram04 - the taxes in the U.S. are NOTHING compared to what I pay in Canada.....if you think you get screwed, my check stub would make you cringe....

 

Dr. Evil,

In Canada, do you have to pay for your health insurance like most places down here where you pay part and the company pays part? I have heard a few opinions on TV, radio, etc, that Canadian taxes are high because of the health care system.

CR

 

Yes Crobtex, i am pretty sure its their health care system too! And yet some Canadians still come to the States for their health care. Why is that?

Dr. Evil, RE: Canadian taxes. In the words of the former pres. Klinton (sic). " I feel your pain".

 

Yes guys our taxes are high in part due to our health care system. I pay probably $150 a month in total (an my employer pays some as well). I do work for a good company that does pay - many do not. I do realize that you guys pay higher health care bills (my brother lives in the states) but at least you have quality health care and can get treatment in a reasonable amount of time. The Canadian Health Care system is in poor poor shape and the waiting list are unacceptable - I think the waiting list 6+ months for an MRI. There are more MRI machines in the city of Houston than we have in Western Canada. That is why Canadians come to the U.S. to have procedures done. They simply cannot wait to get treated up here.

One thing that doesnt make sense is the prescription drug costs. Much higher in the U.S. I cant figure out why drugs are so cheap (relatively) up here - other than the pharmacutical companies down there wanting to make big coin...

 

Interesting. I've always wondered if things might be different if I lived in Canada.

 

$32.60 nonunion neverwill be.

 

Is that in addition to Health Care??

 

I think the prices are government-controlled up there.

 

Yep!

And down here, they seem to be government "supported".


CR

 

Unions may have a plce. BUT the cost is carried to the consumer. Now thats why China Owns Americas Retail sales.
We can't afford to buy American and Pay PPL 30+$ an hour.