On my soap box -- again!

Black & Decker, Eastman Kodak, Fender Musical Instruments, Hershey...Great All-American companies, right? Not so any more! They are just a handful of the companies that have exported jobs out of the US, putting Americans out of work. Why? To increase profit margins, cut manufacturing costs, save on labor costs, to escape the added costs that environmental regulations place on them, whatever reasons the companies want to give...It all comes down to the bottom line, dollars & cents. But I wonder who those same companies think is going to buy all their foreign-made products when nobody in the US has a decent paying job? Oh, and don't tell me that those displaced workers can be re-trained for a new job -- many who went through a re-training for a different field are once again being displaced because now it's not just manufacturing jobs that are disappearing. Now those good paying IT jobs that everyone re-trained for are being outsourced. Add insult to injury and make the US workers train their foreign replacements, how's that for a kick in the pants?! Medical field? Nope, outsourced whenever possible. Your CAT scan or MRI may be read by someone in India. Customer service jobs? Call Center jobs? Nope, not safe! Where do you think your call is answered when you try to get answers about your credit card bill, insurance billing, or phone bill? Most likely India...Is it right? No. Is it fair? No. Is there a way to stop jobs from leaving this country? Yes. Buy American whenever you can, let manufacturers, service providers and elected representatives know that the time has come to do all that can be done to keep good paying jobs in this country, to stop sending jobs out of the country.
If you want to see a more complete list of US companies that are exporting jobs, visit the CNN page for the Lou Dobbs show: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/ . There you will find a link to "Exporting America -- A list of companies exporting jobs." The number of companies on the list will shock you -- and, sadly, the list gets longer every week...

All-American Blogging -- Day One -- Feb. 16, 2005

Well, here goes -- my first shot at blogging. I decided to start this little adventure to share views and news about the plight of American workers and what can be done to help secure their future. I will share what I know of American companies and the American-made products that are still available.

We all need to be aware of how our consumer dollars impact the lives & jobs of those around us. We can help make sure that our neighbors, family & friends still have jobs tomorrow if we make a conscious effort to purchase products that are still made right here in the US by American workers. Sure, it's easy to run to the local "Wally World" and grab whatever is on the shelf at the lowest price, but...Who made it? Was it made in country you've ever heard of? How's the quality? How long will it last?

Good, quality American-made products are still out there -- you just have to do a little homework and look around. You'll find plenty to chose from and, yes, the price might be a little higher than what you would pay for that Chinese-made item at your friendly neighborhood Wally World, but you're buying a quality product that will last and you have the satisfaction of knowing it helped pay an American worker's wages!

There are a lot of informational websites, like www.americaneconomicalert.org, out there that are overflowing with facts, figures, statistics, articles, and searchable databases. They all can help consumers make informed decisions about what products to buy and what companies to support because of their commitment to keeping Americans working. There is information on what CEO's, government representatives & politicians are doing (or not doing) to safeguard American workers and ensure that there will be good-paying manufacturing jobs available.

There are also sites that deal with how you can buy American-made products -- there are retail sites, like www.buyamerican.com, where you can purchase American-made products; some are referrence sites, like www.howtobuyamerican.com and www.usstuff.com, that give you information on which companies are still manufacturing their products in the US.

As I come across relevant information about American-made products, American companies and ways to keep Americans working, I will share it with you here. I will try to have something new posted at least once each week, but there may be postings more often, so check back often to keep up on all the latest.