When will it end?

[27145]

We are in hard fiscal times. Personally I think we are going into a depression. Now we are outsourcing even more! I am sick to my stomach.

California Turns To China For New Bay Bridge : NPR

 

[Jst1mr]

Given their (China's) less-than-stellar quality assurance/control record, guess I won't line up to be the first across the new bridge. The bridge should be blockaded when it opens by unemployed American workers.

 

[novalty]

Don't worry it will be recalled when they discover the lead paint.

 

[Sprefix]

The brilliance in charge never ceases to amaze me................

 

[Steve in Vermont]

They mentioned that US steel companies were unable to meet the demand needed for this project. Of course they can't, we've outsourced that industry and many more years ago. The money we spend on this project is gone and will only return in the form of loans from China. When I think of the thousands of American workers trying to feed their families.......every one of those *** who approved this project should be fired and never work for a government agency again, or run for public office. Sorry for the rant but I have friends in the construction trades and understand what they are going through.

 

[johnsonl]

Start brushing up on your Mandarin Chinese, it's the most common dialect.

 

[Thuer]

I hate it. The point is that America spend that much mony on war to terrorism that they almost reached the point of the end of their credit.

I dont like that. I dont like that the Chinese get that much power becouse they finance a lot of America's debts.

This makes America vunreble. I am not an expert but it gives me the creeps. God bless America.

Sorry for my bad English, but I have a fight with my window correction centre.

 

[fiasconva]

They'll try building it with the Chinese dry wall that has destroyed so many homes around here. Then we'll have to condemn and replace it.

 

[mstuhr]

I hate it. The point is that America spend that much mony on war to terrorism that they almost reached the point of the end of their credit.

I dont like that. I dont like that the Chinese get that much power becouse they finance a lot of America's debts.

This makes America vunreble. I am not an expert but it gives me the creeps. God bless America.

Sorry for my bad English, but I have a fight with my window correction centre.

Hi Thuer,
Thanks a million for the kind words. They get hard to come by sometimes.
Mike

 

[oldman45]

Without singling anyone out, and I agree with the above posters, but think about Japan and the US. Japan almost owns the US due to the US people buying Jap cars. The profits from their car sales go direct to Japan. The cost of the parts made over there goes to Japan.

Yet the GM plant here is shutting down and already got rid of over 4,000 people. Many of those lost their homes.

Yes, the US outsourced jobs but the US consumer helped in that happening. ABC is doing segments on American made goods that are better, cheaper but left unsold in favor of foreign goods.

What was it Pogo said many years ago? We have met the enemy and the enemy is us.

 

[27145]

The US was once a mighty industrial giant. No more, we are in decline. I bet it was mainly the EPA that put the steel business out of the US.

Working at HD dealerships I found that more and more parts are imported, because they have shut down so many chroming plants. The leather jackets are foreign made, because the EPA wont let us use the dies for the leather. The EPA guidlines make it that only a few chroming facilities exist, due to permits etc.

When things are made in the US, it is more expensive to produce because of this. You cannot really say it is the labor cost, because everything is automated. I see manufacturing shows on History or Discovery channel. A facility will have maybe a dozen workers and the place is filled with high tech equipment, replacing humans. So I feel it is the regulations imposed.

You may buy a name brand US product for 3x the price of an import, but you can hand it down to your grand children. The import stuff goes to the landfill within a year.

One problem is we have become a greedy consumer society. We buy what we want, not what we need. Instead of spending 1k on what you need (and saved for), you buy 5k worth of things you don't need, on a credit card. People want 5 tv's that are cheap so that you have one in every room, instead of one well made US product that might be double the cost of the import.

I would rather buy one $10 US made ice cream scoop, than a $1 import that gets thrown away in a couple of months. That US scoop will be around 20 years.

I try to practice what I preach, I own 2 Harley's, 2 Fords, all my guns are S&W, Colt and a Ruger.

 

[scooter123]

On a positive note I saw a report on the news over the weekend on 2 manufacturers who are planning on pulling out of China after 10 years of outsourcing work there. Two seperate issues are driving this decision. One is that labor costs are currently going up at a rate of 40% per year. Second is that the quality has always been problematic and the Chinese response to complaints about quality is to just shrug.

Both manufacturers ran the numbers and have decided that manufacturing in the USA is now the most economical. Lower costs in terms of correction for Quality issues and Productivity in the US still leads the world. While bring 2000 jobs back to the US is a drop in the bucket you have to start somewhere and it could turn into a stream.

BTW, it wasn't just the EPA that killed off the Steel Industry in the US, it was a result of Environmental regs, piss poor management with an unwillingness to re-invest in state of the art upgrades, and unions who didn't think it was possible for the gravy train to end.

However, the factors that actually led to the US becoming the leading steel maker in the mid 20th century are still in place. Fact is that we are unique in that we have the raw materials and water needed for steel production in close proximity. Because of this I believe that in time we will see the Steel Industry re-emerge in the USA. Hopefully when it happens we'll remember the mistakes that led to the lean times we are experiencing right now.

 

[27145]

What really hurt the US was WWII. We used up a lot of iron ore, which used to be scraped up off the ground, now it has to be mined. We used a lot of oil up, because of WWII we hit peak oil in the early 70's.

 

[johnsonl]

"When will it end"?
It ends Nov. 6th, 2012.

 

[blujax01]

"When will it end"?
It ends Nov. 6th, 2012.

So in a few weeks, we should all go out and purchase a bunch of stuff on the "twelve months, same as cash?" deal, right?

 

[blujax01]

...

I try to practice what I preach, I own 2 Harley's, 2 Fords, all my guns are S&W, Colt and a Ruger.

People ask me why I prefer S&W and Colt to Glock. I always tell them this:

I'm an American Son, I buy an American gun.

All three cars in the driveway are Detroit Iron as well.

 

[roscoguy]

I bet it was mainly the EPA that put the steel business out of the US.

Working at HD dealerships I found that more and more parts are imported, because they have shut down so many chroming plants. The leather jackets are foreign made, because the EPA wont let us use the dies for the leather. The EPA guidlines make it that only a few chroming facilities exist, due to permits etc.

Come on, you'd really rather that these types of industries would still be "self regulating" - which really means that they'd just dump all the carcinogens, etc. into the water table??? I agree with the rest of your comments, but this is pure bullcookies. I know I wouldn't want to live downstream from a chrome plating plant or a tannery & I doubt that you would either.

 

[Engineer1911]

The EPA and OSHA cost American industry billions complying with excessive regulations. Clean air, clean water, and a safe work place are important but common sense and reason are also needed. When discharge water is cleaner than intake water something is wrong. When air quality into the carburator can fail an exhaust gas engine test (exhaust air cleaner than intake air) government has gone too far.

I won't even start on OSHA. Protecting stupid (can't read the book) machine operators is just the start. Rant off (it's not done, but stopping is important).

 

[madmikeb]

You can trash the Japanese automakers all you want but the fact of the matter is that they provide a lot of jobs for us Americans. Personally I've been a parts manager for a Toyota dealer for the last 24 years so I owe my living to Toyota. We were also a GM dealer until we were dropped last year in the bailout. Speaking from years of experience, GM vehicles are junk compared to a Toyota and the Government bailout pretty much proves that. Toyota also stands behind their vehicles better than GM would in a million years. Couple that with the fact that there is more of a Toyota Camry built in this country than there is a Chevy Suburban, and I wouldn't have a GM vehicle in the dooryard. I would be proud to have a Ford though, and my next new car, (my first new car), most likely will be a Ford Mustang Convertible.
I realize that there is something to the fact that the profits go overseas but I think that the jobs provided more than make up for this fact.
There, I've stirred the pot so go ahead and flame away!

 

[27145]

Come on, you'd really rather that these types of industries would still be "self regulating" - which really means that they'd just dump all the carcinogens, etc. into the water table??? I agree with the rest of your comments, but this is pure bullcookies. I know I wouldn't want to live downstream from a chrome plating plant or a tannery & I doubt that you would either.

I understand what you are saying. I agree with the contamination issues. The way I see it, the EPA should be gone. Every State has an EPA, let them police the industry. One of the reasons we have freedom of the press is because they are supposed to be watch dogs. The Cuyahoga River in Ohio comes to mind. Devoid of fish and actually went on fire on several occasions.

The Federal EPA copiles on restrictions to eliminate industry, not to protect the environment. The progressive mind set in this Country for the last 100 years want every kid getting a college education and go into a service economy. If kids go to college, they can instill in them their progressive beliefs.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

When our daughters are dancing on the pole for tips from Japanese businessmen to put Burmese rice on the kitchen table made in China and to pay the Vietnamese landlord, at least we can all remember what a great bargain those Toyotas were...

 

[JoseyWales2]

BTW, it wasn't just the EPA that killed off the Steel Industry in the US, it was a result of Environmental regs, piss poor management with an unwillingness to re-invest in state of the art upgrades, and unions who didn't think it was possible for the gravy train to end. ....

Agree completely with this statement. It's more of the first and third reasons than the second, but they're all to blame. I could name a couple of airlines that are no longer around for the same reasons.

I personally have driven a Honda Accord for many, many years and have never had a problem with it. Ever. That's quality that I don't see in a Big Three vehicle. Plus it was assembled in a U.S. plant and if I recall correctly the U.S. parts content was high, something like 70%. How many of the Big Three vehicles are actually made in Mexico or Canada?

The way things are now, I would NEVER buy a Gov't Motors vehicle until they really pay back the loans (instead using a new gov't loan to pay off the old gov't loan) AND the gov't sells off their stock in GM and Chrysler. I'd consider buying a Ford truck though, if I was in the market for one.

 

[27145]

You can trash the Japanese automakers all you want but the fact of the matter is that they provide a lot of jobs for us Americans. Personally I've been a parts manager for a Toyota dealer for the last 24 years so I owe my living to Toyota. We were also a GM dealer until we were dropped last year in the bailout. Speaking from years of experience, GM vehicles are junk compared to a Toyota and the Government bailout pretty much proves that. Toyota also stands behind their vehicles better than GM would in a million years. Couple that with the fact that there is more of a Toyota Camry built in this country than there is a Chevy Suburban, and I wouldn't have a GM vehicle in the dooryard. I would be proud to have a Ford though, and my next new car, (my first new car), most likely will be a Ford Mustang Convertible.
I realize that there is something to the fact that the profits go overseas but I think that the jobs provided more than make up for this fact.
There, I've stirred the pot so go ahead and flame away!

I am not sold on the Toyota brand, I feel a lot of vehicle issues are covered up. I own a Ford, but they are outsourcing to Mexico. We supposedly have all these free trade agreements, yet other countries tariff our products almost out of existence.

 

[27145]

When our daughters are dancing on the pole for tips from Japanese businessmen to put Burmese rice on the kitchen table made in China and to pay the Vietnamese landlord, at least we can all remember what a great bargain those Toyotas were...

If things get any worse, my two son's will be doing that!

 

[HEAD0001]

Everything in life is a cycle. And it really depends on how long it takes that cycle to come back around. And it is usually darkest right before the dawn.

Our politicians have become so absurd that they are making themselves totally irrelevant. Just look at our President. People are starting to look at him and just laugh. Wondering what stupid thing is he going to say today?? Even his devout supporters are loosing faith in him. I would not doubt if they kick him out and put another Democrat in the race for the next President. I think Bill Clinton still has more power in the Party than Obama. I really believe that. The big guys in the Democratic Party are getting fed up with Obama.

There are still alot of resilient Americans left in this Country. And they have just about reached their absurdity point.

In this world what it really comes down to is will and natural resources. And in America we still have both. This nonsense is going to stop sometime soon in the near future. As soon as we can stick those closet liberals back in the closet. And the way you are hearing them scream lately they know they already have one foot inside the closet door.

The cycle will come back to America. I really do believe that to be true. It is just going to take a large wake up call. I thought 9-11 was that wake up call. But I was wrong.

But once that wake up call comes the closet liberals will stand together with us. And get the ball rolling again. Have faith in that.

I remember something my dad always said. He said we should buy every barrel of oil in the Middle East. And then when it is all gone. We should start selling them back water for the same price they sold us their oil for, and in the same barrels!!

He also said to pay them for all that oil in dollars. And when it is all gone just change our currency. We already have started that by the way we are devaluing our dollar. It is just a matter of time.

Just think about it. I know people who are old enough to remember buying bread for 5 cents a loaf. So what is 14 trillion really going to be worth in another 20 years?? I believe that is what they are counting on. A RESTART!! Tom.

 

[roscoguy]

Agree completely with this statement. It's more of the first and third reasons than the second, but they're all to blame.

Or maybe the second.

I personally have driven a Honda Accord for many, many years and have never had a problem with it. Ever. That's quality that I don't see in a Big Three vehicle.

Bull. Check JD Powers. All 3 US automakers are dramatically improving their quality.

Plus it was assembled in a U.S. plant and if I recall correctly the U.S. parts content was high, something like 70%.

MAYBE. But from American owned parts suppliers? Not last I heard!

How many of the Big Three vehicles are actually made in Mexico or Canada?

Canada doesn't pay sub-poverty level wages. We had trade agreements with them for a looooong time. And Mexico is somehow worse than China (the source for almost everything else you buy)?

The way things are now, I would NEVER buy a Gov't Motors vehicle until they really pay back the loans (instead using a new gov't loan to pay off the old gov't loan) AND the gov't sells off their stock in GM and Chrysler.

Well, that'll sure teach 'em. Are you going to invest more money in Wall Street though? They're the folks who raped all of us, not the automakers. (Who did, for the sake of honesty, make plenty of mistakes - as did the UAW & our government. It's a much more complicated issue than Fox news would like you to know... )

 

[roscoguy]

We supposedly have all these free trade agreements, yet other countries tariff our products almost out of existence.

And there you go. If our government had imposed the same sort of import restrictions & tariffs on incoming vehicles as other countries attach to our stuff, there'd be far fewer Japanese vehicles here. The problem is that while foreign governments seem to understand that a strong auto manufacturing industry is beneficial to a strong economy, our government has always sold out the auto companies in favor of the importers. They have never, ever tried to level the playing field (with tariffs, etc.) & have even allowed the Japanese to dump vehicles below cost, just to establish or gain market share.

 

[Jst1mr]

An American brought the idea of quality to Japan after being ignored in this country. The big three became arrogant and complacent and didn't listen to the voice of the consumer, but rather continued churning out truly epic junk. I judge they would still be doing the same had not someone else offered a quality built, efficient alternative. It only took thirty some years for our guys to react, and then only at risk of bankruptcy. Build it better and they will come...I refuse to buy absolute junk due to some misguided sense of patriotism, but will gladly be the first to choose American when the product is comparable in quality.

 

[Armyphotog]

Start brushing up on your Mandarin Chinese, it's the most common dialect.

Oh, I hope not. According to my English professor, Mandarin Chinese is the only language in the world more difficult that our own English. And, I haven't quite mastered it, yet. Oh, dear!

 

[JSR III]

I refuse to buy absolute junk due to some misguided sense of patriotism, but will gladly be the first to choose American when the product is comparable in quality

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"