Something to think about!

[LadyFisher]

A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American.

Good idea . . . one light bulb at a time . . .

Check this out. I can verify this because I was in Lowe's the other day
for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose
attachments. They were all made in China. The next day I was in Ace
Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments
there. They were made in USA. Start looking.

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do
affects someone else - even their job. So, after reading this email, I
think this lady is on the right track. Let's get behind her!

My grandson likes Hershey's candy. I noticed, though, that it is marked
made in Mexico now. I do not buy it any more. My favorite toothpaste
Colgate is made in Mexico now. I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything.

This past weekend I was at Kroger (Can be true for any store.) I needed
60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled, "Everyday Value. " I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA by a company in Cleveland, Ohio.

So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here.

So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets . . yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada. The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!

If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies!

(We should have awakened a decade ago . . . . . .)

Let's get with the program . . . . help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the U.S.A.

America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
~ Abraham Lincoln

(Sent to Trav by a friend)

[John Rhoades]

Many years ago, I worked at a Sylvania Products plant located in northwestern Pennsylvania where we made light bulbs. I was required to join the Machinists union in order to work there, and while I made a good wage, many of the work restrictions imposed unnecessarily by the union inflated the company's costs and the retail selling prices of Sylvania light bulbs.

Today, that plant is closed down. I'm sure that the union did more than their share to contribute to its demise.

Today, the energy saving light bulbs we have installed throughout our house are made in China. I bought them at Costco, which had the lowest price. They work as fine as any light bulbs I've ever owned, using but a fraction of the electricity. I'm sure I could have paid a lot more for a light bulb made in the US, perhaps made by union laborers whose productivity often questionable, and at labor and benefit costs that may not be competitive.

However, I've put my savings on light bulb purchases in my bank, where my local banker is using my deposit (along with others like me) to make loans to small businesses so they can remain in business and create jobs, and tofinance homes to credit worthy people in my neighborhood.

It seems to be that about the only thing that's REALLY made in America these days is the federal deficit created by a spendthrift government.

[Sully]

I retired after 37 years at GE...and quit using their light bulbs over 20 years ago because they didnt last as long. I might add that its few and far between for any GE appliance in my home.

I buy NO PRODUCTS by its country of origin. I buy the best I can possibly afford for the product in question. I dont care if its made in "downtown Dallas" or in "Timbuktu".

[MontanaMoose]

Food labels too...read those and get surprised at times and if 'they' can ship their lead to us in toys imagine what 'they' can ship to the USA in food !

MontanaMoose

[Kerry Stratton]

I tend to agree with Sully except for food items. For food I like to get it as close to home as possible for obvious reasons.

[nighthawk]

Interesting. Like most all major corporations these days, Hershey is regional. Yes some is made in Mexico as is the Ford ZX2 Mazda chassis car I drive. However the Hershey products in our area are made in Hershey Pennsylvania as are certain products of theirs around the world.

Werner ladders are made in Greenville Pennsylvania, Ford still makes engines in Cleveland Ohio, My new Cooper tires are made in Akron Ohio, the great 747 is still made in Washington, Martin guitars are made in Nazareth Penn, Bell Helicopters are still made in Ft. Worth Texas. Should I not buy the Toyota that is made in Tennessee?

The products that are still made here in the U.S.A. are high quality products. I read labels and buy American (that includes Canadian by the way) when I can. Yes it hurt my family badly when the steel industry went under but now that industry is going strong in the high quality steel market. Lots of the guys my family knew that worked in the mines and mills took advantage of President Reagan's programs to retrain workers. These folks ended up going back to school and retiring from better jobs than they had before. Not all mill workers made top dollar.

Remember that the collapse of the U.S and the world economies were the major contributing factors to the Great Depression and to World War Two. Yes by all means buy American when you can but remember that the world economy needs supported too.

Sorry for the rant. Off my soap box now!

[GrayGhost]

I too buy the best quality I can afford. A few thing I do buy I make sure are US or Canada or made in the EU, the reason is I find that cloths and shoe just fit me better then made in the in Asia. I usely pay more for those produce but my cloths fit better last longer and my feet dont hurt. I am not sure why this is maybe due to the fact norther europe ansistory and having someone of a symilar body style makeing this object is the reason or not but seem to me it might be the answer. I just bought a new pair of boots and had to do an internet search to find want companys and what model were still made here but it was worth it.
Ghost

[51BC]

I try to buy American whenever I can. I , for some reason , do sort of think of 'buying Canadian' as the same thing. Maybe it's just geagraphy.

[Jackster]

So it's all the unions fault?

What a cop out but it does play well to those who don't really care to think for themselves.
So we managed to get rid of most union workers and the jobs they held and this you feel actually lowered prices to us consumers? It sure the heck lowered quality and the U.S. standard of living but hey, 'you betcha' those short-sighted CEO's are glad to have cheerleaders defending THEIR greed.
So now we have millions of Americans out of jobs and TAKING from the government just to survive instead of feeding into the tax base and this is good somehow?
So now we have Communist Red China owning most of our debt and this too is good?
Will you whine when those who somehow still manage to make a buck are asked to make up for the missing tax revenue because of the millions of American jobs shipped offshore? We do need money to run things don't you know?
Perhaps the ultimate anti-union place is Communist Red China! Quite the role model.
I know they couldn't care less about OUR environment.
It is nothing for them to have kids and prison labor in sweat shops build the junk you buy. Something those evil unions here fixed.
I'm sure their vacation schedule is humane, eh? Gotta love no union.
Human rights and safety standards? Pshaw! How outdated.


Our family has somehow survived by trying to buy American made goods since the term 'fair' trade mysteriously disappeared in the '70's and was swapped with 'free' trade.
I thank God for the country and opportunities the Greatest Generation handed us. Too bad short sightedness and yes, greed, seems to be quickly destroying this great nation. But then, what would one expect when the goal seems to be A New World Order in which OUR standards are to be reduced to match up with third world countries. Hop ya'll are proud!

I'll sleep well knowing I did my best not to enrichen countries who despise us for our freedoms and the riches we're quickly giving away. Meanwhile, keep buying the cheapest garbage some of you can find and know you have added to the huge mess this country is in.

Oh... I haven't been in a union for over 30 years but I do know that they did provide a lot of protections for 'the little people' that otherwise wouldn't exist. They also did a lot to ensure the working life many lived involved far more than just chasing a buck. Enjoy vacations? Thank a union.

[Big Bad Wulff]

And the fact they were made by GE is enough to buy something else.....