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.