It's the jobs stupid!

[Lois]

JOBS!  That is the number one issue this election.  So who has a real plan?


The Factory Factor: Why Outsourcing and 'Made in America' Could Decide this Election

American manufacturing is like apple pie to American voters: we love it and want more of it regardless of our politics, race, gender, income, or hometown. If you live in a swing state like Ohio, you already know that, because both presidential candidates have flooded the airwaves with ads labeling the other guy as the "outsourcer-in-chief."

Beneath the recent accusations and counter-accusations on outsourcing, there is a simple truth: citizens believe manufacturing is central to our nation's economic health, that America is in economic decline, that outsourcing to China is largely responsible for this condition, and they want their elected leaders to do something bold about it.

Voters of all political stripes are far ahead of the debate inside Washington, D.C. More importantly, perhaps, is that nearly all Americans -- not only working-class Ohioans -- share this view.

So don't be surprised if both campaigns escalate the rhetoric and attacks on shipping jobs overseas in the coming weeks, in part to mask their own shortcomings.

That's because no one is a knight in shining Made in America armor when it comes to this issue. Mitt Romney (rightly) criticizes President Obama for not labeling China as a currency manipulator, but glosses over the fact that Republican leaders in Congress are blocking a bipartisan currency bill that would pass overwhelmingly. Romney has also been on the wrong side of Administration decisions to defend American tire workers against China's cheating and successfully rescue Chrysler and General Motors.

The GOP hypocritically accuses Obama of sending stimulus dollars overseas, while Republican Senators tried to block Buy America requirements for stimulus spending.

The fact is, accusing your political opponent of shipping jobs overseas is now an established American campaign tradition. What is missing is an honest debate about what could actually be done to promote American manufacturing jobs. Voters are ready for such a dialogue.

Public opinion research conducted for the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) by the bipartisan team of the Mellman Group and North Star Opinion Research concluded that voters overwhelmingly embrace a bold, popular, and effective agenda for growing American manufacturing jobs. Now we just need Washington to listen.

A strikingly large percentage of Americans (56 percent) believe our nation is no longer the world's strongest economy. Americans believe that we should be number one, and understand that manufacturing is the most important part of our economy. But, less than a quarter of voters believe anyone in Washington is doing a great deal to defend American manufacturing against cheating on trade or to create new manufacturing jobs.

Voters want a national manufacturing strategy and they favor proposals to crack down on China's cheating, train a skilled workforce, and enforce Buy America policies by a margin of more than 8 to 1 -- perhaps even surpassing apple pie.

But what can get done in this time of partisan gridlock? More than you think. Exactly one substantive bill passed the Senate last year over a filibuster attempt led by Mitch McConnell: legislation to penalize China for manipulating its currency, which was supported by most Democrats and one-third of Republicans. That bill would sail through the House this year if Speaker Boehner allowed a vote.

The manufacturing majority is strong and diverse. It has never been effectively harnessed because of often competing agendas between global companies and labor unions; we are the exception to that rule.

Voters will be forced to endure an endless series of 30-second TV ads telling us how bad the other guy is on offshoring. The least they deserve is a good manufacturing policy after the election.

[joan1984]

I would love to think Manufacturing is the key to turning this economy around. Of course, the devil is always in the details. If by "Manufacturing" we mean Union Jobs with work rules and interference with the owner of the Manufacturing company, I think that is a lost cause as a "growth" potential.  Some will thrive, where specific skills and workforce size are the best fit to an existing area and it's workforce (like the Auto industry, perhaps), but uncertainty is the enemy of investment, and it seems far less complicated to invest where labor and shipping costs are lower, or lowest, and not in "downtown USA".

Some creative adjustment to the Tax Code could encourage investment of foreign profits, now prohibited from use in the US without paying double taxation, to return "home" for US business growth, and it has to be a win for the investors first, so as to make the jobs created by such "Risk Capital" investment by individuals a fertile "job creator" locally.

Threats of higher taxation, more regulations from Government, is exactly the wrong way to approach such as solution. We do not need $100,000 Solar automobiles that few will purchase, no matter where they are made (Wilmington DE can attest to that). We do not need encumbered federal 'investment' in Green Energy, when there is little demand for more expensive energy by the very consumers being targetted... and there is even less interest when those consumers are being hoodwinked and blinkered, and dragged or forced to pay more for less, which of course fits the "American Way" perfectly.

Paint your own roof with reflective paint.. makes sense.

Create a huge bureaucracy to hire ex-felons, parolees, sex offenders and other unwilling, unhappy workers, so as to send them into private homes, to track reflective paint on carpets as they access the roofs, armed with armloads of permits and forms to sign, including concern that if an infant gains access to the roof he/she may EAT the reflective paint, etc, etc, does not make sense, no matter who's supporters or inlaws are running the local crews.

Oh well.

[Lois]

I can't understand what you are saying Joan.  

Manufacturing is the bedrock of every economy because it has to do with creating goods.  Creating as opposed to pushing money around (bankers) or trying to protect the money you already have (lawyers).  Without manufactured goods the economy will eventually fall apart because no new wealth is being created.

America has lost its edge because we now allow China to manufacture most of our goods.  Money then goes to China in exchange for these goods.

A strong middle-class is important for stability.  The middle-class needs manufacturing jobs that generally pay better than service sector jobs, and so they can patronize the service sector and support it too.

You are young yet.  I recommend you get your ass back in school and learn some economy basics.

*edit by Gia to add dropped letter