Will we figure it out before it's too late?

[Cliff Ruggles]

I'm not much into politics and such, but continue to see businesses closing their doors and or laying off workers.

Hit close to home last week, actually right next door.  My neighbors company closed it's doors quickly and without much warning.  He's is in BIG trouble, as he has MS, and was barely able to continue to work anyhow.  Now he's unemployed and not really able to start with another company or business.  Of course, he's in the back of a long line for Federal assistance.  He figures it will be many months, if not years before he gets any assistance.  To get buy, he cashed in/sold out some insurance policies and his 401K plan, good for maybe 12-15 months he figures.

Basically, his company shut down two plants in our area and laid off hundreds of workers.  Some of their company moved to South Texas (wonder why?), they are keeping a couple of employees on hand locally, at least for now.

We are hearing this WAY too much.

Something else I'm hearing WAY too much of is helping out others OUTSIDE of the CONNUS.

Well folks, it seems like in recent years we have nominated ourselves to be both the leader of the World's humantarian efforsts, and the World "peacekeeper". 

We have never had the funds for such an undertaking, and now we are paying for it.

If they don't pull out of the Middle East soon, and re-direct our financial interests to our own States, the results will be disasterous.  What we are seeing now is just the very beginning of what would be/could be a very grave economic situation for us. 

I don't want a tax break, just heard I might get one.  I don't want a bailout, I don't want any financial help from the Govt in any context.

What I would like to see, is not ONE SINGLE PENNY spend on helping out anyone outside of this country, until we have corrected all the problems here at home, balanced the budget, and have a little extra cash in a special fund deemed specifically for these sort of things.

Being the "nice guy" in the big scheme of World politics and affairs is going to be our undoing, IMHO......Cliff

[RLEBird]

We need to have our house (our nation) on a solid foundation before we can help stabilize other nations.  And while I've recently spoken with a Marine who assures me we've made huge strides in Iraq, I have serious reservations as to whether Iraq will ever become our ally in the Middle East. If caught in the middle between the US and, let's say Iran, which country would Iraq side with? The Muslim country or the US?  I agree with you on getting out of the Middle East, and if a few large bombs happen to "fall" out the back of our planes as we're leaving, well let's just say they probably won't like us any less than they already do.

[AHotRod]

The only way we are going to turn this country of ours around, is to stop, and bring our manufacturiing jobs back onto our shores, and put our people back to work.

Americans making goods for Americans !

[Cliff Ruggles]

It's kind of interesting, but we are contacted by the Chinese to make parts for us.  These emails even come with a built in translator.

Rest assured we do NOT answer them, and hire American Companies to wind all of our springs and make all of our hard parts for quadrajet carburetors.....Cliff

[oldsman70]

Good for you Cliff , even if it cost more I'll buy American , even tho most of American parts are made some where else.

[Cliff Ruggles]

Thanks, I don't even like shopping at Walmart anymore, everything in there is made overseas!........Cliff

[Mr. P-Body]

   Here's a hint!

Bumper sticker on my sister's Chevy in 1980: "Hungry? Out of work? Eat your Toyota!"

I completely agree, we NEED to make what we use.  Unfortunately, the almighty dollar is one of the main measuring devices on the planet. As long as Americans are going to hunt for a "bargain", there will ALWAYS be a "cut rater" in the wings, just biding their time...  You won't find any non-American made cars in MY driveway... (well, it's a START!)

Jim

[Jim Jones]

Pardon the rant but.....

The current administration has a purely government based agenda.  The previous administration had a corporate based agenda.  The house and senate have become so accustomed to having money to spend, that they have lost sight of how to spend it responsibly.  They have become power drunk. 70% of economic activity is in the hands of the consumer, thus the consumer drives the market. Until we elect an administration and legislature that has a market based philosophy, we will continue to see people in the U.S. struggle.  Vote accordingly.

[kjvforme]

I don't think our Congress has the ability to think straight.  All they can think  about is vote party line not what's good for the country.  I am sick and tired of the pork spending that these knuckleheads are doing or should I say not doing.  Everyone is pointing fingers at everyone else about our current situation.  What started the whole problem, lets call it what it really is"Greed".  Our banking institutions and oil companies wanted record profits, and they got them.  The bad part was the price of fuel went up so high that everyones driving habits changed.  The effect was less driving and less spending.  As for the banks, I wouldn't have bailed them out, screw them, they made a bad business decision and now WE are paying for it.  The person who decided to give loans to people that a ten year old wouldn't lend money to should be slapped and sterilized so it can never happen again.  So lastly the election, when people vote for someone because they want change.  What the heck is change from worse to worse, are automakers are circling the toilet bowl folks.  I just read that Pontiac is gone, I really liked Pontiac, drove a 1969 Firebird to High School, going to miss them.  Look at the labels when you buy something and if it's Made in USA buy it before Made in China.  Lets put our people back to work , and give them the pride they need to go down to the Unemployment and Welfare Offices and tell them, I'm working now take my name off of your lists for assistance.  NAFTA should be torn up, US jobs left when that piece of paper was signed.

[Jeff K]

 Cliff, I blame the whole mess on the "me generation" taking over.. Those old time depression era Americans would of never let all this happen... My barber (90 years old) use to say," why not do it for thew good of it all instead of making more and more money"... He started predicting this whole mess in the early 80s!

I saw the writing on the wall in the seventies living in Pittsburgh.. They wanted to brake the unions and this is the result.. As much as I'm not real union supporter, we (American workers) were better off with them in power....

I once saw a clip on "The Nightly Business Report (PBS)", the head of the AFL-CIO was fighting in a forum against a rep from the European Union for stimulus money! It made me sick that Americans have to fight for there own money in severe times of need....

[comp]

Thanks, I don't even like shopping at Walmart anymore, everything in there is made overseas!........Cliff

 i hate to walk in Walmart ,,,i even start to sweat 

[Cliff Ruggles]

I'm still trying to figure out why we have deemed ourselves the World's peace-keeper, and are paying the bill for it?

I was hoping the new administration would pull our Military out of the Middle East, and start saving us a few billion dollars a week, not to mention the lives of many good Americans. 

There will simply never be peace in that region, let alone Democracy.  The best way to defend against the radical fundamentalists that spawn from that region is to do it with stategical strikes, not fight the entire country.  Costs a lot les money as well.  We have folks that get paid to go into dirty places all over the World and take out specific targets, why not untilize them?

One last topic that really leaves a bad taste in my mouth is bailing everyone out that gets in trouble.  The Mortgage companies top the list.  They wrote bad paper, inflated property values, second Mortages, qualifying folks to payments beyond their means, variable rate loans, ARM's, interest only loans, etc, etc.  The worst part of all of it is that folks paid them a lot of money, usually most or all interest.  Instead of using that money to lower the face value of the paper they were holding, they abused it with huge bonuses, extremely generous salaries, parties, etc.  Then, when it all comes tumbing down, they want someone to step in and help them out because they were irresponsable?  Folks, history has taught us that paying folks to be disfunctional doesn't work....just look at the Welfare system......FWIW......Cliff

[77cruiser]

I wonder how many CASH for CLUNKERS deals have gone sour due to people not being able to afford the payments on such a good deal!

[billy 2]

I have seen this whole thing coming for years, beginning with NAFTA.  Taking American jobs out of the country, especially good-paying jobs in manufacturing and production, has been one of the main things that has impacted our economy in such a negative way.  I agree with Buy American any time you can.  Spend the few extra dollars and keep a few Americans working.  The textile industry was one of the first to leave this country.  I don't even know if our military uniforms are made in this country any more!  They may be made overseas like everything else and it appears that our government supports this activity.  Our entire government is spend happy and it doesn't matter if they are Democrats or Republicans.  One hundred billion dollars to them is like ten dollars to the rest of us; they don't seem to understand the concept of money!  We need to stop sending our money overseas.  Spend it in our own country, rebuilding our infrastructure.  I could go on and on, but I will stop here.  Oh, by the way, I am a Union member for over 40 years and proud of it.
Billy2

[Cliff Ruggles]

Do you know how hard it is to find anything made in America these days?

I went on line and bought my wife a pair of salt/pepper grinders for Christmas.......Proudly "made in the USA" with a lifetime replacment warrantee.

Bad news is, everything else she wanted for Christmas was made offshore.......Cliff