Does ‘made in America’ matter?
By RAYMOND L. SMITH / Tribune ChronicleArticle Photos
NILES - Beverly Diruba will go out of her way to find products that are made in America.
Recently, when shopping for a rocking chair, the Hermitage, Pa., resident was about to give up the idea of buying one when she walked into a Hermitage shop and found the perfect chair.
"When I turned it over and discovered it was made in North Carolina, I was so thrilled," she said.
Buying American-made products is so important to Diruba because she knows so many people in her community that cannot find jobs.
"It is supporting our people," Diruba said. "What people are lacking right now is work opportunities. I want to do my part to help."
Although her heart is in buying American-made products, Diruba admits that too often she ends up settling on whatever she finds.
"It is hard to find American-made products," she said. "I wish more stores had sections where American-made products are kept. It'll make it easier."
The Alliance for American Manufacturing's Scott Paul tried and failed to find cribs that were made in the United States when his wife was having twins.
"We knew that a lot of cribs from China were being recalled, so we were determined to find an American-made one," Paul said. "We went to all of the big box stores and shopped online. The only American-made cribs we found were made by Amish craftsmen, but it would have taken us six months to get one. We did not have that amount of time."
The couple finally found a crib in Canada.
The Alliance for American Manufacturing is a Washington, D.C.-based organization that promotes American manufacturing.
"The point is, even if you want to buy American, it is difficult to do that now," he said. "Our manufacturing based has been hollowed out."
Paul said free trade is supposed to create more choices for people, but, in many cases, it has not because companies have moved out of the country.
"You don't have choice anymore," he continued.
When shopping for large items, Paul said people have to be careful with the American-made labels.
"Something like a car may have a large percentage of its parts made in a foreign country, but is assembled here in America," he said.
Not everyone worries about buying American.
"I buy what I like," Jamie Nicholas of Cortland said. "I don't consciously think about where something is made."
Colleen Krafcik of Warren says she concentrates on an item's quality.
"I don't think about where it is made," Krafcik said. "The important thing is how well it is made."
|
warrenite4now
|
|
|---|---|
|
10-25-08 8:06 PM
|
Think about when the problem started. Remember when Reagan busted up the strength of the Flight Contollers Union? Since then, the union busting has been on a rampage. (Either take the cuts or they will ship the jobs overseas) If you really want to see more USA made products, buy Union products. Dont shop Non Union stores. Try joining a Union. And yes, buy from the local stores instead of the Big Box Supercenters.
|
|
Dschweck
|
|
|
10-24-08 7:15 AM
|
Hey Howling;TSmith brings up a good point.How are you hearing these folks yak about buying American in the isles of Wal Mart,without being in the same Wal Mart shopping?Little,no LARGE contridiction of your values happening here?
|
|
TomSmith
|
|
|
10-23-08 9:12 AM
|
howland, Do you hate your country? You must if you are able to hear them talking in the aisels of WalMart..
|
|
Dschweck
|
|
|
10-22-08 8:36 PM
|
howland;Your home is(hopefully)full of imported goods.You cannot get around it.Name me an American made TV.Or a dryer built with American parts.Its unrealistic to think you or anyone lives on an 'All AMerican Diet'?Regardless of of where you buy,your sending dollars somewhere beyond our border.Some have no choice due to income to shop at smaller stores.What should they do?
|
|
howland
|
|
|
10-22-08 5:05 PM
|
Everybody wants to talk about buying American and shopping with locally owned merchants... I hear them talking about it in the aisles of WAL*MART! No one shoudl EVER shop at WAL*MART unless they hate America and their community.
|
|
Dschweck
|
|
|
10-22-08 12:08 PM
|
TomSmith;Country Fair stores are owned by United Refineries in Warren Pa.United Refineries receives most of its crude from Canada via pipeline transmission.It is North America, not USA American in origin.They(united refinery)also sell to Citgo and Kwik Fill.They will buy gas wherever they have to when supply is down,at the lowest possible price,just like you would.
|
|
TomSmith
|
|
|
10-22-08 9:53 AM
|
Remember that it's extremely important to buy locale. Instead of going to Home Depot or Lowe's.. Go to Handy Man hardware or True Value. You will find their prices are about the same and there is someone always there to help you and give advice. Shop at your smaller independent stores. Also, buy your gas from Country Fair every chance you get. Country Fair only buys gas from American refinery's.
|
|
averagereader
|
|
|
10-22-08 9:09 AM
|
Yes, I believe that Made in America DOES MATTER! And all too sadly, it does not matter enough to most American people. That is just plain sad. My family and I do our best to buy items that are American made when available even if it is a couple of dollars more. I would rather the extra dough stay in my own country than going overseas. And I actually get a little bit of a rush when I can fulfill the items on my Christmas list with American made products. The way I see it, if things manufactured in China are supposed to save companies so much money, then the Chinese manufactured version of the product should be a lot less cheaper to the customer than just a few dollars, which tells me that corporations aren’t really passing the savings onto us. Corporate executives are just padding their own pockets, all the while selling us cheaply made, over priced crap. And I would rather my hard earned money not go to support that type of practice.
|
|
Billdog
|
|
|
10-22-08 9:02 AM
|
In the 70's GM starting moving its manufacturing plants to Mexico so they could reduce the price of a car. This never reduced the price and jobs left the country at an alarming rate. Our own government rewarded them for doing it in tax breaks and incentives.
|
|
Dschweck
|
|
|
10-22-08 6:04 AM
|
Check the Foreign labels on the componants coming into any big 3 car plants(Lordstown included and towards the top of the list)in the USA..They are not American built..They are Imports assembled here...We have lost the ability and need to produce for ourselves.Easy to talk American..Cheaper to buy 3rd World.Blame who?
|
|
stockpile
|
|
|
10-22-08 6:04 AM
|
It should,however; quality & price is @ an all time low for American products. Make it better @ a lower cost & foreign trade will be a non-essential for America.
|
