Harold Burton wrote:
"Bert Craig" wrote in message
...
"Korbin Dallas" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 13:24:36 -0800, WA2SI wrote:

A bargain price is not always a bargain. What if your son or
daughter
worked at Ford or GM and lost his/her job because the Toyota Camry
sold
for $3,500.00 less than a Taurus or Impala; Would that Camry you
bought as
a retirement gift to yourself still seem like such a bargain?


I agree with your basic point, but but both the Camry and Sienna
are made in Toyota plants inside the U.S.A., I believe. I just made a
net
run looking into this and saw in one netsite information claiming
at least 50% of the Toyotas sold in the US were built in the US. I
also
suspect that a lot of Ford and GMC auto parts are not US made. I'd
rather it
did not, but the worlds economy constantly mutates and workforces
must
change also. We badly need to keep
some seed industries inside the nation, though, just in case we get
into
wartime supply difficulties.

Harold Burton

Thanks for your reply, your point is well taken. I still believe in the
basic concept though. I may be somewhat naive, but I believe WE, the
consumer, can have a much bigger influence on the world's economy; and
thus make it better for WE, the workforce. Sadly, many choose to do
nothing and proclaim that the situation is "beyond their control." Then
they chortle at the great buy they got at Wal-marts while the mom & pop
stores on Main St. close.

Indifference is a killer.

Vy 73 de Bert
WA2SI

"WA2SI" wrote in message
ups.com...

Harold Burton wrote:
"Bert Craig" wrote in message
...
"Korbin Dallas" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 13:24:36 -0800, WA2SI wrote:

Thanks for your reply, your point is well taken. I still believe in the
basic concept though. I may be somewhat naive, but I believe WE, the
consumer, can have a much bigger influence on the world's economy; and
thus make it better for WE, the workforce. Sadly, many choose to do
nothing and proclaim that the situation is "beyond their control." Then
they chortle at the great buy they got at Wal-marts while the mom & pop
stores on Main St. close.

Indifference is a killer.

Vy 73 de Bert
WA2SI


Intelligent and adult reply, my compliments to you. I sometimes hesitate to
enter a net discusion, lest I trigger an immature and profane tirade. Your
response reflects well on your intelligence and
your upbringing. Us old guys recognize and appreciate good family
foundations.

HWB

I agree with your basic point, but but both the Camry and Sienna
are made in Toyota plants inside the U.S.A., I believe. I just made a net
run looking into this and saw in one netsite information claiming
at least 50% of the Toyotas sold in the US were built in the US. I also
suspect that a lot of Ford and GMC auto parts are not US made. I'd rather it
did not, but the worlds economy constantly mutates and workforces must
change also. We badly need to keep
some seed industries inside the nation, though, just in case we get into
wartime supply difficulties.

Harold Burton


I don't believe that there are many, if any, cars that are made in
____ anymore. I think they are all international.

Back to the issue, as to the foreign owned companies in the USA, while
some of their money is being fed back to the locals, the majority of
the money goes overseas to their bank accounts or other foreign
purchases.

Unfortunately, there is no easy solution that won't hurt someone here
in the US. Tariffs would raise our cost of living something terrible,
blocking imports will cause a higher demand in relationship to supply
causing another price increase. Instead of profit sharing, union
workers want higher wages.

There is no easy solution. What helps one group will certainly hurt
another.


--
73 for now
Buck
N4PGW

Thanks for your reply, your point is well taken. I still believe in the
basic concept though. I may be somewhat naive, but I believe WE, the
consumer, can have a much bigger influence on the world's economy; and
thus make it better for WE, the workforce. Sadly, many choose to do
nothing and proclaim that the situation is "beyond their control." Then
they chortle at the great buy they got at Wal-marts while the mom & pop
stores on Main St. close.

Indifference is a killer.

Vy 73 de Bert
WA2SI

"WE the consumer" earning $100,000 per year with two incomes can
afford to spend $40,000 on an automobile or $500 per month on
groceries, but "WE the consumer" earning $12,000 per year has to be
more froogle. By the time they spend $5-600 on housing, they don't
have the money to spend an extra $50/week on groceries just to keep
mom-and-pop corner store in business.

I don't disagree with you, it's a sad situation. There isn't an easy
answer. It is very hard to find things made in the USA anymore.


--
73 for now
Buck
N4PGW

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 11:00:52 -0500, Buck wrote:
Instead of profit sharing, union workers want higher wages.

Hi Buck,

[not specifically to you, but in the tenor of a St. Helens steam vent]

One has to ask where's the profit to share when the CEO is raping the
shareholder? Look at the trial of Bernie Ebbers and the Legally
Blonde Defense that is becoming the rage along Wall Street:

"I don't, to this day, know technology. I don't know finance and
accounting.

"The closest thing I've ever had to an accounting course is a
preliminary course in economics."

In school, it appears he shopped around for a degree because, as he
admits:
"...my marks weren't too good."

In his defense, associates would comment:

"...when it came to the numbers. He didn't understand them."

"...anytime we got too far into the details, you could tell we
were speaking right past him."

Bernie is not unique. The Titans of industry are all quite willing to
step up to the plate and buckle at the knees to declare they are not
fit to understand their industry, but that they were hired to be life
skills coaches. Talk about gutless. These are the Monoliths of
commerce that have plowed the auto industry into their wallets to
leave rust behind.

There several hundred major companies that have restated their gains
into losses. Every one of these companies paid bonuses for phony
performance, bonuses their Boardroom buddies have absolutely refused
to recapture in light of fraud and mismanagement. Talk about gutless.

What unions have failed to do is to become shareholders and members of
the Board in lieu of assured contracts. Talk about gutless.

No one ever speaks of guts and government in the same breath.
Confirming this, the American way of life is now slipping beneath the
waves of international inflation. The Dollar is still dropping to the
subdued cheer of the administration. They are talking about doubling
the social security loss to support two systems, with each clipped
back to "save costs."

We live in a $20 TRILLION dollar economy, with the total tax bite of
$3.5 TRILLION and across the board americans (deservedly lower case)
are whining about having the burden of a 17.5% rate. I am quite sure
most of you reading this are sure you pay far more. But how motivated
are you to demand what is simply average? How many are motivated with
profit sharing to pay a necessary share to really invest in America?
Talk about gutless.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Many of these foreign owned companies pay no
us income taxes, their profits are moved out of USA.

Losses are also sent over to the companies that are
based here but owned by parent companies in
camen islands, tax sheltered countries.


I don't believe that there are many, if any, cars that are made in
____ anymore. I think they are all international.

Back to the issue, as to the foreign owned companies in the USA, while
some of their money is being fed back to the locals, the majority of
the money goes overseas to their bank accounts or other foreign
purchases.

Unfortunately, there is no easy solution that won't hurt someone here
in the US. Tariffs would raise our cost of living something terrible,
blocking imports will cause a higher demand in relationship to supply
causing another price increase. Instead of profit sharing, union
workers want higher wages.

There is no easy solution. What helps one group will certainly hurt
another.

Hi,

Just look at Walt Disney Co. Eisner is leaving but not fast enough,
he has 900 million is disney shares, while the state of NC pension plan
only holds 90 million worth of stock.

Look at HOme Depot, ceo/pres. nardelli (ge ceo reject!)
24 million salary, 10 million in 'forgiven loans' hires friends
mega million dollar salary fance cars for everyone !



One has to ask where's the profit to share when the CEO is raping the
shareholder? Look at the trial of Bernie Ebbers and the Legally
Blonde Defense that is becoming the rage along Wall Street:

Just look at Walt Disney Co. Eisner is leaving but not fast enough,
he has 900 million is disney shares, while the state of NC pension plan
only holds 90 million worth of stock.


Just for clarity, I want to point out that Disney, (and all the other
businesses you cited), are money making propositions. The State of NC is
a money spending organization, not money making. Quite a difference.


Ed

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 16:30:07 +0000, Clarence_A wrote:


"Korbin Dallas" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 13:24:36 -0800, WA2SI wrote:

Hi folks,

I just bought a batch of Amphenol PL-259 83-1SPs to assemble
some
jumpers. When did Amphenol shift from 'Made In USA' to
'Assembled In
Mexico'? The whole reason for buying Amphenol was to:

A) Enjoy that Amphenol quality. (BTW, they don't even look the
same.
The dielectric has a cheap milky recycled look and the name
and model
nr. are no longer stamped into the sleeve ring.)

B) Support products 'Made In USA'.

Ok, this was my two minute rant. Tnx fer listening.

73 de Bert
WA2SI
FISTS #9384
QRP ARCI #11782

If the product was built in the USA the price would be so High
you
would not purchase it.

Would you really pay %500 more for the same product just to have
Made
in USA stamped on it? We always look for the bargain price and
that
usually means foreign produced products.

Moving production to Mexico where manufacturing cost are lower
allows
Amphenol to remain in business.

These days Mexico is being undersold by China where the cost are
less than
that of Mexico.


BS!

There are connector houses who assemble in the US on custom order
and they are no more expensive than the assembled in Mexico parts.

Amphenol went to Mexico to get away from the union that was
breaking their back!

Exactly, the Unions demands were driving the labor cost to the point
where they were not able to compete, so the moved the operation to Mexico
where it was not an issue.

On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 09:25:41 -0500, "John Passaneau"
wrote:
it's wall street
that forces management to live for the next quarter and expects
un-reasonable results that is the problem.

Hi John,

Actually the driving force of that focus is called the economic
policy. In other words, for years the Republican party has been
intoning its mantra that taxing dividends (Capital Gains) is a bad
thing. What is left is to trade shares in the expectation of their
price rise (which is the strategy you describe above). So let's put
the blame where it belongs, on the Administration and the current
power in the House and Senate.

You will see a ban on Gay marriage before you see movement on changing
Capital Gains taxes. Talk about gutless.

Just what has been the Economic Policy for the past decade? A simple
revue of the Producer Price Index (this is the equivalent of the
Consumer Price Index, except for how much it costs to make something)
reveals that the Republican Party in Congress has consistently
overseen the highest rates of business inflation. In the last four
years alone many industry's Producer Prices have doubled. A simple
enumeration by Industry is quite revealing where the bleeding is
found:

Oil and gas extraction, the cost had been stable for 14 years before
2000, it now is up 250% Who woulda thought an oil man could be so
feeble to aid his fellow wildcatters.

Total Mining, the cost had been stable for 14 years before 2000, it
now is up 196% This gives meaning to Red states where Mining
dominates - what has the Red Party done to stop this massive bleeding?

Petroleum and coal products mfg, the cost had been stable for 14 years
before 2000, it now is up 195%. It's like this industry is off the
map in Washington. Why is going to Mars a public priority?

Primary metal mfg, the cost had seen mild fluctuations for 14 years
before 2000, it now is up 20%

Fabricated metal product mfg saw a cost jump of 8.5%

Gasoline stations saw a 30% plunge.

Air transportation now sees a flattening after a 60% rise over a
decade. They are significantly in the hands of a Judge at Bankruptcy
court.

Over the same period for Air, Rail transportation has seen only 15%
cost rise. Time for Congress to kick in another bail out for Air
transportation and cut Rail subsidies.

The Postal service, serving as a common denominator, has exhibited a
steady increase across 30 years for a total 430% (14% annualized).

Hospitals saw a relatively flat period during the 90s and then after
2000 costs rose 22%.

Heavy construction has shown a general rise over the decade before
2000 to then find after a spike of 10% (observe in all constructions,
highways, streets, maintenance, repair, new construction, residential
and non-residential).

Food mfg, the cost over the past 4 year has climbed 13%

Chemical mfg, the cost over the past 4 year has climbed 10%

Plastics and rubber products mfg, the cost over the past 4 years has
climbed 10%

Across the board for those industries not noted above (only because
those above showed accelerating costs for the past 4 years), industry
has been in a forced march of unrelenting, growing cost to produce.
The ONLY exception, also noted above, has been in Gasoline sales. It
would be painfully ironic to point out that this is the economic
turnaround that has been the boon of invading Iraq.

So, regardless of what has caused this steady rise, what action have
you seen on the hill that suggests anything is being done about it?
Taxes have been rolled back from a 70% rate to less than 28% and that
was DECADES ago. The cost to produce has steamrollered right over
that logic.

Passing an amendment to criminalize burning the flag might do it.
Outlaw abortion? There is possibly a golden bullet there for the
economy. Enforce national school laws over the objections of States'
Rights (who cares about States' Rights?). Criminalizing doctors whose
states allow them to practice Death with Dignity? Repeal gun laws?

Where stands:
Eliminating the deficit?
Turning around the Trade Imbalance?
Bolstering the Dollar?
Simplifying the Tax Code?
Reducing the Budget?
Reducing the size of Government?

Is there any discussion of the 1994 Contract with America?
Where stands:
A comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse?
Cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff?
Require committee meetings to be open to the public?
A guarantee for an honest accounting of our Federal Budget by
implementing zero base-line budgeting?
All of these cherished goals have been lost in the rush of politicians
to stuff their pockets with money. Talk about gutless losers.

What significant packages are being hefted onto the table? Cut
Medicare is being muttered. That will fix Hospital costs. What about
fixing the $Trillion loss of Social Security? Easy, spend $Trillion
for a new system, and -um- another $Trillion to keep the old system
going. The new system will bring the boon of half the benefits (a new
form of math that revealed in the numbers above used to be called cost
inflation). What pathetic, gutless, losers.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC