How do you feel about imports vs domestic?

I’ve been working on a side project lately, and it led me on a chase that I want to share with you.  I was originally searching for a certain style of black shoes. Then it went on to how much can a girl easily spend on two pairs of shoes to get you through most all occasions of the fall season.  And then it became a challenge to see if I could find some nice shoes, a dressy pair that could go from a day out to a night out and still be worn repeatedly without appearing to be, while also finding a pair of more rugged boots to get outside and play and work and not have to worry about doing any damage because this is what they were made for.  I found I could easily spend $550 or more for some stylish footwear.  The I decided with the economy, I would try to see just how cheap I could make out were I to actually purchase two pairs of shoes/boots to get me through the season.  I found some I liked for a total of $350.  So I aimed for $250 and hoped I could find something appropriate to my ideals for less than that total cost.

While on this search, I found that it is easy enough to get a good pair of outdoor hiking type boots AND some black pumps for under $250.  What a bargain, eh?  Espeically when  you consider that I found a single pair of beautiful black shoes for $800.   One pair of shoes.  And these were shoes that you couldn’t get away with wearing repeatedly or it would certainly be obvious.

What I learned is that this bargain comes with a cost.

How many of you shop online for your clothing or anything else for that matter?

Where do you shop?

Do you know if the item you are purchasing was made in your country by your people?

Do you know if the items are  even imported?

I found several shoe sites out there willing to take my dollars.   Some of them were willing to tell me every detail except one, about the shoes I was viewing.  That one being where the shoe was made or manufactured.  Some wouldn’t even tell me if it was imported at all.

I saw several on Amazon that do tell, but also more than one that didn’t supply the location information at all.

I am not necessarily anti-China.  I am anti-sweatshop.  And while its hard to find the information, I did find a lot at Ask.com.

I am not anti-Italian or anti-Brazilian, or even anti-German as far as buying products.

And I certainly, with this economy and so many people laid off work while companies close their doors here, am not anti-American.

Don’t get me wrong, I did find a few brands of shoes/footwear that are made right here in the USA.

Dexter makes bowling shoes.  I will never forget that…..lol

Carolina Shoes making hiking boots and other outdoor sports footwear and the prices are pretty reasonable.

There were a couple of athletic shoes brands made in the states, but I don’t recall exactly which ones at the moment.

Listen up Americans!

We can’t sell here, or export items that we don’t make!

We can’t start a company and sell it to the highest bidder if they are not going to keep that company here.  We can, but its not going to help our economy as a whole.

We have to step back from that 80’s era where everyone wanted to make a fast buck!   Its not that economy any more.

We have to step up and if you can’t make it or design it, maybe you could find that someone else in the great United States makes the product you are looking for.  We have to stop spending so many American dollars overseas.  Especially to sweat shops!  Those women working there aren’t seeing much money if any from the products you purchase from their companies.  Its all going into some greedy bastards hands who would have slaves doing their chores while they just rake in the cash.

We have to be more aware.  We have to pay attention.  We have to get this country back on it’s feet and make our economy strong once again.  We have to wake up and learn to do what we can with less.

I would love to have $800 to spend on one pair of shoes.  But as I say that, I know I would never spend so much on a single pair of shoes, or probably even a wardrobe of them.  So much more could be done with that money!   And we can’t afford to order boots made of polyurethane that don’t pass California codes.  Is anyone familiar with the term flammable?   Its negligent, it’s foolishness, and it’s supporting the wrong team.

Shop online, read the information provided, and ask the retailers to post where the items are from.  Let them know that this information is just as important as the shipping weight!

Because families and futures depend on choices we make now!

We can’t afford to be shallow.

What does “Made in USA” mean to you?

I’ve been doing a little “Windows” shopping, searching online to find items, like shoes, clothing, etc.  And I’m noticing there is very little online that is made or manufactured here in the United States.

We do have some shoes made here - but they are not fashion runway shoes, at least not that I have found.

Dexter has some bowling shoes.  How big of a sport is bowling internationally?

Carolina Shoes has hiking boots and other styles that are waterproof, etc.  And their prices were pretty comparable to items manufactured elsewhere.

There are athletic shoes made here, but I don’t recall the site names or brands at the moment.

I was searching today for some comfy clothing and decided to add in my search “Made In America”.

I came across a few sites, including one that lists companies who make their products in the US.  I was disappointed that at least two of the links I clicked from that site, led me to more “search” type sites.  These people didn’t make anything, but a space to land when surfing the net.  And while I will have to dig deeper, I am thinking that they can’t possibly know where the items are made, when they are a search site, and not a seller or manufacturer.

But here is the main gripe I have for today. During the above search, I came across a site called “Shop Made in USA”.  I thought, YES!  Finally someone has done it!  That site takes you nowhere.  But if you are interested, it is for sale!  I’d be curious to know what he or she is asking for it, and whether he or she is in America, or even an American?

I’ve noticed that so many online companies don’t even bother to tell you an item is imported, let alone where it was made.  I did notice that several entries at Amazon do say where an item is made, but not all of them.

If you want to go cheap, buy it from overseas.  And then be satisfied with what you get, because “you get what you pay for”.

At the same time, so many products sold here that are Made in USA are significantly more expensive.  With so many companies going belly-up, we need to lower those price tags just enough to make them more comparable.  Times are hard for most of us in the US.  While some of us want to buy products made here, sometimes we simply can’t afford to.

These companies should be willing to make a little less and earn some customers.  When times are better, surely a good amount of it will be made up for by having those loyal customers.

And as for those of us who want to purchase items made in America, we can consider it an investment in our future, in our kids and grandkids’ futures!

We need to not buy an item that is made elsewhere, especially if we can find it made here.

We need to decide now what items are necessary and which ones (that we have lived without till now) we can live without, at least for a while longer.

The USA has made other countries rich buying products made overseas.

When you consider the sweatshops that you read about, the money is obviously not going to the “workers”, so why put it in someone else’s greedy palm?

Let’s keep our money here, in America for Americans!

And if, for whatever reason, you may not be feeling patriotic right now, then consider this when making your purchases:

The Chinese are a little people, with little feet.  The shoes will likely run small for an American foot!

The Chinese and other governments do not have our standards and so when you look at a pair of boots online, and you scroll down the page to find out where the product is made, don’t be surprised when you see that it doesn’t mean one California code or another.

You can search those codes if you aren’t familiar with them, but I didn’t because I know that polyurethane is flammable without anyone having to tell me.  And I just don’t see wearing a long pair of flammable boots.

Conspiracy theories or not,  just consider what is shipped here daily.  I want some rubber boots, but I can imagine everyone getting a pair of one color or another and all of us walking about doing our daily tasks….when all of a sudden a small nearly insignificant bomb is dropped and all of our colorful polyurethane boots catch fire, with us still in them!  That may be a bit of a stretch of the imagination, but in some way it’s also true.

Buying products elsewhere, especially if we can get there from America, made in America, fuels the outside economy with your hard earned dollar, and brings in items that are substandard.

Next time you venture into Walmart, go to the Customer Service area.  Its  usually in the front of the store.  Somewhere in there, you will see a bulletin board.  Just take a peek at how many recalled products they have.    And you may remember the lead-based paint toys for small children, or the dog food, or the car seats with this or that flaw, and so many more items.  Wasn’t there something about a gas grill that was catching fire not too long ago?

These companies, these countries, don’t have to answer to us.  They don’t have to make their products safe.  They can’t get sued.  Who’s going to sue them?  Who’s going to win?  They aren’t going to come here for a trial.  Our lawyers and judges cannot touch these people.

When you consider all of those returns, just at Walmart….you have to look at it two ways.  One, how many people didn’t hear it on the news and their children are putting those lead based painted objects in their mouth?  How many dogs and cats died from tainted pet food by brands we used to trust.  And two, all of these products that have been returned…imagine how much that costs Walmart.  Especially, and I don’t know that this is accurate, if they can’t recoup their losses from the manufacturers.  Yet they still manage to be a huge company (that runs the air conditioning at 81 and 82 degrees in their stores in my area.  So even American cashiers at Walmart are feeling a bit of the “sweat shop” atmosphere, not to mention the customers.  Personally, I’d think with food in there, it would make sense to keep the a/c lower so the coolers and freezers don’t have so much work to do…but that’s just me.

I also want to make mention of a site I landed on when searching for “made in america” tee shirts.  Shopwiki has tee shirts that say “Made in America” in the print, but does not mention where the product was actually made.  I would think this would be important information and they are letting me “assume” or “jump to the conclusion” that these “Made in USA” tees are made and manufactured here in the United States.

I don’t know about you, but I learned long ago what “assume” means, and I’ve been disappointed once or twice on the conclusions that I have jumped to.  For now, I don’t assume.  If these companies want my American Dollars, they are going to have to show me that these products are made here.  Just because it’s printed on the shirt, and even if they printed it here in the U.S., I want to know where the item is made.  Don’t be fooled!

"Made in America" - manufactured where?

If anyone is interested, I will begin a list and post it soon of companies that offer American products, made in the USA!

For now, this site seems to be doing exactly what I’m looking for:

http://blog.locallectual.com/?tag=made-in-america

Now, if I can just find something I like and can afford!

BUY AMERICAN!

Ideas for Reforming America

There is so much wrong in the world today, people I know, people you know, who can’t afford health insurance, who somehow earn just enough to be above the pay grade to get help from Medicaid.

Many people say it starts with our immigration, and that the minorities get better access to benefits and help from these great United States.

I had to ask myself, if I lived in, originated from, a poorer country, what would I do?  What would my dreams be?  Where would I go to make those dreams come true? 

And of course, the answer is America! Think about it.  These people want to better their lives and have a good place to raise their kids, just like you and me.  It’s not their fault.

Whose fault is it, you may be asking.  Its ours.  Its yours and mine, the American people.  We have not been paying attention. We have not stepped up to the plate. We have not insisted that reform is necessary. It is time for some serious changes here, fellow Americans!

When I heard a while back that the president of the United States will earn $600,000 every year AFTER his reign, I was surprised.  I know of one former president that I would love to give the chance to come back into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and let him earn that money…let him make some investments with his brilliant mind, and let him steer this country back on the right track.  Bill Clinton, we need you and your exceptional skills back in our government.

But Clinton can’t come back in, not as president.  Maybe if Hillary had gotten elected, or if she runs again and doesn’t bow down, then we may have a chance to get Bill back into the White House. 
Someone decided years ago that a president should not be able to serve more than 8 years, or 2 terms, in office.  While I strongly disagree with that “rule”, I also consider who puts these kinds of laws into action.

The Congress and Senate pass the bills and laws that you and I, as Americans, live by.  All these rules they deem important, but they only apply to you and me.   Senate and Congress officials can stay in as long as they are re-elected.

So I suggest we pass some new laws, some that apply to our LAW MAKERS! And while we’re at it, let’s take their votes right out of the counting. Because I can see the potential for their votes to count for more than ours.

Lets only let them serve a set amount of years.  If we made such a law that your Senator for your state, could only be in office for 8 years, think how much faster they may be willing to work to get things done.   No one wants to go out without having made some sort of accomplishment, right?  And if they do, well, at least when their term is done, we’ll be less one leech.

Anyone know how much money a Senator makes annually?

How about a Congressman?

I’d say its pretty good money, since they keep going back. And nothing gets accomplished. If it’s broke, fix it, people!!

Let’s set a standard for them as well.  No productivity, no paycheck. I know it seems a little harsh, but its the way of the “free world”, right? If you have a production job, and for whatever reason, you aren’t “meeting your quota”, you would expect a change in your job title, job description, or you would be looking for another job, right?

And then I have one more idea.  Let’s you and me, citizens of the US who pay our tax dollars…..and who can’t afford our own insurance (if you aren’t in that category, then I’m sure you know at least one person/family/neighborhood that is) - let us take away their benefits. No more private planes, unless they are willing to pay for it out of their own pockets that is. And, oh yeah, lets not forget about the bouncing checks Congress got away with writing a couple of decades ago. Wonder how many of them are still in office, “serving” the public?

No more tax payers paying for the government’s health care, when we can’t afford our own. Let them apply for food stamps and medicaid and then pay their own medical bills and prescriptions out of pocket when they are declined for making at least one dollar more than the allowable amount.

No more tax payers paying for the government’s retirement, when my own mother who is 66, has to have at least a part time job to pay her bills, AND her insurance, because Medicaid just isn’t enough. I thank God that she is healthy and well!

No more lengthy terms in office without getting anything accomplished for the American People. No work = no pay!

No more American’s paying for the housing of these government officials while they reside in D.C. for part of the year before taking their MONTH away from office….all at the same time!!!  THAT IS RIDICULOUS!

What job have you that you and your whole company can take a month off at once?

Who does the job when they are gone?  NO ONE! (I guess it’s not much difference than when they are there, huh?)

Just some ideas for Reforming America from one poor or middle class citizen to another!

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD!!!

Instead of everyone bitching about what’s not getting done, think of some ideas to get things done. 
And hey, another idea, if you are the one who comes up with an idea, and it gets used, then perhaps you (or I) should at least have a finder’s fee or a monthly bonus in the amount of a government officials paycheck!  I bet that would get some GOP’s off their asses and awake and moving to the beat of a different drum or two.

And just consider what all we could get accomplished?!?!?

Our Health Care System Sucks!!

I just watched a documentary by Michael Moore called “Sicko”. It was about our health care system in the United States compared to some other countries health care systems.

It was really sad to see that the United States has a poorer health care system than Cuba.

In France they pay nothing for their health care.  Everything is paid for. Their doctors actually get bonuses if they can get their patients blood pressure lowered, get their patients to quit smoking, etc. The healthier their patients are, the better pay those doctors receive. The doctors there are paid very well.

I believe the salary they said they received averaged about  200,000 a year.

The patients pay nothing and have a longer life span than Americans.

It frustrates me so bad. So many people, including myself, need medical attention and can’t even receive any. If they have insurance they still sometimes refuse to go, due to the cost of the bill of what their insurance didn’t cover. With all the money in the United States, you would think that we would have the best health care available.

Why is it we have to suffer?

The American people are scared of our government, it should be opposite. The government should be scared of us.

I just don’t know why so many people have to suffer. Then all these insurance companies slap “denied” on people that are desperately in need of  help.  I wonder how those people even sleep knowing they are killing people off when they deny them coverage. The saddest part is it is all about money. Saving the company money;  not saving lives.

I have been considering on going back to school and getting into the health care field. I now,  am thinking twice about it. Everyone keeps telling me, the health care field is the way to go because it will always be around. This is true, but I know  what kind of person I am and I know I would not be able to refuse to help someone because they have no money to pay or any insurance.

I don’t want to work in that kind of atmosphere, even if the pay is outstanding.  Wanting to become a doctor or a nurse, usually means that you want to heal people.

How can you do that when you have to turn the poor away? You can’t.  That is just my opinion. I guess I will just have to find something else to do. That is just not my calling as I once thought it was.