USA buy USA: March 2012

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Why The Export-Import Bank Is Important

Minnie Bee's Rant:

A few days ago, the Senate voted not to re-authorize the Export-Import (E-I) Bank. Although re-authorization was supported by Democrats, and some Republicans, it was opposed primarily by the airline industry - most notably Delta Airlines.

Reauthorization of the E-I Bank should be a no-brainer. The bank, an independent federal agency that was established during the Great Depression, provides financial assistance, mostly in the form of bridge loans and credit guarantees, that supports the sale of American-made products overseas. The bank also tries to "level the playing field" for American businesses in the global marketplace by providing subsidies to those U.S. companies who are competing with foreign firms that are subsidized by their governments.

Given the state of the U.S. economy, and the fact that selling "Made in USA" products overseas creates and maintains American jobs, one would think that re-authorizing the bank would be a good thing. So why do the airlines oppose it? Primarily because the E-I Bank has given subsidies to Boeing, who sells American-made airplanes overseas. Delta claims that the E-I assistance given to Boeing has given foreign airlines an unfair competitive advantage because it has enabled them to save money on new, U.S.-made Boeing planes. Funny how Delta, along with other large, poorly managed American airlines, never complained when it received its share of approximately 15 billion dollars in government bailout money from the federal government after 9/11.

Although there is some bi-partisan support for re-authorizing the E-I Bank, as well as expanding its funding ability, many Republican lawmakers oppose it because they are against federal subsidies for free enterprise. Funny, if free enterprise is all that important to them, why aren't they complaining about the millions of dollars in federal government subsidies being paid to big oil companies.?

The Export-Import Bank, like other entities run by humans, is not perfect. It has drawn its share of criticism and controversy, primarily over financial assistance given to large corporations like Boeing, as well as to those companies doing business with unfriendly countries in the global marketplace. However, the E-I, on the whole, has been an effective force for helping American businesses, including the American small business owner. Last year alone, the Export-Import Bank financed $41 billion in U.S. exports from more than 3,600 U.S. companies. With a track record like this, we cannot afford to lose the Export-Import Bank. In the meantime, the airlines might better be served by taking the money they pay a multitude of Washington lobbyists to influence politicians, and putting it back into their business and the people who work for them.

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Be a jobs creator with your shopping cart! We create and keep U.S. jobs when we demand, promote, and buy "Made in USA" goods and products. Check out our shopping list below and replace one, two, or three of the foreign-made products you usually buy with one, two, or three of these products. As always, check labels before buying, and feel free to post your own research to this blog. Remember, "distributed by" or "manufactured by" does not mean that it was made here, regardless of the company address. It must state that it was made in or a product (produce) of the USA!

Note: We have added some new categories - mostly non-food items. We will continue to add categories, as well as make new recommendations for "Made in USA" products.
DUE TO LOCALLY FARMED EASTER EGGS, USA-MADE EASTER CANDY, AND STREIT'S MATZO, WE WILL NOT BE BLOGGING AGAIN UNTIL THE SECOND WEEK OF APRIL. LOOK FOR A NEW POST ON OR AROUND SUNDAY, APRIL 15TH. IN THE MEANTIME, HAVE A HAPPY EASTER AND/OR PASSOVER, AND A WONDERFUL SPRING BREAK!

Minnie Bee's "Made in USA" Shopping List:

* = new recommendation

**= new category

Beverages

· Inko's 100% Natural White Iced Tea - Made in USA by Inko's White Iced Tea, New York, NY

Candy

· Necco Wafers, Clark Bars, Mighty Malt Malted Milk Balls, Mary Janes, Canada Mints, Valentine Conversation Hearts and other candy products - Made in USA by New England Confectionery Co. (NECCO), Revere, MA

· AmeriCandy - Made in USA by AmeriCandy Co., Inc., Louisville, KY

· Bissinger's Candy - Made in USA by Bissinger's, St. Louis, MO

· Hammond's Candies - Made in USA by Hammond's Candy Factory, Denver, CO

· See's Candies - Made in USA by See's Candy Shops, Inc., Carson, CA

· Stewart Candy - Made in USA by Stewart Candy Co., Waycross, GA

· Sweet's Candy - Made in USA by Sweet Candy Co., Salt Lake City, UT

· Wolfgang Candy - Made in USA by Wolfgang Candy Co., Inc., York, PA

· Red Vines - Product of USA by American Licorice Co., Union City, CA

· Mike & Ike, Hot Tamales -Made in USA by Just Born, Inc., Bethlehem, PA

Canned Vegetables

· Margaret Holmes canned vegetables - Product of USA by McCall Farms, Effingham, SC

· Del Monte canned vegetables(check labels, not all cans bear the "packed in USA" statement!)- Packed in USA by Del Monte Foods, San Francisco, CA

Cereal (Hot)

· Safeway Instant Oatmeal - Made in USA by Safeway, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

· Maypo Maple Oatmeal and Wheatena hot cereal - Made in USA by Homestat Farm, Ltd., Dublin, CA

· Old Wessex Creamy Oat Bran, Irish-Style Oatmeal, and 5-Grain Cereal - Made in USA by Old Wessex, Inc., Providence, RI

· Nature's Path Hot Oatmeal - Made in USA by Nature's Path Foods, Inc., Blaine, WA

Cereal Bars

· Eating Right Oats & Peanut Butter Bars - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Pleasanton, CA

· Safeway Variety Pack Chewy Granola Bars, Safeway Chewy Pretzel Bars - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Pleasanton, CA

· Eviro Kidz Bars - Product of USA by Nature's Path Foods, Blaine, WA

· Annie's Organic Granola Bars - Product of USA by Annie's, Berkeley, CA

· Nature's Path Granola Bars - Product of USA by Nature's Path Foods, Blaine, WA

Cheese

· Sargento's cheese - Product of USA by Sargento Foods, Inc., Plymouth, WI

Clothing

· Beyond Clothing - Made in USA by Beyond Clothing, Seattle, WA

· Eagle Sportswear - Made in USA by Eagle USA, Wendell, NC

· Red Ants Pants - Made in USA by Red Ants Pants, White Sulphur Springs, MT

· Wearable Integrity - Made in USA by Barbara Lesser, Los Angeles, CA

· Bayside Apparel- Made in USA by Bayside USA (union), Anaheim, CA

Coffee

· New England Coffee - Made in USA by New England Tea and Coffee Co., Inc., Malden, MA

Coffee Creamer

· Silk Creamer - Made in USA by WhiteWave Foods, Broomfield, CO

Computer Printer Paper

· Printworks Multipurpose Paper - Made in USA by Paris Business Products, Westhampton, NJ

· up & up Multipurpose Printer Paper - Made in USA by Target Brands,
Inc., Minneapolis, MN

· Hemmi Papilio Decal Paper- Made in USA by Hemmi Papilio Supplies LLC, Decatur, TX

Condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo, relish, salsa, BBQ sauces& marinades)

· Original Juan Mayonnaise, BBQ Sauce, Hot Sauce, Salsa – Made in USA by Original Juan Specialty Foods, Kansas City, KS

· French's Mustard - Made in USA by French's Foods, Reckitt Benckiser, Inc., Parsippany, NJ

· Heinz Tomato Ketchup ((check labels, not all bottles bear the "Mfd. in USA" statement!) - Manufactured in USA by H.J. Heinz Co., L.P., Pittsburgh, PA

Cooking Oil

· California Olive Ranch Olive Oil -Product of California, USA by California Olive Ranch, Inc., Oroville, CA

Cookies

· Safeway Chocolate Teddy Bear Cookies, Grin & Bear It! - Product of USA by Safeway, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

· Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Baked Graham Snacks (all flavors) - Baked in USA by Pepperidge Farms, Inc., Norwalk, CT

Crackers

· Pepperidge Farm (all crackers, Goldfish crackers, and crisps) - Baked in USA by Pepperidge Farms, Inc., Norwalk, CT

· Westminster Crackers - Made in USA by Westminster Cracker Co., Rutland, VT

· Ry-Krisp Crackers - Made in USA by Bremner Food Group, Princeton, KY

· Breton crackers (all except Vinta and Breton Minis) - Made in USA by Dare Foods USA, Spartanburg, SC

· Streit's matzo - Product of USA by Aron Streit, Inc., New York, NY

Dips, Hummus

· Sabra Hummus -Product of USA by Sabra Dipping Co., LLC, White Plains, NY

Dried Fruit

· Craisins - Made in the USA by Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., Lakeville-Middleboro, MA

Fruits and Vegetables

· Fruits and vegetables that are "Product /Produce of USA," including "locally grown" fruits and vegetables (as they come into season.)

· Clem'n Tina's Mandarin Oranges - Produce of USA by SunWest, Parlier, CA

· Classic Dover Strawberries - Product of USA by Mike Lott Farm, Seffner, FL (also other FL strawberry farms-check labels)

· Cuties Mandarin Oranges - Produce of USA by Cuties Cooperatives, Bakersfield, CA

· Apples/Pommes - Produce of USA by Rainier Fruit Company, Selah, WA

Fruit and Vegetable Wash

· All Natural Veggie Wash Fruit and Vegetable Wash - Made in USA by Beaumont Products, Inc., Kennesaw, GA

Hair Care Products

· California North Hair Care Products- Made in USA by California North, Sausalito, CA

· J Beverly Hills Hair Care Products- Made in USA by Juan Juan, Beverly Hills, CA

· Pureology Serious Color Care - Made in USA by Purelogy Research LLC, Irvine, CA

· Alterna Professional Haircare - Made in USA by Alterna Professional Haircare, Beverly Hills, CA

Mac n' Cheese

· Annie's Macaroni and Cheese - Made in USA by Annie's, Inc., Napa CA

Meals/Frozen Dinners

· Annie's Skillet Meals - Made in USA by Annie's, Inc., Napa, CA

Milk and Milk Products

· Silk Soymilk - Made in USA by WhiteWave Foods, Broomfield, CO

Notebook Paper

· Roselle notebook paper - Made in USA by Roselle Paper Co., Roselle, NJ

· Top Flight 81/2 x 11 spiral notebooks (only) - Made in USA by Top Flight, Chattanooga, TN

· Smart Living notebook paper (only)- Made in USA by American Sales Co., Lancaster, NY

Notebooks, Spiral

· up&up spiral notebooks - Made in USA by Target Brands, Inc., Minneapolis, MN

· Basic spiral notebooks; Norcom composition books; Basic notebook paper, Norcom notebook paper - Made in USA by Norcom, Inc., Griffin, GA

Paper Products

· Vanity Fair Premium Napkins - Made in USA by Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products, LP, Atlanta, GA

· up & up paper plates, bowls - Made in USA by Target Corp., Minneapolis, MN

Pencils and Pens

· Pilot Easy Touch retractable pens (only) - Made in USA by Pilot Corp. of America, Jacksonville, FL

· USA Gold "The Write Dudes" wood case pencils (only) - Made in USA by USA Gold (Mega Brands), Lewisburg, TN

· General's wood case pencils- Made in USA by General Pencil Co., Jersey City, NJ

Pizza, Frozen

Freschetta Pizza, Red Baron Pizza - Made in USA by Schwan Food Co., Marshall, MN

**Plates, Tableware

· *Fiesta Dinnerware - Made in USA by The Homer Laughlin China Co., Newell WV

Power Bars

· Eating Right Nutrition Bar - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

· Kind and Kind Plus Fruit and Nut Bars - Product of Kind Healthy Snacks, New York, NY

Salad Dressing

· Annie's Salad Dressing - Made in USA by Annie's, Inc., Napa, CA

· Bragg Healthy Vinaigrette - Product of USA by Bragg Live Food Products, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA

Skin Care Products

· St. Ives 100% Moisturizer - Made in USA by St. Ives Laboratories, Inc.,

Los Angeles, CA

· Mario Badescu Skincare (all products) - Made in USA by Mario Badescu, New York, NY

· Neutrogena Body Oil - Made in USA Neutrogena Corp., Los Angeles, CA

Snacks

· popchips - Made in USA by popchips, San Francisco, CA

· Pretzel Crisps - Made in USA by Snack Factory, Princeton, NJ

· Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, Baked Naturals, cracker chips - Baked in USA by Pepperidge Farm, Inc., Norwalk, CN

· Stacy's Pita Chips - Made in USA by Stacy's Pita Chips, Dallas, TX

Soups, canned and packets

· Nature's Promise "Naturals" soup - Product of USA by Foodhold USA, LLC, Landover, MD

· Campbell's Chunky, Select Harvest, and Condensed soups (canned and microwaveable) - Cooked in USA by Campbell's Soup Co., Camden, NJ

· Shore Lunch soup mix - Made in USA by Sportsman Recipes, Inc., Rome, GA

· Streit's Matzo Ball and Soup mix, and Egg Drop soup mix - Product of USA by Aron Streit, Inc., New York, NY

· Manischewitz Ball Soup, and Matzo Balls in Broth (canned in glass jars), and Matzo Ball and Soup mix - Product of USA by The Manischewitz Co., Secaucus, NJ

· Safeway soup mix - Product of USA by Safeway, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

Soup Bowls and Cups

· Maruchan Ramen, Instant Lunch, and Yakisoba soups - Made in USA by Maruchan, Inc., Irvine, CA

· Annie Chun's soup bowls - Product of USA by Annie Chun, Inc., San Rafael, CA

· Eating Right soup cups - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

· Dr. McDougall's soup cups - Product of USA by Dr. McDougall's Right Foods, San Francisco, CA

Soup Stocks

· Kitchen Basics Vegetable, Chicken, Seafood, and Beef cooking stock- Product of USA by Kitchen Basics, Brecksville, OH

Storage Bags and Wraps

· Glad Press'n Seal - Made in USA by The Glad Products Co., Oakland, CA

· up & up storage bags - Made in USA by Target Corp., Minneapolis, MN

· up & up aluminum foil - Made in USA by Target Corp., Minneapolis, MN

Syrup

· locally-made syrups - Made in USA by farms in VT, NY and PA

· Archer Farms Pure Maple Syrup- Product of USA and Canada by Target Brands, Inc., Minneapolis, MN

· Wegman's Organic Maple Syrup- Product of USA and Canada by Wegman's Food Markets, Inc., Rochester, NY

Toaster Pastries

· Nature's Path Toaster Pastries -Product of USA by Nature's Path Foods, Inc., Blaine, WA

· Pantry Essentials Toaster Pastries - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

Vinegar

· Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar - Product of USA by Bragg Live Food Products, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA

Vitamins

· vita fusion calcium gummy vites - Made in USA by northwest natural products,

Vancouver, WA

· up&up adults' gummy calcium dietary supplement with vitamin D; up&up calcium + vitamin D chews - Made in USA by Target Corp., Minneapolis, MN

· Citracal with vitamin D plus magnesium tablets; Citrical calcium + D3 caplets; Citracal calcium gummies with D3 - Made in USA by Bayer, Morristown, NJ

Blog Sources:

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/03/25/2081409/another-look-at-purpose-of-ex.html

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/oct2001/air-o18.shtml

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/03/22/1949383/senate-postpones-vote-on-export.html

http://www.thefreemanonline.org/featured/the-futility-of-the-government-airline-bailout/

http://www.sba.gov/content/export-import-bank-united-states

http://www.allgov.com/agency/Export__Import__Bank__of__the__United__States

Sunday, March 18, 2012

The New JOBS Act - What Would It Really Do?

Minnie Bee's Rant:

No one is saying much about the new JOBS Act recently passed by the House. The bill has stalled in the Senate because it is tied to the proposed reauthorization and expansion of the Export-Import Bank; some Republicans oppose the Ex-Im Bank, calling it "corporate welfare," which is an issue all its own since (1) the bank helps to facilitate the sale of American goods overseas, and (2) Republicans generally are pro corporate welfare.

Adorably named the "Jumpstart Our Business Startups" (JOBS) Act, this bill should not be confused with President Obama's "American Jobs Act." The JOBS Act, a weak offspring of the more robust American Jobs Act (AJA), centers primarily on loosening SEC regulations and creating an "emerging growth companies" category, all with the purpose of increasing access by smaller companies to investment capital. Therefore, it is primarily designed to help small business startups, which is a good thing, and those who would invest in those startups, mainly the one percent.

The JOBS Act, however, ignores the most important components of Obama's American Jobs Act - those designed to help put America's middle class back to work, and give a leg up to those who are out of work. The JOBS Act would not create jobs to renovate and refurbish our aging infrastructure, modernize our aging schools, or expand access to high-speed wireless networks. It would not establish public-private partnerships to rehab homes, businesses, and communities. It would not reform the unemployment insurance program, which has not been reformed in 40 years, or help more Americans to refinance their homes at today's lower interest rates, and it would not create a National Infrastructure Bank to help finance infrastructure programs and projects.

Basically, what we have in the new, improved JOBS Act is a bill that centers on only one component of the President's American Jobs Act - the component of "reform and regulatory reductions to help entrepreneurs and small businesses access capital."

The President has said that he will sign the JOBS Act, if Congress passes it. Why? I can only assume because it would be a first bi-partisan baby step towards jobs creation, and any step is better than nothing. However, I believe that the President should not abandon his larger vision, and neither should we. We should urge our legislators to support the American Jobs Act in its entirety. We should urge President Obama to continue fighting for the AJA. It would be good for the American middle class; it would be good for the economy; it would be good for the country.

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Note: We have removed "Office Depot Notebook Paper" from our shopping list. The product states that it is "Made in USA," but we were unable to confirm the manufacturer. We will continue to add categories, as well as make new recommendations for "Made in USA" products.