Campaign themes or
"slogans" are interesting.
They are created to reflect the main idea or message of a specific
candidate. Four years ago, presidential
candidate Barack Obama consistently ran on an optimistic theme of "Change We Can Believe In," aka
"Hope and Change." Although President Obama has demonstrated a
commitment to his message in the three and three-quarter years since his
inauguration, some Americans today feel less than hopeful about the future because
change has not happened quickly enough for them. For this election season, President Obama's campaign
theme has changed from briefly auditioning several slogans such as "Winning
Our Future," and "An America Built To Last," to a more optimistic,
enduring, and hopeful message of "Forward." This theme reflects what many Americans are
feeling - that although our economic
recovery is slower and more gradual than we would like, under President Obama's
leadership our economy is making progress, we are moving forward, and we will
continue to move forward.
Along with positions on major policy, the Romney campaign has also tried
out many slogans throughout this election season. The primary slogans that Romney has used
almost interchangeably are a backwards-sounding "Restore Our Future,"
a patriotic appeal to "Believe in America," and recently, "Real
Change," an apparent attempt to counter Obama's first campaign theme of
four years ago. Romney has stayed away
from using "hope," I suppose because as he has said on many occasions,
"Hope is not a strategy."
Just what the "real change" is that Romney would bring if he
were elected president is yet to be determined, since he is inconsistent about
his beliefs, and refuses to be pinned down about them, sometimes contradicting his previously stated
positions in the same debate or interview.
What we can do is venture a guess as to what economic changes Romney
would effect from his most frequent statements, as well as the economic plan on
Romney's web site - a paper written not by Romney, but by a group of university
professors. For starters, the Bush tax
cuts, including those for the wealthiest Americans, would be made permanent,
and corporate taxes, again benefitting the wealthiest Americans, would be
decreased. According to the authors of
the economic paper on Romney's web site, this trickle-down economic strategy
would eventually create 12 million new jobs! We don't know exactly how long this would
take, and Romney would not have to do a single other thing. Go figure.
This has been tried before, and it hasn't worked worth a darn.
Cutting taxes for the rich and corporations would continue to have a net
effect of increasing rather than decreasing the federal deficit. In order to compensate for this lost revenue,
Romney has said that he would eliminate or radically decrease tax exemptions
for child care, home mortgage payments, and charitable contributions. Who would this hurt the most? The middle class and the disadvantaged
recipients of nonprofit charities, of course.
In addition, Romney would repeal
the Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act (aka "Obamacare.")
Almost immediately, young adults ages
23-26 would find themselves dropped from their parents' insurance plans and
without medical insurance. (Note: Romney
has claimed he would retain this, but not according to the "plan.") Women in their child-bearing years would find
themselves without access to insurance-covered contraception, many Americans
would find themselves with "pre-existing" conditions, and retirees on
Medicare Part D would find the "donut hole" reopened.
Other real economic changes, according to Romney, would be : more free trade agreements, which have
historically benefitted the owners of corporations and taken away American
jobs; insurance vouchers in lieu of Medicare,
raising the retirement age to 70, abolishing Federal education funding
(such as Pell grants), abolishing the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), and the relegation of Medicaid, welfare programs, educational programs,
and emergency management programs to the control of individual states.
One thing is true: if the Romney-Ryan team is elected on
Tuesday, there most certainly would be "real change." As for real hope, forget about it.
***********************
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 products you usually buy
with one, two, or three of these "Made
in USA" 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 will continue
to add categories, as well as make new recommendations for "Made in
USA" products with new blog posts.
Minnie Bee's
"Made in USA" Shopping List
* =
new recommendation
**= new category
Baby Food
· mom
to mom - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Inc., Pleasanton, CA
Beer, Wine
·
Yuengling Lager, Light Lager, Light Beer, Black and Tan,
Premium, Porter, Lord Chesterfield Ale -
Made in USA by D.S. Yuengling & Son, Inc., Pottsville, PA
Beverages (non-alcoholic, not
including coffee)
· 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
· icantoo
Resort Classics - Made in USA by Pacico,
Inc., Industry, CA
Coffee
·
New England Coffee - Made in USA by New
England Tea and Coffee Co., Inc., Malden, MA
·
Green Mountain Coffee, Caribou Coffee, Gloria Jean's Coffee (K-cups) - Made in USA by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.,
Castroville, CA
·
Millstone Coffee (K-cups) - Made in USA
by Millstone Coffee, Inc., Orrville, OH
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
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 pretzels, 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
· Ranier Apples/Pommes, Sweet Cherries -
Produce of USA by Rainier Fruit Company, Selah, WA
· Stemilt
Sweet Cherries - Product of USA by Stemilt Growers,
LLC, Wenatchee, WA
· Top
Brass Premium Quality Grapes - Product of USA by Vignold Farms,
Deland, CA
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
·
dr dennis gross skincare (all products) - Made in USA by Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, LLC, New York, NY
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
· Boulder Canyon Garden
Select Vegetable Crisps - Made in USA by Boulder
Canyon Natural Foods, Boulder, CO
·* Late July Organic Multigrain Snack Chips - Made in USA by Late July Snacks, LLC, Barnstable, MA
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
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