Bringing Back Jobs - Really?

     This week, two Congressmen, Mark Warner (D-VA) and Frank Wolf (R-VA), proposed legislation to give low-interest, "forgivable" loans of $5,000 to businesses for every new "high-value manufacturing job" they establish in a rural or economically distressed area (which is most of the US, these days.)  Eligible businesses must employ a minimum of 50 people, and must also pay wages for the new job that are higher than the average wage of the county where the job is established.  For every year that the job is maintained, the employer gets $1,000 knocked off the balance of the loan. If the job is established for at least five years, the business doesn't have to pay back the loan at all.  The lawmakers hope to lure manufacturing jobs back to the US from overseas with their proposal. 

     Although I like the concept of bringing back manufacturing  jobs to the US,  I don't think this plan will do that.  First of all, $5,000 per "high value" job for five years doesn't begin to compete with the money that greedy, unpatriotic manufacturing companies are making off of workers in third-world countries.  It's difficult to find recent information on wages paid to those workers, but according to information from the World Bank, in 2004, apparel industry workers  were making an average of  13 cents per hour in Bangladesh,  44 cents per hour in China, $1.62 per hour in the Dominican Republic,  49 cents per hour in Haiti, $1.31 per hour in Honduras, 34 cents per hour in Indonesia, 76 cents per hour in Nicaragua, and 26 cents per hour in Vietnam.  Wages in those countries in 2011 are probably not a lot higher, so I hardly think that $5,000 per job over five years is going to do the trick.  In addition, when you take into consideration that these companies have to pay payroll taxes on each US job, the chances that a $5,000 incentive will have any effect are slim to none.

     I believe that the best plan for creating US jobs is to: (1) create a demand for USA-made goods and products by buying "Made in USA" goods and products whenever that option is available, and (2) stop giving federal subsidies and tax breaks to the greedy, unpatriotic US companies that outsource jobs,  or offshore their operations. 

     As concerned Americans, we can't do anything about tax breaks and incentives, other than electing representatives who value our country over their own political war chests, but we can do our part for our country by buying and promoting "Made in USA" goods and products. 

      What exactly does "promote" mean?  We can start by telling our friends, neighbors, and even people we meet when shopping, that such-and-such a product (e.g., paper plates, dog food, etc.) is "Made in USA" as opposed to those made elsewhere.  I have found that most Americans really do want to buy "Made in USA" goods and products when given that option.   In order to do a better job of promoting those products myself, starting with today's blog, I not only will be recommending goods and products that are "Made in USA," but reporting on competing products that are NOT "Made in USA."
********************
Taking calcium supplements is a good way to ensure that we are getting enough daily calcium to develop and maintain strong bones.  Following are those recommended calcium supplements "Made in USA" followed by those NOT recommended and NOT Made in USA. Product research was done in stores.

 This week's recommended products:

        ·         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

NOT recommended:

·         Caltrate calcium tablets + vitamin D tablets; Caltrate calcium + D soft chews; Caltrate  calcium + D chewable tablets - NOT Made in USA

·         NatureMade adult gummies calcium + vitamin D3; NatureMade calcium tablets - NOT Made in USA

·         Origin calcium + D3 soft gels; Origin calcium tablets - NOT Made in USA

·         up&up calcium + D tablets - NOT Made in USA

·         Viactiv calcium + D soft chews - NOT Made in USA

Blog sources:

http://hamptonroads.com/2011/06/va-lawmakers-propose-5k-job-lure-employers

http://www.independent.org/publications/working_papers/article.asp?id=1369

E. coli - Another Reason to Buy USA

      My April 3, 2011, post to this blog was about the dangers of consuming food and drugs from foreign countries (see "Eat At Your Own Risk:  Foreign-Made Food and Drugs.") This week, a particularly virulent strain of E. coli appeared on the scene, as people in Europe (and four in the US who recently returned from Germany) came down with nasty symptoms, including stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea.  Currently, 1,833 cases of the E. coli infection have been confirmed, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. What makes this strain of E. coli even more dangerous is that it attacks not only the digestive system, but also produces a by-product called the "shiga" toxin that may damage the kidneys.  Reports indicate that this strain of E. coli originated in produce, primarily bean sprouts, grown in northern Germany.  However, sprouts, cucumbers, and tomatoes grown in Denmark, the Netherlands, and Spain are also suspect. 

     What exactly is E. coli?  It's a bacteria (Escherichia coli) that is commonly found in our intestines, and helps our bodies to break down and digest food.  Certain strains of E. coli, however, move from the digestive system into the bloodstream, where they can cause serious infections.  E. coli can contaminate crops when manure is used to fertilize crops, or if water contaminated with E. coli is used to irrigate the crops.  .
    
     According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA),the government recently has stepped up testing of food from Germany and Spain, although very little in the way of produce is imported to the US from those countries or from other European countries.  (I have found a lot of produce sold in US grocery stores from Mexico, and Central and South America.)

    Be aware that meat and produce from the United States is not 100% safe from E. coli contamination either.   There was a small outbreak in the US (145 reported cases) of a similar E. coli strain reported by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in 2010.  That outbreak originated from US-produced shredded romaine lettuce.  In general, however, according to Don Kraemer, deputy director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, the United States has "one of the safest food supplies in the world."  Compared to reported outbreaks of E. coli worldwide, this appears to be true.
      
     Treatment for the present outbreak of E. coli is primarily accomplished by keeping patients hydrated with water, and by dialysis, which is used to scrub the blood of patients with infected bloodstreams.  In the case of E. coli infections, antibiotics don't help, and may make symptoms worse because they may increase the release of toxins into the bloodstream.

     Precautions that we can take to protect ourselves from E. coli contamination are: (1) eat meat that is cooked well - not red or pink; (2) wash produce well (I use a vegetable and fruit spray), even if wrappers or labels say the produce has already been washed; (3) wash hands well before preparing food, and (4) wash countertops where food is prepared.
    
     The final precaution that we can take to protect ourselves and our families against E. coli is to buy food and produce made and grown in the USA.  With fewer E. coli outbreaks from USA food, buying food and eating "grown in USA,  and "product of USA"  food  just makes good sense - not to mention that it helps our economy.  This summer, buy locally grown produce, shop at community farmers' markets, and look for "Made in USA," and "Product of USA" labels on food and produce.
**************
This week's recommended product:

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

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

Sources :  

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/04/earlyshow/saturday/main20068944

http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2010/ecoli_o145/index.html

http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/ecoli.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-03/water-dialysis-only-treatments-for-deadliest-european-e-coli-outbreak.html

Eat At Your Own Risk: Foreign-Made Food and Drugs

The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan were terrible, natural disasters with potentially far-reaching effects.  (Note:  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of these tragedies, and we  urge anyone who is able, to contribute to organizations and projects who are working to bring support and assistance to the victims.)  These disasters, which have resulted in the damage of nuclear reactors, and subsequent radioactive contamination of Japanese drinking water and the Pacific Ocean, also serve to remind us of the importance of knowing where our food comes from and what it contains.  Once an ocean is contaminated, not only its sea life, but the plants and animals who drink rainwater evaporating from that ocean, can become contaminated.  Combined with the inspection procedures of foreign-made food and drugs, consuming these products can be risky business.  Consider these facts:

Fact #1:  In recent years, American consumers and their pets have experienced health and safety issues relating to imported edible products, including melamine-tainted vegetable protein and dairy products, salmonella-tainted peppers and other contaminated fruits and vegetables,  contaminated toothpaste, and contaminated heparin (a blood thinner.) Some of these incidents have caused Americans and their pets to become ill or, in some cases, die.

Fact #2:  In February, 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it expected nearly 20 million shipments of food, drugs, cosmetics, and other products to arrive at U.S. ports of entry from foreign countries. (Ten years ago, that number was about 6 million shipments, and 20 years ago, the number of shipments was only a fraction of that.)

Fact #3:  Last year, the FDA had less than 500 inspectors to inspect those 20 million shipments; in other words, each inspector had to inspect over 40,000 shipments in one year.  Consequently, less than 1% of imported products and 8% of imported drugs got inspected.

Fact #4:  The FDA has been relying heavily on a border inspection program of foreign-made products that checks less than 2% of incoming food at the border.  Importers may flood the US market with substandard products because the FDA is unable to effectively prevent this from occurring.

     What can you do to protect yourself and your family?  Read labels and buy "Made in USA," "Baked in USA," and "Product of USA" fruits, vegetables, food products and medicines whenever they are available. Not only does this simple act contribute to the U.S. economy, and help to conserve and create U.S. jobs, but all, or virtually all of the ingredients in these products, must originate in the USA, and are put together in the USA according to USA standards. If a package or label doesn't state it, don't assume the product was made in the USA.  Many companies/brands will label products with US patent numbers, the company's US address, or the US address of the distributor, giving the appearance that the product was "Made in USA," when in fact, it wasn't.

Fact #5:  The previous Congress sought to improve the effectiveness of FDA inspections of foreign-made products by enacting new legislation, the FDA  Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), to dramatically increase inspections of overseas food facilities, hire new inspectors, and hold US importers more accountable. This bill never became law. The bill was passed in November, 2009, by the Senate, but not by the House.  At the end of each session of Congress,  all proposed bills and resolutions that haven't passed are cleared from the books. Members often reintroduce bills that did not come up for debate under a new number in the next session.

      Finally, to give a real-life example, I went to the produce department of a local supermarket the other day, looking for a 2-lb. box of fresh strawberries.  I gravitated to a familiar brand, "Driscoll's," with a bright yellow label, picked up a box of good-looking strawberries, and started to put it in my basket.  Then, I stopped and read the label -  "Product of Mexico."   My eyes scanned the shelves, and right next to those strawberries, I noticed boxes of strawberries with white labels and an unfamiliar name, *"Classic Dover."  These strawberries were the same price for the same 2-lb box as the other strawberries, and were just as good-looking.  I picked up a box and read the label -  "Product of USA."   There was also another sticker on the box that said *"Picked fresh daily by Mike Lott Family Farms."  Guess which strawberries I bought?

Sources:

http:  //www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/02/fsma-import-rules-may-foster-global-food-safety/

http://www.ombwatch.org/node/10777

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-510

****************************************************************************************

This week's recommended product:

Fruits and vegetables that are "Product of USA," including "locally grown" fruits and vegetables (as they come into season.) 
*The "Classic Dover" strawberries I purchased are a variety of strawberry typically grown in Dover, FL, and surrounding areas east of Tampa, FL.   Mike Lott Farms of Seffner, FL, is one of many strawberry growers in that area.  The farmers work very hard to protect their strawberries from frost and other adverse conditions, and their resulting beautiful and juicy strawberries are a large part of the local economy.

Previous recommendations:  Tom's of Maine, Inc. (www.tomsofmaine.com), The Ceramic Source (www.ceramic-source.com)