Minnie Bee's Rant:
When Louis Prima and Keely Smith sang
these lyrics to "That Old Black Magic," they were singing about love,
not politics; but the antics of certain Republicans over the past week had me
in a spin as they spun, and spun some more, and then spun out of control trying
their best to conjure up some magic of their own. In the end, the payroll tax cut for the
middle class was extended for two months, as well as emergency unemployment
benefits, and those Republicans who were against the deal came up with, as Rev.
Sharpton would call it, blueberry pie on their faces. Then, attempting to spin the whole thing into
something else again, their appointed spokesman and amateur magician, John
Bohner, who was for extending the tax cut before he was against it, said that
House Republicans had fought the good fight to get the payroll tax cut extended
for a year, but in the end, just couldn't get it done. Really.
These are the same guys who have been so worried about paying down the
deficit that they want to reduce middle class "entitlements" while
making tax cuts for the wealthy permanent. Really. I'm thinking that some of
them should probably form a third party called the Spider Party beause of all
the spinning, or maybe the Dizzy Party
because of all the going in circles.
As
far as the payroll tax cut itself, though, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, paying 2% less into the Social Security trust fund may
not be the best thing for middle class future retirees. And who's benefiting the most here? Why, those making over $110,100 per year, of
course. They pay the taxes only on the
first $110,100 of their annual gross income, and will be saving $2,202 annually,
unlike Joe or Jane Doe, who will save $500 if he or she is making $25,000 per
year, or $1,000 on an individual annual salary of $50,000.
On the other hand, the payroll tax cut
does stimulate the economy. Unlike the
wealthiest Americans, middle/working class folks usually spend extra money when
they have it because they must. They
don't have the luxury of saving or investing much of their money. They must use it to make their mortgage or
rent payments, to pay their utility bills, to buy food and clothing, to pay for
books and school supplies and college tuition for their kids. Occasionally, they might even go to a
restaurant or take in a movie. They don't have the luxury of saving or
investing extra cash because they're not left with extra cash. Putting their money back into the economy
stimulates economic growth and ultimately influences the creation of jobs.
So, middle class America, let's take our payroll tax cut and our
unemployment benefits and enjoy the holidays.
And while we're shopping for our holiday dinners and last-minute
presents, let's try to buy "Made in USA" stuff. By replacing one or two foreign-made products
in our shopping carts with products "Made in USA," we create a greater
demand for "Made in USA" products, thereby causing the manufacturers
of those products to hire more employees.
The rising popularity of American-made products will also motivate
companies who make their products elsewhere to make more products here.
************************
(Note:
Sorry, friends. My reliable
weekly post that should have posted last Sunday was unreliably relegated all
the way to Saturday this week due to holiday crazy and a sick cat.)
Look for my
next post on Sunday, January 15, 2012.
Best wishes for a wonderful, happy, and healthy holiday season, and a
New Year filled with peace and prosperity.
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 make a
conscious effort to buy "Made in USA products whenever possible. 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's address. It must
state that it was made in or a product of the USA!
This week's recommended
products:
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
Coffee
·
New England Coffee - Made in USA by New
England Tea and Coffee Co., Inc., Malden, MA
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
Cooking Oil
·
California Olive Ranch
Olive Oil -
Product of California, USA by California Olive Ranch, Inc., Oroville, CA
Crackers
·
Pepperidge Farm (all crackers and crisps) - Made 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 of USA," including "locally grown" fruits and
vegetables (as they
come into season.)
Fruit and Vegetable Wash
·
All Natural Veggie Wash Fruit and Vegetable Wash - Made in USA by
Beaumont Products, Inc., Kennesaw, GA
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
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
Pizza, Frozen
·
Freschetta Pizza, Red Baron Pizza - Made in USA by Schwan Food Co.,
Marshall, MN
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
Snacks
·
popchips - Made in USA by
popchips, San Francisco, CA
·
Pretzel Crisps - Made in USA by Snack
Factory, Princeton, NJ
·
Goldfish, Pepperidge Farm 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
*
= new recommendation
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