New Democratic strategy for creating jobs focuses on a boost in manufacturing

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Washington Post

New Democratic strategy for creating jobs focuses on a boost in manufacturing
By Lori Montgomery and Brady Dennis
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 3, 2010; 11:21 AM

President Obama and congressional Democrats -- out of options for another quick shot of stimulus spending to revive the sluggish economy -- are shifting toward a longer-term strategy that promises to tackle persistently high unemployment by engineering a renaissance in American manufacturing.

That approach, heralded by Obama last week in Detroit and sketched out in a memo to House Democrats as they headed home for the August break, is still evolving and so far focuses primarily on raising taxes on multinational corporations that Democrats accuse of shipping jobs overseas.

The strategy also repackages policies long pursued by the White House -- such as investing in clean energy, roads, bridges and broadband service -- with more than two dozen legislative proposals aimed at developing a plan for promoting domestic manufacturing.

"We know manufacturing produces good jobs, high-paying jobs," House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) said Monday as Democrats released a report showcasing small gains in manufacturing since Obama took office. "We have committed ourselves to a long-term agenda aimed at enhancing the manufacturing capabilities in America."



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/03/AR2010080302685.html

[Brickbat]

1. I'll jump up and down and cheerlead for this just as soon as someone can explain to me how these new

jobs cannot and will not be outsourced within five years.

[Judi Lynn]

3. The 2nd paragraph could influence bright ideas like that:

That approach, heralded by Obama last week in Detroit and sketched out in a memo to House Democrats as they headed home for the August break, is still evolving and so far focuses primarily on raising taxes on multinational corporations that Democrats accuse of shipping jobs overseas.

You never know.

[Bluzmann57]

2. UNION manufacturing jobs are good high paying jobs

And that's what this country needs. We need the middle class strengthened once again so that we can buy stuff. Pretty simple but repukes don't seem to get it.
But credit where it's due, this is a good idea by the Dems and let's keep pressure on them to make sure they don't cave.

[Judi Lynn]

4. They need that pressure:every second counts right now. n/t

[JuniperLea]

7. Yeah, they just don't understand their own numbers...

2% of the population, you know, the dudes with all the bread, don't buy enough stuff to keep the economy going. The masses, aka "we the people," NEED jobs so we can buy the things we NEED to stay alive, like food and shelter. Most of us are tightening the ol' belt... that's the problem.

[Kweli4Real]

9. I know this is blasphemous here, but ...

good paying manufacturing jobs are not necessarily union jobs. Most smaller manufacturing plants that pay relatively good wages and provide good benefits are not unionized, they just have enlightened management.

[zogofzorkon]

13. Lijke the Union auto jobs

that are now paying 1/2 of what they used to. C

[MARALE]

5. This is what we need

There are a lot of companies that have in place protectionism policies that state in a few years, a growing percentage of items that are purchased in the country has to be made in their country. that is making our company invest in putting in manufacturing Facilities in those countries. We do not have hardly any of that here and that is one of the big reasons that we are losing jobs. India, China, Brazil are some of the countries that have these restrictions.

[SocialistLez]

14. So instead of" companie" it should have been "countries"in your first sentence?

In any case, I know we are one of the few countries without a provision that requires we try to use companies based here or use resources that are made here.

I am sure we a big reason we don't have a Buy American provision is because China has us over a barrel when it comes to our debt.

[pampango]

19. The reason we don't have a "Buy American provision" has nothing to do with China. Since 1/1/81 we've

belonged to the Agreement on Goverment Procurement.

"An Agreement on Government Procurement was first negotiated during the Tokyo Round and entered into force on 1 January 1981. Its purpose is to open up as much of this business as possible to international competition. It is designed to make laws, regulations, procedures and practices regarding government procurement more transparent and to ensure they do not protect domestic products or suppliers, or discriminate against foreign products or suppliers.

The agreement has 28 members. It has two elements — general rules and obligations, and schedules of national entities in each member country whose procurement is subject to the agreement. A large part of the general rules and obligations concern tendering procedures."

http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/agrm10_e.htm#govt

Current members of the GPA: Canada, European Communities (27 countries), Iceland, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Aruba, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United States (total of 39 countries).

[SocialistLez]

21. Thank you.

:)

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

6. I just wish they would have pushed for this sooner. Or if they have I haven't read

about it. This kind of approach is badly needed.

[JuniperLea]

10. I'm pretty sure a lot of the stuff we're seeing now...

Has been on the workbench for sometime. You can't just pull this stuff out of thin air... it takes study and planning, and that takes some time. I don't always understand the prioritizings, but I'm happy to see results.

It would be nice if we were told about what is being worked on, and what's coming down the pike. I think that would help... a lot.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

12. I guess what I mean is that in a PR sense I would have been making a bigger deal

about this if I were them. It does help for people to hear this even though we're talking long term and far down the line results.

[JuniperLea]

18. Yeah, without tooting their own horns...

They allow the RW to run roughshod over them, verbally, and it hurts perspective.

Then again, I take issue with RW smear tactics such as saying, "Obama PLANS on doing this... Obama WANTS to do that" and I guess you really can't counter plans and wants with more plans and wants.

[Kweli4Real]

11. I believe ...

the administration has been pushing for this approach all along; but with less urgently because they realize that the american public and american-styled politics demand immediate results.

[seabeckind]

8. This would be one of those "about f'ing time" moments. n/t

[xchrom]

15. Recommend

[SocialistLez]

16. I just hope they implement this and they aren't dangling this carrot in a cheap ploy for votes.

I'm sick of them saying they will do stuff. Just fucking do it already!

[Edweird]

17. We'll see. I'm cautiously somewhat less than completely cynical about this.

If he pulls it off and it's all about the workers and not just a way to throw more tax money to private industry then he'll get my support.

[andym]

20. Trouble is they would need Republican votes to get this past the Senate

unless they use reconciliation-- can reconciliation be used for new taxes (against multinationals)?