Girl Scout uniforms: Made in the U.S.A.

[Omaha Steve]

Article implies at the end this is a bad thing???

http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2010/11/girl_scout_uniforms_made_in_th.html

Published: Wednesday, November 03, 2010, 5:47 AM


ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTOGirl Scouts in Texas fill cookie orders. The parent organization has agreed Girl Scout uniforms will be made in America, and not overseas.


The idea almost made many people toss their cookies: Girl Scout uniforms made in China.

Well, everyone can relax. The Girl Scouts of the USA, whose uniforms had been manufactured by the Passaic company Jackie Evans Inc., has decided it will accept bids only from companies that will manufacture the clothing here in the United States.

That’s a big relief for those who couldn’t wrap their brains around the idea of this American icon sending business to a country where child labor laws are flouted and workplace safety is ignored. And of course, there’s the tolerance of low wages and environmental degradation that have been inseparable from China’s economic boom.

But before anyone out there is inspired to launch a campaign to keep all American companies and jobs from straying overseas, we’d be wise to consider: Would U.S. consumers, with dwindling paychecks, like to hear they can only buy expensive, American-made products, rather than low-cost imports? How many U.S. businesses would fold if they didn’t have access to cheaper materials? What would our marketplace look like without competition, the backbone of American capitalism? Is it a good thing to shut out billions of potential consumers in other countries from purchasing American products and services?

Things to think about over your glass of milk and Thin Mints.

[Taverner]

1. It doesn't have to be expensive if Made in USA

There are enough tax breaks already existent to make it affordable through subsidy (read the story of the guy from American Apparel. Don't tell me how much of a douchebag he is. Just see his story.

[onehandle]

2. Meanwhile, the Boy Scouts probably only buy from overseas companies...

...that guarantee their products are made by slave child laborers.

[Fresh_Start]

3. I think I read NFL jerseys were made in Korea

something else to think about while watching football

[Coexist]

4. uniforms and Little Brownie Bakers should be

I still cringe when I think of Levi's not being made here. It really makes me sad.

[blondeatlast]

9. I remember when they closed the Levi's plant in the little town (Coolidge, AZ)

I was living in when I was 12.

It was one of the saddest days I recall--all my friends' parents out of work, just like that.

[Coexist]

11. that sucks.

[End Of The Road]

5. I'm not in the market for a Girl Scout Uniform, but

I am in the market for some decent, American-made sheets for my bed. And yes, in spite of my currently non-existing paycheck, I WOULD pay more for a set of sheets that didn't fall apart after six months. The "competition" they refer to has completely ruined American textiles.

I say GO GIRL SCOUTS.

[Omaha Steve]

14. Here they are :-)

http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/bednbath.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. I am buying extra thin mints this year

I can't eat them but hubby will

[prairierose]

7. OS, as a former Girl Scout, I am very glad to hear that...

someone at the Girl Scout organization thought to keep these jobs here. Just because the unredeemed idiot who wrote the article thinks that we should continue the race to the bottom does not negate that we are better off with those jobs here. But, the Girl Scouts of America are not the only Girl Scouts in the world. Other countries have their own Girl Scout/Guide organizations and they get to make these same decisions for themselves.

Thanks for bringing this story here. I had forgotten that I wanted to follow this story.

[zbdent]

8. Gee ... you'd think that some of these people in the USA that make GS uniforms

might actually put some of their paycheck into the economy ... and thus, they could actually afford to do more than buy other products made in third world countries where girls who would be young enough to join the Girl Scouts are recruited to make the products (at least, until they get pregnant and are fired) ...

[blondeatlast]

10. Proud, Proud ex-GS here and even just a nod prouder today. Thanks for

what SHOULD be a feel-good story, and despite the author's snark, still is.

[AdHocSolver]

12. It is a myth that imported products are cheaper than American-made products.

Most corporations do NOT pass along the savings of cheap labor to consumers. The debt incurred from the huge U.S. trade deficit has caused the buying power of the U.S. dollar to decrease. This creeping inflation is hidden by the corporations in many ways.

The quantity and-or quality of products is reduced to hide an increase in cost. For example, not too long ago, one could buy a 7 ounce can of tuna for 59 cents. Today, the can of tuna costs over a dollar and contains only 5.5 ounces of fish.

Another way corporations charge more for products is through "feature creep". The basic model is no longer available. This is especially noticeable in electronic gadgets. You are forced to buy a higher priced model with a lot of "new features" that you may not need or want, because the basic model isn't manufactured anymore. The cost to the manufacturer of these "upgrades" can be measured in pennies, but you are forced to pay several dollars more for something you may never use.

Comparison shopping of goods that are imported to similar American made goods (where you can still find some) shows little difference in price. In some cases, the U.S. made goods are even a little less expensive. It depends on the brand of goods.

Finally, if more Americans were working and were secure in their jobs, they could afford to pay a little extra for American made goods. If more Americans were working, they would be paying taxes and getting the benefit of better services and improved infrastructure. The huge government deficits are partly due to reduced tax revenue because of high unemployment.

Lastly, buying American made products saves jobs. Americans' readiness to continue buying overpriced imported junk makes it profitable for corporations to continue to outsource jobs to low wage countries like China. Our governments have become tools of the corporations. Americans can stop playing the sucker game by refusing to buy imported junk and demanding retailers offer American made products for purchase. Since corporations use marketing tricks to charge "American made" prices for cheaply made foreign products anyway, the public won't be any worse off by buying American.

[HopeHoops]

13. Hell, Girl Scout uniforms cost a shitload anyway. They'll charge the same wherever they are made.

The myth that making things in sweatshops in China keeps prices low makes me want to puke. The main incentive is profit margin. They'll charge $20 for a pair of jeans whether it costs $10 to make them or $0.37 to make them - just because they can. The Girl Scouts (and other such groups) have a padlocked market. If you want to be in the group, you buy the clothes they authorize at whatever the cost happens to be. I have three daughters so we actually got a little re-use out of the Daisy and Brownie uniforms. They quit before going on to Girl Scouts because the Brownie leader was incompetent and habitually late and unprepared.

[kath]

15. The blatant bias by that turd of an author almost made ME toss my cookies.

Sheesh.