The workers who built your imported products don't pay into our SS and Medicare programs

[NNN0LHI]

They don't pay one dime into our tax base that pays for our teachers, police and other government workers either. They pay into their own retirement programs for their own government workers. So after we lose all our manufacturing jobs who is left here to pay into our retirement programs and pay the wages for our government workers? We can only raise peoples property taxes so high to offset these losses.

What is so complicated about this?

Do we need to have riots to figure this one out? Really, do we?

We can't be that stupid. Can we be?

Don

[Little Star]

1. Good point. k&r

[Sherman A1]

2. Agreed & Well Said

You have truly hit the nail on the head.

[treestar]

3. Are manufacturing jobs the only jobs in the world?

[RainDog]

5. what sort of idiotic question is this?

are IT jobs the only jobs in the world?

why don't you go raise a family working at mcdonalds and then tell the rest of us about it.

[NNN0LHI]

6. It doesn't end up being just manufacturing jobs we lose though

It becomes circular. You don't want to support the workers in my industry,(because you have no interest in working in a factory maybe), and then perhaps that gives me Ø incentive to protect your job whatever that may be.

You can't see this? Or do you think this is a one way street?

Don

[Fla Dem]

29. You lose manufacturing or any major employer and there is, dare I say it

a trickle down effect. You lose all the ancillary jobs spun off from having a major employer in your area, from the mom & pop diner, the janitorial service, all the businesses that supply and maintain their offices (toilet paper, printer paper & ink, office equipment, bottle water, electrical services, landscaping, trash haulers ...you get the drift.) So it's just not the specific loss of one commodity being shipped to China that is killing us, it's the whole infrastructure that supported that product that disappears too.

[RainDog]

4. k and freakin' r

:mad: :argh: :mad: :argh: :mad: :argh: :mad: :argh:

[sweetapogee]

7. In years past I always

bought american made cars. Fords and GM products, no exceptions. I put up with the quality problems. Then three years ago I bought my wife a C-Class Mercedes Benz (baby benz) and can say with certainty that I will be a Benz customer for life. The car is a joy to drive and built like a tank. It actually cost less to own and operate than my 2007 Ford Ranger, which is what I drive to work every day.

[NNN0LHI]

8. Lets wait for the final tally before you are convinced you are saving money ... or not?

Like whether you or your kids have a job in a few years ... or not?

Or like whether there is any money to pay for your retirement ... or not?

Or whether I have any interest in buying whatever goods or services you are selling ... or not?

After you get through that period you will know if you got a good deal ... or not?

Time will tell.

Don

[Billy Burnett]

10. Don downer.

C'mon man. Offshore outsourcing is just the start. Robotization is what is going to take workers down, ultimately.

Personal Robot industry (read: worker replacement industry) to grow to $15 Billion by 2015
http://www.gizmag.com/personal-robot-industry-to-grow-to-15-billion/8569/

[NNN0LHI]

12. New parts stamping lines have been automated since I worked in an auto plant

That wasn't the real job killer.

I wasn't hired while still in high school to build new car parts.

We were hired to work on the non-automated lines for the massive amount of service work. Those lines weren't worth automating. They don't automate a line to run a few thousand service panels of doors, hoods, roofs or quarter panels, for a 5 year old model car. Take longer to get the automation running right than it would to make a few thousand doors manually. Lot longer.

Those jobs will never be automated. It isn't worth it. But those jobs are gone due to lack of demand.

Assembly plant jobs are really difficult to automate too.

Don

[sweetapogee]

11. saving money

on the car issue is really just a surprise bonus. I expected the MB to cost more than whatever american car we would have purchased to replace my wife's 2002 Saturn VUE. I do all of my own mechanics work, which on the MB is limited to things like oil changes and they are not home mechanic friendly but there is still a lot you can do yourself. The car gets used alot, about 100 miles/day. But as far as the car is concerned, after almost 3 years I have zero regrets. It is just a great car and I only owe about 5K on it.

It really wasn't that long ago that we on the left were not thrilled with detroit, at least around here. I was in the minority of dems with my Chevy's and Fords. Almost all of my lib friends had Toyota's and Honda's and I took a lot of S*&t from them for having a Ford. My dad was big on buying american cars and that always stuck with me. I used to drive by the local United Electrical Union hall and they had a big sign out front stating that only american cars could be parked in the parking lot. During the day the street was lined with japanese cars, miles of them!

As far as my retirement is concern, thanks for your concern. I work a full time and PT job, will have my mortgage paid off in 3 years, will retire in 10 years and short of a full economic meltdown I will be ok. My kids are almost through college and thankfully they have scholastic scholarships. By the way, on top of two jobs, I 'm a volunteer firefighter (Lieutenant) and volunteer EMT. I put in 15-20 hours/week in those endeavors. Also I put in some time at church and when my kids were in HS I was a band parent. I was very involved this the election this year as a poll watcher and helped with local campaigns.

Having said all this, I do try to buy american (or north american) as much as possible. One other thing, I gave the Saturn VUE to my son and just this week he hit a deer. I'm having one H*ll of a time getting body panels for it, Saturn is no longer making cars. I'm not convinced that GM overall will survive so if I need to replace my Ranger it will probably be another Ford.

[NNN0LHI]

15. Hope you don't end up with the same situation as me after you get your house paid off

The yearly property taxes alone in another ten years on this house, that I will have paid off in 40 months, will be more than the combined total of 12 monthly house payments which included principal, interest, taxes and insurance when we first moved here.

So that plan of paying my house off and everything be fine will not work out for me. The problem is due to losing the tax base from our manufacturing has caused states to make huge increases in their property taxes to make up for that loss.

And another kicker that a lot of people don't give a lot of thought to is many of those workers who used to work in our manufacturing sector don't work at all because their are no jobs for them now thanks to the smart folks who buy imports. So not only are those people without jobs, many are dependent on government programs like food stamps, etc. So its a double whammy.

Have you kept track of how your property taxes have been climbing over the years? I have been watching mine. They were $1200 a year when I moved in 21 years ago and they are over $4000 a year now. In another ten years at this rate I won't be able to afford the taxes on this house on a fixed income any more.

So there you go. Hope you don't end up in the same situation some day.

Maybe we will be working as Wal-Mart greeters together in the future?

Don

[sweetapogee]

17. property taxes

were the main reason why we moved out of NJ and into PA. I do worry about them and if I had my house on my lot in my PA neighborhood back in NJ, there is no way I could afford the taxes.

Although I don't like cold weather, I'm starting to look into moving at retirement. It pains me to say it but Alaska is a real possibility. Also, I'm a volunteer EMT and next year I'm going to Paramedic school so that I can work as a part time pre-hospital medic in my retirement years. That should pay for my taxes, if not we may have to downsize. Our house in PA sits on 4 acres and it's a lot ot work to heat and rake leaves and such.

[NNN0LHI]

20. Meet you at Wal-Mart some day. I'll greet the people at one door and you can greet them at the other

:hi:

[sweetapogee]

24. ok

we will have fun!

[Billy Burnett]

9. Nice. Everyone should own a Benz.

You've got your piece of the pie now.




If we cut taxes for the über rich enough, I'll get one too. :eyes:

[sweetapogee]

13. I agree

As I said, both me and the wife commute 100 miles each per day. We wear out cars, you know in about 7 years time. A Benz lasts longer and ride so much nicer that they are worth paying more compared to GM. It seems like it should'n be so but just for S&G, I studied the numbers and decided it was worth taking the chance and it worked out. It wouldn't work if I had a 15 mile commute though. But it is cheaper to own a MB than a chevy under the conditions we have. Also, the MB has 4-matic all wheel drive, good as we live in the Pocono mtns of NE PA. We haven't got stuck in the snow ever with this car. The only domestic all wheel is an SUV and compare the price of them to a C-Class and suddenly the light bulb will go off for you, as it did for me.

If you do buy one, it will be a day or two before you start telling everyone, like me, that you are a MB fan for life!

[Billy Burnett]

27. Used to have one. Most expensive car to repair, post warranty

A big 300 TD. Great mileage for the size. Post warranty, was the most expensive car to maintain I've ever owned.
I own a Ford van now, to schlep music gear around in. A great vehicle.

[sweetapogee]

28. In a past life

I was an auto mechanic. Not really but I do all kinds of major repair work and have a fairly well equipped garage. I intend to keep the MB forever, if not for us then for my daughter.

[hughee99]

14. Are you sure it wasn't American made?

They have a plant in Vance, Alabama (near Tuscaloosa, I think). It's workers pay into SS and Medicare.

[sweetapogee]

16. it's

german

[ContraBass Black]

19. The next version of the C Class will be made there.

[sweetapogee]

21. good

a MB without the guilt. But I'm probably going for an E Class 4 door 4-matic next time.

[Romulox]

22. I'd be damned before I bought a so-called "Mercedes" made in Alabammy!

Why don't they stamp "Engineered in Tuscaloosa" in big letters on the thing? That's right, because they're counting on dim consumers who don't ask too many questions!

[laughingliberal]

18. Yes, jobs is the most effective deficit reduction program. nt

[Romulox]

23. I'm one of those "labor solidarity" people who drives a Prius! (MY) Union YES! nt

[sweetapogee]

25. is the trunk

big enough for your MIL to fit in?

[sweetapogee]

26. is the trunk

sorry dupe