Category: Making it in America
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On Labor Day Work to Save the Middle Class
This Labor Day feels gloomy. It’s a celebration of work when there is not enough of it, a day off when too many desperately seek a day on. America has commemorated two Labor Days since this brutal recession began near the end of George Bush’s presidency in December of 2007. Now the relentless high unemployment,…
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Trade Enforcement Works Thank You Mr President
Nearly one year ago, President Obama invoked a trade law known as “421” for the first and only time in the decade the law has been in effect and imposed tariffs on some automobile tire imports from China, which have been surging into the United States from 2004 to 2008. The decision was very controversial.…
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Our Growth Is Outsourced, Like Our Jobs
In the news today, a familiar story: imports increased, exports declined. About $50 billion in one month alone. The trade gap isn\’t just costing jobs, it\’s a significant factor in the slow recovery as well. See below. In 2005, when we were halfway down to where we went, I wrote a post at my own…
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Save American Manufacturing
The following was originally published by Politico. These days, Republicans can’t suppress the gloat. The “Party of No,” leading in most polls, is said to be on the verge of taking the House and possibly the Senate in November. The irrepressible Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) calls the midterms a “dress rehearsal” for 2012, posing a…
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Trade Deficit Inaction Assures A Jobless Non-Recovery
The Commerce Department on Wednesday is expected to release new international trade figures that will underscore how critical it is that Congress and the White House move forward with an aggressive \”Make It In America\” program combined with a rejection of the right-wing-driven trade agreements of the past. We already learned the key headline this…
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What’s Green, White and Blue? American Jobs
Red, as in furiously red, defined the day last fall when a consortium of companies announced it wanted $450 million in U.S. stimulus money to build a wind farm in Texas, creating 2,000 jobs in China and 300 in America. Now, nine months later, things have cooled down and turned around. In a deal with…
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Made in America: The Good And Bad News For A Jobs Recovery
Three important things happened in the last few days for manufacturing in America. Two are good. One is really really bad. The House passed good bills promoting American manufacturing, and the Joint Economic Committee released a new report finding that our manufacturing sector has gained jobs for six months in a row. Unfortunately, the House…
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President Obama Says ‘Made in America’ at Heart of US Recovery
Addressing the AFL-CIO Executive Council today, President Obama signaled support for the new Congressional \”Make It In America\” initiative, saying, \”As long as I\’m president, I\’m going to keep fighting night and day to make sure that we win those jobs, that those are jobs that are created right here in the United States of…
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Geithner and The White House: The Wrong Message in Troubled Times
Picture this: You\’re lying in the dark with a broken leg. Somebody comes by every couple of days to give you water and a little food, but you\’re wasting away. Suddenly a figure appears holding a candle. In the flickering light we see Tim Geithner\’s face. \”Hey, there!\” He says. \”Do you realize that if…
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For the Strength of Rosie the Riveter: Make It in America
Rosie the Riveter defiantly rolls up her blue work shirt to show off a brawny bicep. She’s a symbol of American strength. She worked in a manufacturing job, one of millions that constructed the defense machine that won World War II for the Allies. She said, “We can do it.” And America did. Now, however,…