Little Rant

[JSzymczyk 0]

there will not be another World War which resembles WWII-- the "free" world has changed so drastically that it just won't happen that way. It will be electronic. If data communications networks are taken out on a large scale we (USA) would be back in the Stone Age within a couple weeks. Damn few people know how to do ANYTHING anymore without being "connected".

 

Thankfully fish can still be caught with a string and a bent pin.

[Steeldrifter 0]

I have always been confused by the folks that insist on buying based on where the item was made. I want quality and value for my money. I'm involved in an industry that is working hard to send as many jobs overseas as possible in an effort to reduce cost and stay afloat. Yes, this will cost several overpaid American's their jobs (and I may be one of them) and provide jobs for many underpaid foreigners.

 

I understand "I want quality and value for my money", the rest, not so much.

Those damn overpaid Americans must be the problem.

 

Nevermind...let's agree to disagree on this and get back to more important stuff like tying flies!

 

 

I really don't want to get into this discussion, but I do have to say this because I have seen this many times first hand....

 

(Overpaid Workers)- Not in every case, but there are many circumstances where it is in fact due to "Overpaid American workers". I've lived in Detroit area all my life (40 yrs) and have had numerous family members that were UAW workers and I also use to do the inspections for a company that was hired by the big three (Chevy/Ford/Chrysler). If you ever were allowed into the auto plants like I was and were to see first hand workers basically sitting around doing nothing while they made $35 an hour then you too would agree that there is a problem and in some cases there are some "Overpaid American Workers" which are the reason that prices are so high = why outsourcing is becoming more and more accepted.

 

Don't get me wrong, I am all for people making a good wage for a hard days work. But there are in fact many cases where people are making way too much money for being way too lazy and this is in fact one of the reasons companies decide to outsource.

[FrequentTyer 0]

I have always been confused by the folks that insist on buying based on where the item was made. I want quality and value for my money. I'm involved in an industry that is working hard to send as many jobs overseas as possible in an effort to reduce cost and stay afloat. Yes, this will cost several overpaid American's their jobs (and I may be one of them) and provide jobs for many underpaid foreigners.

 

I understand "I want quality and value for my money", the rest, not so much.

Those damn overpaid Americans must be the problem.

 

Nevermind...let's agree to disagree on this and get back to more important stuff like tying flies!

 

 

I really don't want to get into this discussion, but I do have to say this because I have seen this many times first hand....

 

(Overpaid Workers)- Not in every case, but there are many circumstances where it is in fact due to "Overpaid American workers". I've lived in Detroit area all my life (40 yrs) and have had numerous family members that were UAW workers and I also use to do the inspections for a company that was hired by the big three (Chevy/Ford/Chrysler). If you ever were allowed into the auto plants like I was and were to see first hand workers basically sitting around doing nothing while they made $35 an hour then you too would agree that there is a problem and in some cases there are some "Overpaid American Workers" which are the reason that prices are so high = why outsourcing is becoming more and more accepted.

 

Don't get me wrong, I am all for people making a good wage for a hard days work. But there are in fact many cases where people are making way too much money for being way too lazy and this is in fact one of the reasons companies decide to outsource.

 

You can tell the same story about the US steel industry. The sad thing is that they don't realize the harm it causes by crippling the company and making it unable to compete on the global level.

 

 

Nevermind...let's agree to disagree on this and get back to more important stuff like tying flies!

 

We can agree to agree on that!

[ThreeJsDad 0]

I had it on the water today and when I am fishing with it I don't think about where it was made.

 

As a craftsman who makes his living as a craftsman who works with his hands I will stay out of the other discussion.

 

Paul

[troutguy 0]

I think you better start forging your own hooks. I don't know what is available.

Believe me, I've seriously thought about doing so. Really, I have. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Of course, I've given in all too often on my buy American quest. I need a car to get to work, but my pos Ford has so many foreign made parts I cannot even guess how much of it is made in the USA.

The computer I'm using was "assembled" in the USA with parts from who knows where. My TV is 15 years old and hasn't been plugged in since I don't know when and I doubt I'll be buying a replacement.

 

At least the fish I love to target are perfect.

Please forgive my going off...this is a subject that makes my blood boil.

 

Not to push you over the edge, but do you fish for Browns? They are imports too.

[mybadhabit 0]

I noticed that not one poster mentioned that our "overpaid" work force is playing in an unfair arena. 5% tarriff on incoming goods and a 25% + Tarriff on our products sold overseas. You all can thank your congressmen for that. It has become a world market only because we have made it so in an unfair way. Our congress has sold off our war machine and many of our military items and parts are made overseas. What will happen if we get back into a world war. WWII was won only because we produced more planes and ships than our enemy. We can no longer do that. Our safety has been given to 3rd world countries. Sleep well tonight.

 

I have to agree with you on this one. If we can no longer produce, then we are on a fast track to nowhere and beyond. We need to be able to produce and know that our products can compete in the market, and if that means equalizing the tariffs that are placed on our products going out then so be it. We can't afford to lose the battle because our labor force needs to make enough money to survive and outsourcing is one of the main causes of our economic collapse.

 

Blane

[oldtrout58 0]

I think you better start forging your own hooks. I don't know what is available.

Believe me, I've seriously thought about doing so. Really, I have. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Of course, I've given in all too often on my buy American quest. I need a car to get to work, but my pos Ford has so many foreign made parts I cannot even guess how much of it is made in the USA.

The computer I'm using was "assembled" in the USA with parts from who knows where. My TV is 15 years old and hasn't been plugged in since I don't know when and I doubt I'll be buying a replacement.

 

At least the fish I love to target are perfect.

Please forgive my going off...this is a subject that makes my blood boil.

 

Not to push you over the edge, but do you fish for Browns? They are imports too.

 

Mostly rainbows in my haunts, but yes, I do fish for browns. I should have kept my disappointment that Mustad hooks are made in China under wraps. I try not to purchase products from China for several reasons and was outraged at myself when the hooks showed up. I just assumed Mustad where made elewhere, my bad.

[ditz2 0]

(Overpaid Workers)- Not in every case, but there are many circumstances where it is in fact due to "Overpaid American workers". I've lived in Detroit area all my life (40 yrs) and have had numerous family members that were UAW workers and I also use to do the inspections for a company that was hired by the big three (Chevy/Ford/Chrysler). If you ever were allowed into the auto plants like I was and were to see first hand workers basically sitting around doing nothing while they made $35 an hour then you too would agree that there is a problem and in some cases there are some "Overpaid American Workers" which are the reason that prices are so high = why outsourcing is becoming more and more accepted.

 

 

I have worked in the automotive since 88 and have had the opportunity to visist several big 3 plants and I will say that I have seen a lot of waste of labor. But I have also seen the hard work of many UAW workers. If workers are just sitting around it is a managment problem not labor. Managment has been very weak for several decades and they pass off the problem to Labor. To cover thier weakness they outsource instead of addressing the real problem. We need to understand that 90% of the problems in any manufacturing facility is a managment problem. Mr. Deming (sic) realized it and pointed it out to Management and they just scoffed. too bad

[FrequentTyer 0]

If workers are just sitting around it is a managment problem not labor.

Seriously? Grown men claiming to be skilled workers have to be told what to do every minute of the day? This does not say much about their work ethic! I used to have a few friends that owned construction businesses when I lived in Georgia. They told me that they preferred to hire immigrant workers because they were the only ones that would come to them when they had finished a task and ask what they should do next. When I worked in a union shop during college, I had other union workers yell at me because I was getting the work done quickly and looking for more to do. They said it made them look bad because they didn't want to work that hard. But the reality is that no company can afford to pay someone to just sit around, and anyone that sits around should not expect to have a job for very long.

The whole labor versus management mindset has caused untold damage and remains dangerous. Every employee is responsible for the success of the company. If I don't do my job I don't just jeopardize my own position, I hurt the bottom line, and that jeopardizes the job of every employee.

[heavynets 0]

I worked at a big 3 facility for a few years. About half of the employees worked hard, the other half were worthless. As far as to who's fault it was, I believe it was both. When being time studied, many would work in slow motion. After the production quota was determined they would work hard and be finished with their quota by noon and then play cards the rest of the day. I would call that a union caused problem.

 

I also saw guys get caught playing cards in a shack they made in the scrap yard when they should have been working or spend the entire shift sleeping in the rest room and nothing happened to them. I was told "we don't want to make waves". I would call this a management caused problem.

 

Management would not stand up to the union, but if they did it could cost them millions if a wildcat strike took place. (damned if they do and damned if you don't)