Well, it might as well have said it. If the goal is to create jobs, it only makes sense to buy American.
Here’s a thought. If we want to stimulate the American economy and create new jobs here, we ought to be investing in American-made products with the stimulus money.
A radical proposition? Hardly. But when I added “Buy American” language to the economic recovery bill making its way through the Senate, a lot of big interests that have a habit of moving American jobs overseas began to scream foul.
So, this stupid proposal is a response to outsourcing? Wow. I didn’t think anything could be dumber than the proposal itself, but the “reasoning” behind it is worse.
Think about it. If you are building a bridge in Toledo there will be plenty of jobs created in Toledo as that is where the bridge is being built! (People living in India would probably have problems with the daily commute.) Mandating that all the design and building materials be domestically produced as well is simply overkill and a protectionist restraint pure and simple.
But Dorgan disagrees:
Some decry the Buy American effort as the start of a trade war. They say it’s just disguised protectionism. That is thoughtless nonsense. It’s nothing of the sort. It is entirely within international trade rules to require that these kinds of public projects use American-made inputs.
Those “some” have very clearly identified these provisions as the beginning of a trade war, and they have already indicated they will retaliate against U.S. firms as a result. That don’t care what Dorgan “says” the provisions are meant to do, they care about what the obvious results of the provisions will be. This isn’t the sort of thing Dorgan can win by issuing an Op-Ed to US News.
The utter lack of historical knowledge, logic or common sense in Dorgan’s piece is, frankly, shocking. Of such things are depressions made.
I dunno, is a declaration of war “the start” of a war?
Or the recognition that a state of war exists?
Two words for Senator Dorgan: “Hawley-Smoot.” Fastest way to turn a recession into a depression.
So much disinformation, so little time. The problem is not with the Buy America Act-it is merely a preference for American made materials, and if the price is 10% or more cheaper for foreign materials, it doesn’t apply. The problem is that it is only applicable for funds expended by federal agencies. The stimulus bill applies it to all projects – even those state, municipal and private sector projects if they are funded by the bill, even if they are merely guaranteed by the bill. This is similar to the bill’s application of the hugely wasteful Davis-Bacon wage requirements to projects funded by the bill, requiring union wages to be paid. Dorgan is simply adding the the reach of the federal government, notwithstanding the damage it will cause.
vladtheimp, the problem is the Europeans have already declared they see this as protectionism. Dorgan seems to think this is a domestic problem, but he’s clueless. He doesn’t even begin to say how he would convince the EU not to retaliate as they say they indeed will.
The Europeans? Why would you care?
Up here in Canada we’re getting more pissed off all the time. So maybe we’ll just cut you off of our oil and gas and sell them to the Chinese.
Canada is the largest export market for 38 states, Canada supplies 1/3 of your oil and a high proportion of the natural gas you use to generate electricity. A few switches and valves and much of the USA is immobile, cold and dark.
Please try to convince Obama and the Democrats not to piss on your neighbours.
Fred,
Haven’t you learned? You must bow down before the Obama! (Do you need the lyric sheet for kumbaya?)
In all seriousness, I don’t think Obama will necessarily honor the NAFTA agreement. Dems in Congress sure won’t. The trouble is a lot of them don’t understand it.
Fred, you’re gonna go Gazprom on us?
NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!