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This is a false generalization. There are many quality schools that have excellent teachers that are teaching beyond the basic arithmetic. Many of the students do not buy in to learning the material. Many are users of a technology-driven world and mere passive observants of the "real" world around them. Today Sprint announced the launch of a cell phone targeted for 5 year olds. Many students see little need in learning math or reading in detail about a topic because they believe that there is an app to figure it out or that they can easily google the topic and get the important points.
I do not care what they are TEACHING. I care about what the students are LEARNING. There is a major difference.
One local public school teacher told me that she quit teaching when she was told that no more than 20% of the class could get a grade of "C". She was an math teacher in Brooklyn.
Americans wont get the manufacturing jobs back based off of pure competitiveness. The issue is there are foreign workforces that we have to compete against for jobs, but these workforces have lower cost of living situations that allow them to bargain for lower pay rates. This alone means the only way we will win in competitiveness for these jobs is when oil costs so much, as to offset the cheaper costs of employing foreign workforces. Unfortunately higher oil costs also destroys our economy. So its a lose lose.
If we leveled the pay field, it would level down to the least someone would take, The new trend in China now that they have grown a better economy is to outsource to cheaper places since Chinese workes expect more now. The difference between now and older times is that we use so much more 'stuff' and see much of it as disposable. So we expect cheap. Early manufactured goods were sold into a society where they were much less common and designed to last. They cost more, but it was all right since they were expected to last for some time.
It's our consumer dirven society where cheap and the latest is the byword that makes the difference. And you can't have it both ways.
No, that is a give away to for profit insurance companies. We need a real health care system for everyone, not an insurance system.
You know, I agree for the most part. Not sure about how to get there from here, but I am skeptical that the federalization of everything is the answer.
Goober (Andy Griffith) has been replaced, by someone technically and formally educated.
You hold on to that thought, Bob. Ever been to a Jiffy Lube? You think they are going to pay those grease monkeys $75K a year to change fluids? Goober still exists whether you like it or not and he most likely works on your vehicles if you take them to someone. Ask to see ASE certificates of those who do the actual work when you drop your vehicle off.
Dealerships - $$$$$ - hire those people you point to and they usually specialize in the hi tech stuff one might need expensive diagnostic tools to troubleshoot/fix. A lot of times those diagnostic tools merely clear a code in your ECM = $250. You get a glimpse of why they charge up to $120 hr (or more) for labor.
The corner garage or auto repair shop is going to have a bunch of knuckleheads who can change oil, spark plugs, filters and brakes but fumble away at some bigger jobs. There is always some real mechanic nearby those shops for those kind of repairs and he is usually old and cranky.
Aamco, Midas and other chain shops may have one or two ASE mechanics but don't count on it. A lot of illegals are in independent shops and they aren't the most technologically hip folks there by far.
You hold on to that thought, Bob. Ever been to a Jiffy Lube? You think they are going to pay those grease monkeys $75K a year to change fluids? Goober still exists whether you like it or not and he most likely works on your vehicles if you take them to someone. Ask to see ASE certificates of those who do the actual work when you drop your vehicle off.
Jiffy Lube? LOL! Comparing them to a true, sophisticated garage is the same as comparing McD's to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.
While people always assume that manufacturing overseas is cheaper than domestic that is false. The only reason domestic production costs more is government. Example, I just got through making 800 ceiling tiles for my new home shop at a cost lower than anything imported I can buy. Even if I paid myself 20 dollars an hour, it would cost me 50 cents to build them. I take discarded ceiling panels and use equipment I built 20 years ago. Same thing with my window cranks. It is far cheaper for me to cast my own crank bodies than buy them. Remember, it is the Government that racks up debt to get the Fed to print and devalue your money. The IRS came from that, another job killer. If not for restrictive licensing, many industries would be far more competitive. The big government even protects polluters and cheats from lawsuits by others. Your enemies are the ones you vote for.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,570 posts, read 81,147,605 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by armory
You hold on to that thought, Bob. Ever been to a Jiffy Lube? You think they are going to pay those grease monkeys $75K a year to change fluids? Goober still exists whether you like it or not and he most likely works on your vehicles if you take them to someone. Ask to see ASE certificates of those who do the actual work when you drop your vehicle off.
Dealerships - $$$$$ - hire those people you point to and they usually specialize in the hi tech stuff one might need expensive diagnostic tools to troubleshoot/fix. A lot of times those diagnostic tools merely clear a code in your ECM = $250. You get a glimpse of why they charge up to $120 hr (or more) for labor.
The corner garage or auto repair shop is going to have a bunch of knuckleheads who can change oil, spark plugs, filters and brakes but fumble away at some bigger jobs. There is always some real mechanic nearby those shops for those kind of repairs and he is usually old and cranky.
Aamco, Midas and other chain shops may have one or two ASE mechanics but don't count on it. A lot of illegals are in independent shops and they aren't the most technologically hip folks there by far.
Find a good, honest mechanic and stick with him. I use two, depending on the problem. One is a transmission shop that does other work, and is the typically crotchety older guy who used to build and race drag cars. The other is actually a Firestone store, but the mechanic there is ASE certified and was laid off from Toyota in 2008.
While people always assume that manufacturing overseas is cheaper than domestic that is false. The only reason domestic production costs more is government. Example, I just got through making 800 ceiling tiles for my new home shop at a cost lower than anything imported I can buy. Even if I paid myself 20 dollars an hour, it would cost me 50 cents to build them. I take discarded ceiling panels and use equipment I built 20 years ago. Same thing with my window cranks. It is far cheaper for me to cast my own crank bodies than buy them. Remember, it is the Government that racks up debt to get the Fed to print and devalue your money. The IRS came from that, another job killer. If not for restrictive licensing, many industries would be far more competitive. The big government even protects polluters and cheats from lawsuits by others. Your enemies are the ones you vote for.
I'm not sure what the point of your example is... We can all make things at a reasonable, even competitive cost. For most things though, it's just more convenient (and practical) to buy them. I'll make a bet though... most ceiling tiles used in this country are probably made in the U.S.
When you say "government", do you also include things like roads, schools, fire and police response, etc? Or are you just focusing on the stuff you don't like? I agree, our government is very wasteful, but the same is true of most government's around the world. I have read many articles pertaining to the level of corruption and waste in China. They try to crack down, but it's so rampant and widespread, and the damage is already done. Once the tone is set, corruption is difficult to manage, let alone eliminate.
As far as taxes go, we pay pretty low taxes compared to other nations, but I'm not sure we're getting as much for our money as other nations. For those who want obscenely low taxes, Mexico is accessible for most Americans.
For the most part, the USA will not be competitive in manufacturing. The cat is out of the bag.....just too many places that can get it done better and cheaper.
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