Plant Services - March 2008 - (Page 11)

KEN SChNEPf THE PS FILES Giving it all away This election year could determine the future of American manufacturing I make sure American manufacturing doesn’t continue to be recently had the pleasure of meeting a college instrucoutsourced, off-shored or shunted into the history books. tor who grew up in Kenya and was educated in Africa, If you didn’t get a chance to attend one of these town hall England and the United States, and who has lived here meetings, take 10 minutes out of your day to see some highfor 10 years with his wife and young son. During the course lights at www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOlxquxYUPI and of our conversation, I asked him about his experiences in the www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1fh5NSawoY. Not only will countries in which he has lived, and, unsolicited, he said, you see Ratzenberger at his finest, but you’ll also hear from “America is the greatest country in the world.” AAM members who are gravely concerned about the shortIt struck me as one of the best compliments I have ever term thinking that has gotten us to where we are now. received. “It’s true,” he said, reinforcing his sincerity. It’s “The loss of manufacturing means nothsomething we’ve all heard at one time or aning less than the loss of our country,” Ratother, on T.V., the radio, the Internet and esWe have to zenberger says. “That’s where we’re headed. pecially around Independence Day. But when We’re going to lose this civilization because someone says it to you with the level of admibe constantly ration as it was said to me, well, it produced an vigilant, because we’re squeezing our middle class. And we’re building the middle classes of other nations. instant flash of pride and humility all at once. the minute we We’re giving them our equipment, our techYes, we live in the greatest nation in the let down our nology, our know-how. And we’re giving world. With all of our problems – war, a trade imbalance, compounding national debt and guard, this crowd, them our money.” When you hear the evidence that he and sometimes not-so-great public relations with this bunch of United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard other countries, we still represent that beamfree traders, are present, you’ll be left with no doubt about the ing beacon of hope for so many. prepared to give bleak future our country faces if we let this isWhat makes this country great? Part of the sue slide. “We have to be constantly vigilant, equation in anyone’s calculation has to be Ameraway our jobs. because the minute we let down our guard, ican manufacturing. It has built our middle class this crowd, this bunch of free traders, are preand made possible the prosperity that we enjoy pared to give away our jobs,” he says. today. John Ratzenberger gets it, and he’s trying to make sure There has been some talk of NAFTA and trade imbalour politicians don’t forget it. ance and other tangential issues surrounding the big issue As host of “Made in America” on the Travel Channel, of the economy, but no one candidate has taken ownership Ratzenberger spends his days filming interviews in manuof American manufacturing and its role in making America facturing plants around the country to highlight some of a great nation. the good stuff that is still made here. There’s lots of it, as he “When you see these presidential candidates, hold their demonstrates in one episode filmed at the Barbasol plant in feet to the fire,” Ratzenberger says. “It’s up to us. They’re not Elkhart, Ind., where they use only U.S.-sourced chemicals going to do it. Otherwise they would have done it.” and components. After visiting more than 300 American Post your own comments, share and rate the video clips of Ratmanufacturing facilities, Ratzenberger can easily testify to zenberger and keep the message moving at YouTube.com. If you the wave of change that is setting itself up to extinguish the have a blog or a Web site, link to the aforementioned videos or brilliance of a century’s worth of American manufacturing. visit the AAM’s blog at www.manufacturethis.org. For some Recently, Ratzenberger and the Alliance for American inspiring American manufacturing stories, visit www.travel Manufacturing (AAM) teamed up on this important issue channel.com/TV_Shows/Made_in_ America. to present a series of town hall meetings in New Hampshire, Iowa, Ohio, Philadelphia, New York, South Carolina and Illinois. In this watershed election year, they want to E-mail Managing Editor Lisa Towers at ltowers@putman.net. www.PLANTSERVICES.com 11 March 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOlxquxYUPI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1fh5NSawoY http://YouTube.com http://www.manufacturethis.org http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Made_in_America http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Made_in_America http://www.PLANTSERVICES.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Plant Services - March 2008

Plant Services - March 2008 Contents From The Editor Letters The PS Files Up and Running Crisis Corner What Works Asset Manager: Enterprise Thinking Technology Toolbox: Hydrogen In Action Cover Story: Get Real Electrical: Reliable Distribution Power Transmission: When the Belt Breaks Web Hunter: Tooting Horns In the Trenches Product Picks Classifieds Fast Facts Energy Expert: Energy versus Sustainability

Plant Services - March 2008

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