Rep. Manzullo Finds Troubling Provisions in Speaker Pelosi’s Health Care Bill

4 comments November 1st, 2009

Here is Congressman Manzullo’s first reading of this 1990 page bill.  It took him 100 hours to read the first one and he has serious reservations on this one.  See it here..   HealthBill

A To-Do List for the Manufacturing Czar

Add comment October 29th, 2009

What should the Manufacturing Czar advise the President? Following are a few suggestions:Czar

Green Regs Could Cost 4 Million Jobs

Add comment October 28th, 2009

Take a look..  JobsLost

Holiday Shopping Ideas

Add comment October 27th, 2009

Why buy stuff made “over there”, why not MADE IN AMERICA?..  USA

Manufacturing Your Future Student Program

1 comment October 27th, 2009

The future of manufacturing depends upon a strong educated workforce.  The Rockford Chamber of Commerce Manufacturers Educational Outreach Committee continues to work with the local School Districts to encourage students to work towards a future in manufacturing.  As part of this partnership, we are sending students to the FabTech International & AWS Welding Show in Chicago.  The MEGA event anticipates hosting over 1,000 exhibitors, drawing an expected 35,000 attendees and featuring thousands of live equipment demonstrations throughout pavilions dedicated to metal forming, fabricating, tube and pipe, stamping, lasers, thermal spray and welding.   There will be a structured environment for the students this year with an orientation, mentors, a scavenger hunt wrap-up session.  This is a great opportunity to give students a first-hand look at the exciting world of manufacturing.

To ensure a successful trip we are asking for your help to cover costs of busses and sack lunches for students, teachers, parents and manufacturing mentors traveling on the bus.

Please consider sponsoring five students for $150, ten students for $300, or an entire bus for $1,100 so that as many students as possible can attend FabTech on November 18 at  McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois.  All donations are tax deductible.

For more information regarding FabTech sponsorship or mentoring, please contact Mindy Shockley at (815) 316-4337 or mshockley@rockfordchamber.com.  

Manzullo Seeks Re-Election

3 comments October 26th, 2009

With a sharp focus on putting Americans back to work, Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Egan) kicked off his 2010 re-election campaign today by filing his petitions to continue serving the great people of northern Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives.

A nationally recognized leader in the mission to strengthen manufacturing in America, Manzullo will continue to seek opportunities to create jobs and improve the lives of the people he represents in northern Illinois’ 16^th Congressional District. The District includes the counties of Winnebago, Boone, Stephenson, JoDaviess, Carroll, Ogle, most of McHenry County and parts of Whiteside and DeKalb counties.

“It is an honor and a privilege for me to represent the people of northern Illinois in the United States House of Representatives,” Manzullo said. “Our nation is at a crossroads on many issues, and we must focus on the need to put Americans back to work.

“My American Jobs Agenda would create economic opportunities for our entrepreneurs to survive these difficult times, thrive again, and create needed jobs for Americans. It is a stark contrast to many of the job-killing policies Congressional Democrat leaders are pursuing that will penalize employers and put more Americans on the unemployment lines. I seek the opportunity to continue my mission to strengthen manufacturing in America and put Americans back to work. At the same time, I will continue to fight wasteful Washington spending and reckless tax increases that threaten the pocketbooks of the people I represent.”

In Washington, Manzullo serves as the senior Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, and he’s a member of the House Financial Services Committee. He continues to co-chair the bipartisan House Manufacturing Caucus and he was named Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee’s Task Force on Manufacturing. He created the Export Controls Working Group and was named as a commissioner to the prestigious Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which battles human rights abuses and religious persecution in China.

Through these committee assignments and leadership positions, Manzullo is able to continue his mission to make U.S. manufacturers more competitive at home while leveling the playing field for American workers competing with overseas companies that often do not play by the rules. Most recently, Manzullo has been leading the charge in Congress to protect the U.S. patent system that spurs American innovation and jobs. He is also leading efforts to reform our export control policies to strengthen national security and create jobs for Americans.

In northern Illinois, Manzullo will continue to work with local officials and business leaders on major projects that will provide job opportunities for generations to come. He has helped spur new initiatives in northern Illinois focused on improving transportation, increasing access to health care, protecting children from Internet predators, developing renewable energy, improving education, strengthening manufacturing, bolstering public safety, helping our veterans, and protecting the environment.

Congressman Manzullo annually earns recognition as a “Taxpayer’s Hero” from Citizens Against Government Waste, a “Taxpayer’s Friend” by the National Taxpayers Union, and a “Friend of Agriculture” by the Illinois Agricultural Association. He has also been called “Senior Friendly” by the 60 Plus Association, and he received the “Guardian of Small Business Award” from the National Federation of Independent Business numerous times. He has received several endorsements from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Manufacturers has consistently honored him with the “Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence.”

In addition, he was recently honored with the “Distinguished Community Health Superhero Award” from the National Association of Community Health Centers, and he received a Certificate of Excellence from the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

Shades of John Adams

Add comment October 25th, 2009

Sound familiar?   here

Orders Up, Hiring Flat in Manufacturing

2 comments October 24th, 2009

Hiring

Nutty Manufacturing Productivity Statistics?

Add comment October 23rd, 2009

Good news?  Read on…  Nutty

Buy American

1 comment October 17th, 2009

One of our readers sent this in;

A Great Idea

A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn’t slow a train very much, a billion of them would.  With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American.

Good idea . . .  One light bulb at a time . . . .

Check this out. I can verify this because I was in Lowe’s the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments. They were all made in  China . The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there. They were made in  USA . Start looking.

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else - even their job. So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track. Let’s get behind her!

My grandson likes Hershey’s candy. I noticed, though, that it is marked made in  Mexico now. I do not buy it any more. My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in  Mexico now.  I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything .

This past weekend I was at Kroger. I needed 60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled, “Everyday Value. ” I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA in a company in Cleveland , Ohio.

So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here.

So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets. . . Yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in  Canada . The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE  USA ! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!

If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies!

(We should have awakened a decade ago . . . . . . )

Let’s get with the program . . . . HELP  our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the  U.S.A.