FTC: Made In The USA Comments Concerning Richard D. Olasz--P894219
House of
Representatives August 7, 1997 Office of the Secretary Dear Sir or Madam: The FTC proposal to dilute the integrity and quality of the "Made In America" label is in affront to all working men and women in America. When I was a child, "Made in America" meant the product was manufactured by Americans and. Americans benefited financially in the product's purchase. As a community, we took great pride in “buying American”. Today I still attempt to buy American, but it is becoming more and more difficult. I represent a state house district that the decline of the American steel industry. The former Homestead Works of U.S. Steel is located in my district, as a matter of fact in my hometown. My father and brother both retired from there and I also worked there years ago. During WW II and the Vietnam War every warship afloat contained steel from Homestead. We took great pride in that fact. Today it seems such pride is an antiquated emotion. Pride in workmanship is difficult to find these days. Employer after employer decry the lack of pride and motivation in many of today's workers. Whose to blame? Those once proud and efficient steel mills in Homestead have been dismantled and sold to China and India where steel is now being rolled and exported to the U.S. Meantime, a 400 acre prime industrial parcel served by three railroads a great highway system and the Monongahela River sits vacant. Thousands of workers have never recovered from the loss of their steel mill jobs. They are now either working for low wages, have retired, or worse, given up Alcoholism, drug abuse and suicide continue to be the legacy of the decline of Pittsburgh’s steel industry. Yet, my constituents still believe in buying products "Made in America" because they believe that although their mills may be closed, they feel good knowing that their purchase is helping save someone else's job. These people are the backbone of America. They are the people who worked hard to build communities. People who struggled to raise their families. People who instilled self-worth and a strong work ethic in their children. The FTC proposal to dilute the "Made in America" label flies in the face of what my constituents have worked for their entire lives. It is a cruel hoax being played on them in order to line the pockets of wealthy corporations eager to build shareholder profits by abandoning American workers and enslaving foreign workers. We need to be spending our time and efforts restoring America's status as the world's leading manufacturer -- not wasting valuable resources aimed at eroding what manufacturing base we have left. I urge you to stand up for Americans and keep the "Made in America" label pure. Do not fall prey to the wishes of multi-national corporations. This latest attempt to further erode American jobs stinks worse than a New York subway at 5:00 p.m. on a hot summer day. VOTE IT DOWN!!! Sincerely, Richard D. OlaszRichard D. Olasz cc: Sen. Arlen Specter |