Ham on Wry Award-Bring Manufacturing Back to the United States

Paparazzi Photo of Chinese Prison Factory Worker

Ham on Wry has read many op-ed pieces calling for a return to robust manufacturing in the United States, which will help spur the return to economic stability here.  A few night ago, I discussed this topic with friends over a few appetizers.  One of them told me she had received a gift of salad servers that were supposedly made of stainless steel.  After three uses, they started chipping, and she returned them to the store where they had been purchased.  She shared her concern that nickel had been mixed with the stainless steel, which could cause harm to humans.  The store refunded the cost of the gift, but it's unlikely that it stopped purchasing the item from China, where they were manufactured.  How long will American consumers continue to purchase inferior products made in China?

We have seen several major recalls of Chinese products in this country, after the discovery of life-threatening components.  Almost two weeks after Mattel recalled 1.5 million Fisher-Price toys made in China because of possible lead paint contamination, it announced further recalls August 14, 2007 for 9 million more Chinese-made toys, including  Barbie, Polly Pocket and items related to the movie Cars.  The company warned a possibility existed of even more toys that contained lead paint or tiny magnets that could be swallowed and were being removed from the shelves.

In 2008, a Chinese milk powder supplier recalled 700 tons of baby formula following a child's death and  kidney problems that more than 50 other children developed. Melamine, a chemical used in making plastic, was an ingredient of that baby formula.  Corrupt manufacturers had been adding it to food products to increase protein values inexpensively.

More than 400,000 drop-side cribs made by Simplicity were recalled on July 2, 2009, after an 8-month-old child suffocated. The Chinese-made cribs had a detachable side, which broke easily, thereby creating a gap between the side of the crib and the mattress.  A child could wedge itself in the gap and die of asphyxiation.

Also in 2009, lab tests on Chinese dry wall samples identified emissions of the sulfurous gases carbon, disulfide, carbonyl sulfide, and hydrogen sulfide. The gases smell like rotten eggs, and cause copper surfaces to turn black and powdery when heat and humidity rise.  Florida's climate makes it a prime target for Chinese dry wall problems.  Copper pipes, wiring, and air conditioner coils can succumb to the gases, and residents of homes in Florida affected by the gas emissions often suffer from respiratory problems as a result.

I have personally found that clothes produced in China frequently have crooked seams and zippers, poor construction, and use cheap material.  I'm tired of paying the price for Chinese merchandise until they perfect their processes and quality management controls.  We now have Occupy Wall Street and its derivatives protesting globally.  Perhaps they can take up the cause of jobs creation in American manufacturing.  Finding American made products can be time consuming, but it's something all of us can do.  Abandoned factories and Rust Belt areas that have suffered for years could experience a resurgence if we demand it.  Look what happened to debit card fees when a backlash developed.  BRING BACK MANUFACTURING NOW!