The following is a letter I sent out recently:

Dear Senator, Assemblyman, etc,

Today I looked at a news article on Yahoo.com and I think you should take note of it. Here is the address:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/1962-glass-could-be-Cornings-apf-978849301.html?x=0

The main thing I want you to know is that Corning glass, a company headquartered in New York is making billions because of a special type of glass they invented which is very useful in cell phone screens and TVs. The sad part is the benefits of this product, which was invented in New York, are going to produce more jobs - in KENTUCKY and JAPAN. Nothing in New York. I think the reason for that is because costs are so high in New York for everything from taxes, utilities, regulation and even higher energy prices. We need leaders with the courage and the foresight to reduce these burdens on business, even if it means short term pain through budget cuts, because in the long run it will mean better and more jobs, so people won't need to rely on the state as much. Plus it will mean higher tax revenues to fund all the vital services that New York does do a good job of providing. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely,

Michael L
Hopeful Citizen

It is not the best example of my writing but in this case sending something imperfect is far better than not sending anything at all. We need to bring attention to these matters, and that means taking action. One letter is not terribly effective, but thousands might be. I KNOW we have the numbers on this one folks. We cannot afford to be silent anymore. Lets get going!

To make it easier, here is a convenient way to search for your elected representatives contact info:

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

When we go shopping and buy a product, it is easy to imagine that the shiny new thing we take home with us is the only result of spending our money. Shows like the fascinating "How Its Made" do a good job of showing just how complex things can get behind the scenes.

Go to the hardware store and look at two hammers side by side. There might be some superficial differences but essentially you have the same thing - a metal head and a wooden handle. However, if one is made in the US and the other is made in China, there are some stark differences between these two objects that can't be seen on the shelf in the store.

Chances are the US made hammer is more expensive. If the end product is the same (I'll give the Chinese hammer the benefit of the doubt and assume its of equal quality, however unlikely), why would we choose to buy the more expensive one?

The biggest difference is not what was made, but how.

The hammer started out as raw materials- iron ore in a mountain and a tree in the forest. In the US there are significant restrictions on how those materials are obtained. Contrast that with images like this from China where economic growth takes precedence over the health of the populace and environment.

In the United States workers enjoy a relatively safe workplace environment. We have organizations like OSHA which set safety standards and conduct inspections. We also have a legal system that allows workers who are injured due to the negligence of their employer to seek legal compensation. These things do increase costs, but the benefit is peace of mind, not having to constantly worry whether we'll be grievously injured on the job and unable to support ourselves or our families. The average Chinese worker does not enjoy that safety net. Check out what the NY Times had to say about it:

The Problem - A First Hand Account

Recently while shopping for a shovel and a pair of garden gloves I decided to make a point of only buying a product that was 100% manufactured in the United States. The first store, Home Depot, had NOTHING. The second store, Lowes, had NOTHING. Even the smaller local hardware store I visited had NOTHING. Not one store had a single product among all those available that was made in the United States. ONE was assembled here from foreign components. This experience was not unique, the quest I described I have undertaken on many shopping trips and most of the time the result is the same. The shock and disbelief the first time this happen has given way to disgust and anger. I try to make the right choices but sadly myself and others like me are in the minority. At times it is impossible to even make the right choice because, like in this situation there is no domestically produced option available. There is an economic war on and we are loosing badly and worse, most people seem resigned to it. My goal for this blog is to raise awareness and inspire the people of this country to fight back by making smarter choices at the store, working and studying harder, and spreading the word!