A trip to Home Depot and there hanging in a blister pack on the wall was a package labeled "Nicholson", a name I have associated with files for as far back as I can remember.
Grabbed a 10" (250 mm) flat bastard package and started scanning it.
Seems the name "Nicholson" is now controlled by the Apex Tool Group, an investment group located in Sparks, MD with manufacturing facilities in Mexico.
Looks like at least some of my money spent to buy a file, has created employment opportunities in Mexico.
Given that files are an item that will probably never be built again in the USA, Mexico is a pretty good choice as far as I'm concerned.
A file manufacturing plant sure beats a drone monitored fence.
Not to mention water heaters, refrigerators, water softeners, kitchen ranges, blenders, toasters, etc. There is a huge shipping warehouse just east of El Paso (Socorro, TX) where you can buy re-manufactured appliances of all sorts...made in Juarez, Mexico.
re: "People are losing jobs when they post something that someone else disagrees with"
That has been going on for as long as there have been people with authority over others.
Replace the word "post" with write, scribe, chisel, sing, dance or any other form of communication and you'll find examples of people being fired (or worse) for their opinions since the beginning of humanity.
Much of it we bring on ourselves. We want to buy stuff cheaply and then complain because it came from Mexico or China. How do you sell a US mae appliance at a fair price when all your competitors have theirs made overseas at a much lower cost?
Our problems are self generated by the type society that most all of us were born into. I think what we all really want is value for the amount of money we are spending. The problem is that we simply can't afford to live like we do, so we buy cheap. Fifty years ago it was common for the man to work and the woman to stay at home and raise the family. For the most part that worked just fine and I suspect that most every thing that was purchased was of good to fine quality. Then comes the television and "commercials". Now we are lead to believe that every one needs and will own the product being advertized. But a single salary will not allow that. So years later mom goes to work and the kids are raised by baby sitters, school programs, etc. Those programs cost money. So, the kids in general, learn their values from strangers also, and this is quite confusing. The kids loose focus on what is the right way and wrong way to earn things and come to learn that they deserve what they want when they want it. They go deeply into debt. Because they don't see this as a problem, everyone else is doing it, they believe this is the norm. Basically they are displaying their ignorance of what they can and cannot afford. Just because you can make the payments does not mean you can afford it. As a side note, I was shocked to learn what many consider to be the meaning of "debt free". It is common these days to think that having a mortgage and car payments is debt free, if you do not carry a balance on credit cards. Just under 35 years ago if you bought a home on a 30 year mortgage you basically paid for that house 4 times. And add to that, homes were in high demand and way over priced. But hey we could afford the payments although little else unless mom had a job too. Now the hard part, entitlement. We have all learned through our government that we are entitled to have everything that every one else has. So the person that can't keep a job, does not take care of his family, knows little to nothing about financing, and how crippling that can be, is promised hope by the government. The government rewards this behavior of paying his way with out a requirement to work or to pay back that debt, or limit this help. It will all be OK, we all will help pay for this behavior through taxes. Consider also those that are not dependent on the government, to get by, but feel entitled. Why does a common laborer feel entitled to be paid a salary way beyond what he actually brings to the work force? Why do certain laborers, factory workers for instance, feel that they should earn what some doctors earn, of for that matter more than our educators? Entitlement. Is it even a small wonder why China and Mexico workers have replaced American workers? Now that the US and other countries became majorly involved in world trade we now see how our labor force was way over paid for their production. Yes China and Mexico built-products are on occasion not of the same quality than what we can build here but that will change. Even though their products are often inferior they absolutely offer a better value, you get what you pay for. 50 years ago we imported way less quality products from Japan than we do from China and Mexico. Now if it is made in Japan I choose that product rather than, over priced and lesser quality American made. Just look at the American automobile industry. Plain and simple the American automobile industry is in the shape it is in because of workers with entitlement issues and the unions that supposedly represented them. Want to talk the computer industry, housing industry, real estate industry? Are you listening California? No one thing is wrong or to blame aside from the fact that the majority of us expect to be paid way more than we each personally deserve from our contribution to society. And our expectations of entitlement. Because we can't see this we also can't see why we are where we are at. If we would only expect what we deserve, things would get better.
That has been my contention for the longest time. The unions, which were needed at one time and did an incredible service to the labor force, have now brainwashed people with high school educations and little to no skilled training that they are worth $50k + full benefits and retirement for life. These people also want WalMart prices for all the things they buy.
My wife went to school for years to earn 3 degrees, went through internships, training and continuing education, had to pass licensing exams, and had 10 years experience before she started making that kind of money. I've never heard her once describe her job as "fun."
Relatively speaking, I'll bet her job is "fun". Ask her about her working conditions or her risk of being injured on the job, for instance. I don't work on the assembly line, I just know some folks who have. I agree with you that they are over-payed, but not as over-payed as you think they are.
I though we had OSHA for that. I'm pretty sure there are dozens and dozens of safety procedures and devices in place on every assembly line in this country. If there some that aren't safe, they should be made safer. But what does that have to do with employee pay? Are you saying you'd rather have higher pay than a safe working environment?
How about all the roofers around here who don't have safety gear like harnesses? Because I can guarantee their jobs are way more dangerous than any auto assembly line job. Are these roofers entitled to $50k/yr plus benefits and retirement just because they have a dangerous job?
I don't have a problem with the $50,000 + benefits. The job will take its toll on your body. I have more of a problem with what professional athletes get. Income-inequity is a problem. I was just reading about a new organization concerned with the inquitable distribution of wealth (more so than income), and how it can't last. I certainly don't have all of the answers.
Yep. I have a friend, who was a state trooper. He retired, because he was eligible. He complains that they don't allow him to come back to work because of double dipping. His contention is that he is already traained why shouldn't he save the state money by coming back to work as a cop. I explain that in no other place can you retire and come back to work and get another pension. He doesn't understand why he can't. There is a lot of brain washing. And I can't talk about this with him, because his view is so twisted.
Good question but most all laborers deal with this every day. If your job requires physical activity it is likely going to have some risk. I think a roofer probably has one of the most dangerous job.
Good question but most all laborers deal with this every day. If your job requires physical activity it is likely going to have some risk. I think a roofer probably has one of the most dangerous job.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.