This is gonna go over real well with the Chinese.

[highfigh]

You can (and I would) specify that they use USG drywall and joint compound in your home. It's a weird brand preference thing with me ... I also insist on Sherwin Williams paint (Promar 200). I can't remember why anymore but there it is.

I'm not sure specifying USG is a sure way to eliminate the chance of mold. I have had USG compound that went moldy on several occasions. The buckets were sealed tight, too.

 

[highfigh]

That's what I'm wondering, how many of these products are actually made in America with American labor and American components? Do those companies even exist?

MADE in America? Not much, including all remote controls. The manufacturers could move back to Singapore, Malaysia, etc if China becomes a no-go for manufacturing. Then, China can print 'Made in _________" on the boxes and consider the problem solved, while the US means the equipment can't be made there without tariff. Then, China can call in their debts, the US can print a few $1 trillion bills and then institute a VAT to pay off the debt. After the bills can't be cashed, they can declare war and all of our industries will be stimulated again- problem solved.

People said the same things about Japanese goods and then they kicked our asses when US automakers blew off Edward Demming and his quality control programs. The Big Three thought they were doing things the right way. After all- if they weren't, would the American car buyers be purchasing so many cars? This was in the late '60s-early '70s when Demming went to Japan and the rest is history. ANYONE, ANYWHERE, can be taught to make things to a certain standard. Since wages vs cost of living is relative, offshore goods cost less than anything that can be made here. Hell- if I had any idea the wages from working in an auto plant could have gotten up to $100K before they shut most of the plants, I wouldn't have gone to college. If I could have reconciled joining a union with my hatred of them, I would have made a lot more money than I have.

 

[TLS Guy]

MADE in America? Not much, including all remote controls. The manufacturers could move back to Singapore, Malaysia, etc if China becomes a no-go for manufacturing. Then, China can print 'Made in _________" on the boxes and consider the problem solved, while the US means the equipment can't be made there without tariff. Then, China can call in their debts, the US can print a few $1 trillion bills and then institute a VAT to pay off the debt. After the bills can't be cashed, they can declare war and all of our industries will be stimulated again- problem solved.

People said the same things about Japanese goods and then they kicked our asses when US automakers blew off Edward Demming and his quality control programs. The Big Three thought they were doing things the right way. After all- if they weren't, would the American car buyers be purchasing so many cars? This was in the late '60s-early '70s when Demming went to Japan and the rest is history. ANYONE, ANYWHERE, can be taught to make things to a certain standard. Since wages vs cost of living is relative, offshore goods cost less than anything that can be made here. Hell- if I had any idea the wages from working in an auto plant could have gotten up to $100K before they shut most of the plants, I wouldn't have gone to college. If I could have reconciled joining a union with my hatred of them, I would have made a lot more money than I have.

There certainly is a danger of a repeat of history. This should have been foreseen and dealt with a long time ago. The trap is close to springing shut.

 

[gmichael]

'NEW ORLEANS — Thousands of U.S. homes tainted by Chinese drywall should be gutted, according to new guidelines released Friday by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The guidelines say electrical wiring, outlets, circuit breakers, fire alarm systems, carbon monoxide alarms, fire sprinklers, gas pipes and drywall need to be removed.
...
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said now the question is who pays to gut the homes.

"The way I see it, homeowners didn't cause this. The manufacturers in China did," Nelson said. "That's why we've got to go after the Chinese government now."Southern members of Congress have sought to make it easier to sue Chinese manufacturers and to get the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help homeowners pay for costs not covered by insurance. They also say the U.S. needs to pressure the Chinese government, which allegedly ran some of the companies that made defective drywall.'

Wanna know how to say "fluck you" in Chinese? I think we're gonna find out real soon.

I have delt with Chineese makers in the past. Good luck trying to get them to make good on bad products.

 

[majorloser]

I'd be willing to bet a whole bunch of these homes in Florida are in foreclosure. A lot of this construction was during the big housing boom when the housing prices skyrocketted here in Florida.

 

[lsiberian]

There certainly is a danger of a repeat of history. This should have been foreseen and dealt with a long time ago. The trap is close to springing shut.

It all comes down to the greed and excess we demand. Everyone keeps pushing prices up causing per capita inflation. I think raising prices should be at the very least frowned upon and perhaps illegal in some situations.

Our country is in desperate need of competition in every industry. When a few large corporations collaborate and run everything consumers suffer.

 

[lsiberian]

I drive an Acura for a reason. HOWEVER, I want it to be known that my next car may be a 2011 Mustang GT 5.0

You know you could simply mod your Acura.

 

[mtrycrafts]

. ... I also insist on Sherwin Williams paint (Promar 200). I can't remember why anymore but there it is.

Check out the CR paint ratings

 

[Alex2507]

... the wages from working in an auto plant could have gotten up to $100K ...

This doesn't sound right.

http://www.uaw.org/barg/07fact/fact02.php

 

[Shock]

You know you could simply mod your Acura.

Yeah but it's still an Acura....

oh snap.

 

[Alex2507]

Check out the CR paint ratings

I can't without subscribing but why don't you tell us the results?

I did find this:

http://forum.doityourself.com/archive/index.php/t-245918.html

Check out like the 9th post down.

I'm not sure specifying USG is a sure way to eliminate the chance of mold. I have had USG compound that went moldy on several occasions. The buckets were sealed tight, too.

I don't know what you do with them but I have never seen one get moldy ...
and I have used what seems like millions of buckets.

 

[highfigh]

There certainly is a danger of a repeat of history. This should have been foreseen and dealt with a long time ago. The trap is close to springing shut.

The way things are going, I think it's less of a danger and more of a guarantee.

 

[highfigh]

It all comes down to the greed and excess we demand. Everyone keeps pushing prices up causing per capita inflation. I think raising prices should be at the very least frowned upon and perhaps illegal in some situations.

Our country is in desperate need of competition in every industry. When a few large corporations collaborate and run everything consumers suffer.

How would you stay in business when your costs keep rising? It's not as if every retail seller is gouging customers. There are a lot of items that, because of the pricing tactics of big box stores, it's literally impossible to make a penny of profit on. You know why? Because they sell at a loss and expect their sales people to sell accessories and warranties. Go to Best Buy and try to buy a TV with nothing else. If you really want to make them pay, finance it with no interest.

 

[highfigh]

I can't without subscribing but why don't you tell us the results?

I did find this:

http://forum.doityourself.com/archive/index.php/t-245918.html

Check out like the 9th post down.



I don't know what you do with them but I have never seen one get moldy ...
and I have used what seems like millions of buckets.

I'll look in the one I have now- if it's moldy, I'll shoot a photo.

You do NOT want to know what I do with them.

 

[rnatalli]

My brother had to move out of his house in FL while the home builder corrected this. Luckily, the builder took the initiative.

 

[Rickster71]

The question that begs to be asked is:
Why (for example) is it cheaper to manufacture a box of toothpicks in China and ship them around the globe to the USA, and still sell / price them competitively? Hint: Labor costs & economies of scale.

 

[Nemo128]

You know you could simply mod your Acura.

I've outgrown it. 135MPH doesn't cut it anymore.

Yeah but it's still an Acura....

oh snap.

Pfft. And it's still running like new with daily 5th gear redlining. How many cars can do that.

The question that begs to be asked is:
Why (for example) is it cheaper to manufacture a box of toothpicks in China and ship them around the globe to the USA, and still sell / price them competitively? Hint: Labor costs & economies of scale.

Paying people a couple dollars a day for labor certainly tips the scales in China's favor, but in some industries we are at the opposite end of the spectrum. Untrained unskilled laborers want ridiculous wages. Guys with no skills or education that are unionized wanted to get paid more than I do to throw up drywall. I worked construction, I've done drywall, I've done tiling, I've done painting. I respect construction laborers, but as someone that has been one I can understand why companies go with migrant labor.

I remember working in the sign fabrication industry. I made <$11/hour working alongside LAZY union guys who took smoke breaks every hour and demanded a one hour paid lunch while making almost 3x my rate. And I worked a lot harder than any of them. Big state and city contracts required union labor on their sites, so we had no choice but to employ them.

This goes back to the sense of entitlement many people maintain. I was glad to just have an honest job and to not be a victim of the hoods I was raised in. Examples of my work are all over NJ/NJ. I'm proud going places and telling people "I made that X years ago."

 

[T2T]

I'll look in the one I have now- if it's moldy, I'll shoot a photo.

You do NOT want to know what I do with them.

Let me guess. You cast figures of former Presidents with it?

 

[Alex2507]

Guys with no skills or education that are unionized wanted to get paid more than I do to throw up drywall.

Well, yeahhhhhhh !!!

What people fail to appreciate about drywall is that every piece is custom cut by hand.

Being lazy working for a unionized construction outfit gets you laid off just like anywhere else ... trust me. I don't know how it is in the sign world but I bet you worked 3 times harder and were 4 times more productive at every job you had.

The sign company is still crying about you going on to greener pastures.

 

[highfigh]

This doesn't sound right.

http://www.uaw.org/barg/07fact/fact02.php

With the average wage being $32.32/hr, a full year pay (2080 hours) comes to $67,225 and if someone at that base rate works 500 hours at time and a half, it comes to $91,465.60, so a long-time worker can make over $100K. People at Harley Davidson have made over $100K/year, too and they were always jockeying for overtime. They generally worked more when they didn't have as much going on during the weekends but someone would usually trade with someone else if they could.

A friend of mine from high school worked for Delphi for about 30 years. He went to college for one week, the fall after we graduated. He went to work for Delphi and did some part-time with a boat dealer on the side, because he's into boating anyway. Any training he got was through Delphi and the boat dealer but the boat mechanic work wasn't his main job. He retired about 4 years ago. He drank a lot during high school and hung out with greasers, not particularly interested in schoolwork. In his words, "I guess I could have applied myself a bit better, in school". His house is paid for, his toys are paid for and his job wasn't exceptionally difficult.