Restoring US Industries

All industries understand the advantages of operating in their own countries to produce goods that are consumed by their own citizens.  Imports need to be allowed to ensure that our own products remain competitive. When they do not, we need competition to enable the free market to function.

The US has vast oil and natural gas deposits.  If these are allowed to be developed, we will be more than able to provide for our own needs.  We will also be able to export oil and natural gas to other countries to reduce our annual trade deficit. No other industry offers the opportunity to actually turn our trade deficit into a trade surplus.  Our trade deficit can be reduced from $800 billion to $400 billion by exporting an additional $400 billion in oil and natural gas.

The US is rich in raw materials.  We need to restore our forestry industry and allow harvesting of lumber in the US. This will require revisiting our environmental laws and amending these laws based on real facts and market demand. The government has failed to maintain our timberland and forest fire mitigation is needed to organize timber harvesting to include the removal of flammable underbrush. Federal forest land should be returned to productive use.

The US fishing industry has also been decimated and needs to be restored based on the same criteria. The US coal industry has been damaged by unnecessary environmental regulations and should be restored as well. US mining and processing of minerals including iron, gold, silver and other materials need to be restored by removing federal bans.

US Defense requirements should not be dependent on foreign raw materials. The steel industry needs to be expanded in the US to ensure that we are independent.

The US economy is large enough to include all industries including steel, aluminum, plastic, composite materials, appliances, tools, electronics, equipment and other industries.

Community banks need to be restored to fund small and family owned businesses to compete with chains and franchises.

The transportation equipment industry needs to be restored in the US.  This includes automobiles, trucks, construction and agricultural equipment. The US was once the dominant producer of this equipment, but foreign competitors are now dominant.  These foreign owned companies like Honda, Toyota and Hundi offer quality products that last 3 times longer than US brands offered 30 years ago.

Electronics and electrical products offered today in the US are inferior to the products offered 30 years ago.  PCs and printers are cheaper, but are not reliable enough to last longer than 2 years.  US consumers want these products to last longer and will pay more to get away from the “throw-away” products available today.

Government subsidies need to be reduced and eliminated.  Ethanol should not be mandated by law.  Gasoline that is free of ethanol should be available to US consumers. Subsidies for education and healthcare have destroyed the pricing mechanism for these commodities.

The US workforce is not prepared to compete for all the jobs that will be available due to our failed education system caused by government that allowed a “dumbing down” in the curriculum over the past 100 years. We need better engineers, technicians and skilled craftsmen.  

Education needs major reforms. The first reform is to admit that the students themselves are ultimately responsible for their own education and they should be held accountable.  Colleges should stop accepting students who are not prepared for college work. There are too many college graduates who lack the basic skills to succeed on the job.

Healthcare needs major reforms. The first is to admit that individuals are responsible for their own health. The next is to recognize that the price of healthcare should be determined by the “market”. To ensure that prices are controlled, the patient must pay their own healthcare expenses. Health insurance is merely a cash-flow tool.

Family businesses need changes in banking, taxes and regulations in order to enable families to open businesses and operate them efficiently and cost effectively. We need to restore family farms and family businesses as the backbone of the private economy. Families should own the land and buildings that house their businesses to give them the economic advantage of lower overhead.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader