Immelt: Restore American Manufacturing

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I am no fan of Jeffery Immelt. I think the guy is an idiot who put money of national security interests. But he does make some interesting suggestions here.

http://money.aol.com/article/ge-ceo-wants-more-us-manufacturing/546028

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[phk]

Wishful thinking.

[Sbane]

Wishful thinking.

Exactly. We need to lower our labor costs before we can compete in industries that require low skill labor.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

He does suggest some interesting ideas like investment in Research and Technology, infrastructure, Health Care and training(better way to say it would be education). The effects he is proclaiming would result from these things is, as Rocket said, wishful thinking.

[??????????]

Wishful thinking.

Exactly. We need to lower our labor costs before we can compete in industries that require low skill labor.

Glad to see you are anti-labor union.

[Sbane]

Wishful thinking.

Exactly. We need to lower our labor costs before we can compete in industries that require low skill labor.

Glad to see you are anti-labor union.

They have done some good stuff but pretty much I am. People putting together cars shouldn't be getting $30 an hour.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Wishful thinking.

Exactly. We need to lower our labor costs before we can compete in industries that require low skill labor.

Glad to see you are anti-labor union.

They have done some good stuff but pretty much I am. People putting together cars shouldn't be getting $30 an hour.

Yes but for the most part that has already happened. Most of the foreign Automakers in the South pay $10-$15 an hour. The restructuring plans for GM, Chryler and Ford allow for the hiring of people and paying as little as $14 an hour. To go any lower then $14. There are other companies that are manufacturers, such as the Machine shops that still remain pay $8 and $9 hours.   

[??????????]

As little as 14$? That's good money in this part of the country.

[opebo]

Oh lord.  Listen to these people.  Why does Immelt even bother.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Oh lord.  Listen to these people.  Why does Immelt even bother.

[War on Want]

As little as 14$? That's good money in this part of the country.

Believe it or not, everybody doesn't want to emulate your part of the country.

[??????????]

As little as 14$? That's good money in this part of the country.

Believe it or not, everybody doesn't want to emulate your part of the country.

Yeah, everyone wants to live in an over priced, crime ridden sh*thole like San Fran, New York or some other rat infested dump.

[phk]

As little as 14$? That's good money in this part of the country.

Believe it or not, everybody doesn't want to emulate your part of the country.

Better than emulating Detroit.

[Sbane]

As little as 14$? That's good money in this part of the country.

Believe it or not, everybody doesn't want to emulate your part of the country.

Yeah, everyone wants to live in an over priced, crime ridden sh*thole like San Fran, New York or some other rat infested dump.

Tampa, St Petersburg and Orlando all have a higher crime rate than SF. I don't understand why California has this reputation as this crime ridden state (southern california I understand but norcal?). I would feel much safer walking around SF or Oakland than some racially charged "hood" in the south. And NYC has an even lower crime rate than SF. I wouldn't have expected that.
CA
FL
NY

Edit: Plant city has a higher crime rate than SF and Orlando has higher crime rate than Compton. Hilarious.

[War on Want]

As little as 14$? That's good money in this part of the country.

Believe it or not, everybody doesn't want to emulate your part of the country.

Yeah, everyone wants to live in an over priced, crime ridden sh*thole like San Fran, New York or some other rat infested dump.

Well more people do live there than in southern areas like Bumfuck, Alabama so...

[phk]

Nice to see this conversation taking a turn to the gutter.

[War on Want]

This conversation wasn't going anywhere anyways, honestly. Mostly because a manufacturing revival in this country is extremely difficult and everyone recognizes that.

[phk]

This conversation wasn't going anywhere anyways, honestly. Mostly because a manufacturing revival in this country is extremely difficult and everyone recognizes that.

OK.

[opebo]

This conversation wasn't going anywhere anyways, honestly. Mostly because a manufacturing revival in this country is extremely difficult and everyone recognizes that.

I agree, but only for political reasons.

[Mint]

This conversation wasn't going anywhere anyways, honestly. Mostly because a manufacturing revival in this country is extremely difficult and everyone recognizes that.

It really isn't, only specific industries like textiles which are no longer as cost effective. We have a whole host of industries that are just in their infancy like information, bio-tech, fuel cell development, etc. which could provide jobs both to high and low skilled workers if the government helped get them off their feet (either through tax relief or investment). Almost everyone acknowledge the potential for alternative energy sources like windpower around the Great Lakes too. Why aren't we doing this? Because our leaders are unimaginative at best and actively working against 'change we can believe in' more often than not. That goes for both parties.

[Ban my account ffs!]

This conversation wasn't going anywhere anyways, honestly. Mostly because a manufacturing revival in this country is extremely difficult and everyone recognizes that.

It really isn't, only specific industries like textiles which are no longer as cost effective. We have a whole host of industries that are just in their infancy like information, bio-tech, fuel cell development, etc. which could provide jobs both to high and low skilled workers if the government helped get them off their feet (either through tax relief or investment). Almost everyone acknowledge the potential for alternative energy sources like windpower around the Great Lakes too. Why aren't we doing this? Because our leaders are unimaginative at best and actively working against 'change we can believe in' more often than not. That goes for both parties.

Exactly.  We need to be innovative.  Biotechnology firms and other high tech firms that require well educated workers, but are still considered manufacturing are the future here.

Also, there are some sectors like steel and ore production that are becoming economical again because of rising steel prices around the world.  Companies can afford to pay the prevailing union wages of around $25-30/hour and still make a good profit.

We should also keep in mind that the oil price is going to continue to rise and that it is going to become cheaper to pay people a better wage here at home and not have to pay to ship the product half way around the world.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This conversation wasn't going anywhere anyways, honestly. Mostly because a manufacturing revival in this country is extremely difficult and everyone recognizes that.

It really isn't, only specific industries like textiles which are no longer as cost effective. We have a whole host of industries that are just in their infancy like information, bio-tech, fuel cell development, etc. which could provide jobs both to high and low skilled workers if the government helped get them off their feet (either through tax relief or investment). Almost everyone acknowledge the potential for alternative energy sources like windpower around the Great Lakes too. Why aren't we doing this? Because our leaders are unimaginative at best and actively working against 'change we can believe in' more often than not. That goes for both parties.

Exactly.  We need to be innovative.  Biotechnology firms and other high tech firms that require well educated workers, but are still considered manufacturing are the future here.

Also, there are some sectors like steel and ore production that are becoming economical again because of rising steel prices around the world.  Companies can afford to pay the prevailing union wages of around $25-30/hour and still make a good profit.

We should also keep in mind that the oil price is going to continue to rise and that it is going to become cheaper to pay people a better wage here at home and not have to pay to ship the product half way around the world.

Indeed people have a small view of what manufacturing really is. Most people consider it to be just Autos, Textiles, Steel, and Coal mining, plus related industries. The are many other industries that qualify for that label. Textiles are dead and gone, but Autos definitely aren't and neither is Steel.

The gov't has not had the vision nor have they done the necessary investment to increase the number of graduates from college(more grants, scholarships, and low interest rate loans). They haven't made the needed reforms to Education that are need in general at all levels. They haven't put nearly as much into R&D into not only Biotech, Health Care, and Aerospace, but also Energy and Transportation tech and more investment into old school Industrial Technologies such as Steel could do wonders at helping them compete with foreign competitors by improving the processes making it more efficient(it would save on Energy use too).

The private sector is eventually going to make these discoveries on there own whether Gov't gets involved or not. And I hope that if Gov't gets involved they will do it so that it will speed it up,  not slow it down, like clamping down on Medical Research as a copout from facing the real hurdles of expanding coverage. 

[Vepres]

This conversation wasn't going anywhere anyways, honestly. Mostly because a manufacturing revival in this country is extremely difficult and everyone recognizes that.

It really isn't, only specific industries like textiles which are no longer as cost effective. We have a whole host of industries that are just in their infancy like information, bio-tech, fuel cell development, etc. which could provide jobs both to high and low skilled workers if the government helped get them off their feet (either through tax relief or investment). Almost everyone acknowledge the potential for alternative energy sources like windpower around the Great Lakes too. Why aren't we doing this? Because our leaders are unimaginative at best and actively working against 'change we can believe in' more often than not. That goes for both parties.

Exactly.  We need to be innovative.  Biotechnology firms and other high tech firms that require well educated workers, but are still considered manufacturing are the future here.

Also, there are some sectors like steel and ore production that are becoming economical again because of rising steel prices around the world.  Companies can afford to pay the prevailing union wages of around $25-30/hour and still make a good profit.

We should also keep in mind that the oil price is going to continue to rise and that it is going to become cheaper to pay people a better wage here at home and not have to pay to ship the product half way around the world.

Indeed people have a small view of what manufacturing really is. Most people consider it to be just Autos, Textiles, Steel, and Coal mining, plus related industries. The are many other industries that qualify for that label. Textiles are dead and gone, but Autos definitely aren't and neither is Steel.

The gov't has not had the vision nor have they done the necessary investment to increase the number of graduates from college(more grants, scholarships, and low interest rate loans). They haven't made the needed reforms to Education that are need in general at all levels. They haven't put nearly as much into R&D into not only Biotech, Health Care, and Aerospace, but also Energy and Transportation tech and more investment into old school Industrial Technologies such as Steel could do wonders at helping them compete with foreign competitors by improving the processes making it more efficient(it would save on Energy use too).

The private sector is eventually going to make these discoveries on there own whether Gov't gets involved or not. And I hope that if Gov't gets involved they will do it so that it will speed it up,  not slow it down, like clamping down on Medical Research as a copout from facing the real hurdles of expanding coverage. 

Wouldn't increasing education level actually reduce the number of people with manufacturing jobs? Not that we shouldn't try to improve education.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This conversation wasn't going anywhere anyways, honestly. Mostly because a manufacturing revival in this country is extremely difficult and everyone recognizes that.

It really isn't, only specific industries like textiles which are no longer as cost effective. We have a whole host of industries that are just in their infancy like information, bio-tech, fuel cell development, etc. which could provide jobs both to high and low skilled workers if the government helped get them off their feet (either through tax relief or investment). Almost everyone acknowledge the potential for alternative energy sources like windpower around the Great Lakes too. Why aren't we doing this? Because our leaders are unimaginative at best and actively working against 'change we can believe in' more often than not. That goes for both parties.

Exactly.  We need to be innovative.  Biotechnology firms and other high tech firms that require well educated workers, but are still considered manufacturing are the future here.

Also, there are some sectors like steel and ore production that are becoming economical again because of rising steel prices around the world.  Companies can afford to pay the prevailing union wages of around $25-30/hour and still make a good profit.

We should also keep in mind that the oil price is going to continue to rise and that it is going to become cheaper to pay people a better wage here at home and not have to pay to ship the product half way around the world.

Indeed people have a small view of what manufacturing really is. Most people consider it to be just Autos, Textiles, Steel, and Coal mining, plus related industries. The are many other industries that qualify for that label. Textiles are dead and gone, but Autos definitely aren't and neither is Steel.

The gov't has not had the vision nor have they done the necessary investment to increase the number of graduates from college(more grants, scholarships, and low interest rate loans). They haven't made the needed reforms to Education that are need in general at all levels. They haven't put nearly as much into R&D into not only Biotech, Health Care, and Aerospace, but also Energy and Transportation tech and more investment into old school Industrial Technologies such as Steel could do wonders at helping them compete with foreign competitors by improving the processes making it more efficient(it would save on Energy use too).

The private sector is eventually going to make these discoveries on there own whether Gov't gets involved or not. And I hope that if Gov't gets involved they will do it so that it will speed it up,  not slow it down, like clamping down on Medical Research as a copout from facing the real hurdles of expanding coverage. 

Wouldn't increasing education level actually reduce the number of people with manufacturing jobs? Not that we shouldn't try to improve education.

Technically Manufacturing is the production of any good, but not a service. Snowguy and Mint have already mentioned this. 

You must be logged in to read this quote.

It really isn't, only specific industries like textiles which are no longer as cost effective. We have a whole host of industries that are just in their infancy like information, bio-tech, fuel cell development, etc. which could provide jobs both to high and low skilled workers if the government helped get them off their feet (either through tax relief or investment). Almost everyone acknowledge the potential for alternative energy sources like windpower around the Great Lakes too. Why aren't we doing this? Because our leaders are unimaginative at best and actively working against 'change we can believe in' more often than not. That goes for both parties.
[/quote]

Exactly.  We need to be innovative.  Biotechnology firms and other high tech firms that require well educated workers, but are still considered manufacturing are the future here.

Also, there are some sectors like steel and ore production that are becoming economical again because of rising steel prices around the world.  Companies can afford to pay the prevailing union wages of around $25-30/hour and still make a good profit.

We should also keep in mind that the oil price is going to continue to rise and that it is going to become cheaper to pay people a better wage here at home and not have to pay to ship the product half way around the world.
[/quote][/quote]

[War on Want]

This conversation wasn't going anywhere anyways, honestly. Mostly because a manufacturing revival in this country is extremely difficult and everyone recognizes that.

It really isn't, only specific industries like textiles which are no longer as cost effective. We have a whole host of industries that are just in their infancy like information, bio-tech, fuel cell development, etc. which could provide jobs both to high and low skilled workers if the government helped get them off their feet (either through tax relief or investment). Almost everyone acknowledge the potential for alternative energy sources like windpower around the Great Lakes too. Why aren't we doing this? Because our leaders are unimaginative at best and actively working against 'change we can believe in' more often than not. That goes for both parties.

I said that because of political reasons, not because I think that none of those things are possible.