Why Are Jobs Leaving Our Country?


This morning the unemployment report came out at 5:30AM California time showing we had gained 400,000+ jobs in the month of May 2010. However, close to 400,000 of them were temporary government jobs that were created by the Census Bureau and were to be terminated in 4-6 weeks. In another words, we did not “dip” to below 10% unemployment. The politicians were only using this temporary situation for a sound bite to make them look better in our eyes.

I would like to share with you my opinion of why we are losing jobs to China and other countries that should be kept here to support our own economy.

Our government and politicians put in place special incentives for corporations to buy new equipment that included having a shorter term of depreciation (to help with taxes) and other short term tricks resulting in immediate non-sustaining results. Who is buying into these quick fixes? Not me, and not other people who can see past the trees.

Let’s analyze this for a moment. Let’s say I buy a press for $300,000.00 and create 3 jobs as a result of this new equipment. In a nutshell, what I am getting is a shorter, accelerated depreciation plus added payroll, workman’s compensation, property and health insurance, and social security/unemployment contributions along with increased operating costs, overhead and additional salesmen to sell and create orders to support the press while facing tough competition with every other manufacturer cutting prices to get the orders. Well, all of this is understandable and is part of doing business. I am used to it, and these situations are all part of operating our business.

However, one thing that no one mentions, and what really gets to me is the unspoken and overlooked expense that every corporation is experiencing, and somehow, our politicians never mention or want to bring it up. It is the annual bill we receive for the Equipment Property Tax. Yes, ladies and gentlemen…..This never goes away. As long as you own that equipment, it just keeps coming every year, just like the property taxes you pay on your homes.

Our big corporation (and now many of the smaller ones also) have looked at this and quietly said to themselves, “If I contract this out to China, I do not have all of these expenses. I get the product for one fixed price, and all I have to do is sell it. I don’t have to worry about all the production costs, quality control, delivery dates, employment expenses, or the property tax on any equipment. I can buy it cheaper at a predetermined, exact price, and all the rest of the expenses disappear.”

If our politicians were smart, they would eliminate the property tax on production equipment and allow the companies to produce locally. Allow us to hire our capable, knowledgeable work force to work and be proud to make good American products that say MADE IN USA.

As long as the mentioned factors listed above are in existence, jobs will be leaving our country and we will be importing more and more. Our trade deficit will grow and grow until China will no longer buy our treasury notes that we sell to finance our economy. We will be owned by China without a shot fired. Our Deficit will be so big that it will never, ever be paid off.

Let’s wake up our politicians and let them know national security is not only keeping the terrorists out, but it is also keeping our jobs in the USA. Take the choke rope off all manufacturers so production can be kept on a local level.

IS THERE ANY GOOD NEWS OUT THERE?

IS THERE ANY GOOD NEWS OUT THERE?

I am wondering if there is any good news out there to cheer us up rather than constantly hearing about war, unemployment, bank failures, terrorist attacks, earth quakes, floods, volcanoe ash clouds, tornadoes, and the list can go on and on. If I have left anything out, please add to the list.

In addition to the above items, we all have our own realty called life that we face everyday that includes family, budgets, illness, jobs and this list can also go on and on. No matter what stage of life you are in, these are all real occurrences in our lives.

We cannot ignore them, and they do not go away by themselves. These situations have been around since the beginning of time in different ways, but they have always been there. The good old days are good because our minds filter out the bad and remember mostly the good.

SO! What can we do to escape this 24/7 negative state of mind?

We can not run away from our responsibilities and just pack and leave or step away from them permanently. However, we can check out from the “Reality Hotel” for short times to refresh and start all over again.

My escape is when I get home and get out and walk or exercise. I walk away from reality for a short time to have “my space” all to myself…. just me, myself and I. I’m not with anyone else. On weekends I get out early in the morning to get refreshed so I can enjoy the rest of the day after I come back from “MY SPACE”.

You all need to find your own way for get-away time. We all have something that we enjoy doing alone. Find out what it is and do it. In the GOOD OLD DAYS, guys used to go to the garage and work on their cars as an escape. Since cars are all electronic now, even that has been taken away from us.

Find your escape, get recharged, and do it regularly. Do not let anyone else interfere , discourage you, or prevent you from doing it. You will be a happier person for yourself, family, friends, co-workers and have a better state of mind to face all the challenges of the day and your tomorrows. Also, stop complaining about situations over which you have no control. It gets you down and also negatively affects others. Don’t add to their bad news.

Take a vacation in your mind. It is less demanding than a vacation out of town that requires you to have another vacation to recoup.

Take some time every day to feel refreshed so you can handle your challenges more effectively.


CHECK OUT ……………TO………………CHECK IN.

WALK/JOG FOR LIFE AND HEALTH.

WALK/JOG FOR LIFE AND HEALTH.

I started my diet and exercise program on April 18, 2008. Today 1 year and 10 months later, I am still on it and have not wavered. My visits to the gym at 2:00 AM are still on, and I also walk and jog.

I had set my goal to walk/jog the distance from my home in California to my home in Charlotte, NC. The total distance was 2,426.6 miles. Today (February 17, 2010) I walked the last 5.5 miles and I have walked the actual distance between the two cities and did these final miles in Charlotte, NC since I am currently visiting Calico Tag and Label. I did not originally plan on finishing it in Charlotte, but I guess it was meant to be.

Here are the statistics:

FARID WALK/JOG CHART
WALKED MILES LESS JOG MILES= 1,831.93
JOGGED MILES = 594.67
DATE:TODAY 2/17/2010 10:33
START DATE April 18, 2008
TOTAL MINUTES: 35,323.77
TOTAL WALKED HOURS 588.7295
TOTAL MILES: 2,426.60
DURATION: 1 YEAR,MONTHS 9,DAYS 31
MINUTES PER MILE: 14.55689854


LGH-CLT = 2,426.60
MILES LEFT TO MAKE IT LGH-CLT= 0.00 MILES TO GO

I had fun doing it, felt great, and looked forward to obtaining this goal on a daily basis. I have endured a broken toe along with other aches and pains that tried to keep me down. I had to take few days off to get back on top, but I discovered that if you don’t push yourself, no one else will. It is important to be your own great motivator. When you do not feel like doing something or try to talk yourself out of it, that is the time to get up and do what ever it is you were procrastinating about. Also, do not let others keep you back. You are in charge and you call the shots. Nothing happens until we take the first step. Although some people find it easier to exercise with someone else, I found that doing it alone gave me the chance to “taste the still of the silence” and enjoy the personal victory of reaching my own goal.

I will be starting my next goal to see how long it takes me to walk/jog the same distance back to our California home. My goal is to do it in fewer days and less time. Here comes the 2:00AM gym back on the program! What are your personal fitness goals?

Imagination and Sales

Imagination and Sales April 1, 2006

Gadgets are consuming much of our daily lives. Cell phones, Ipods, 500-channel cable television, podcasts, our PC’s, and the wonderful world of the internet with our e-mails are not leaving much time to have quiet time. Even though these devices are taking up much of our time, they are stimulating our imagination and bringing new things for us to learn at faster rate.

To absorb all this and still bring our own creative talent to the table requires some quiet time each day, so we can use our imagination to create. Quiet time can be your daily walk, jog, bike ride or any activity that gives you freedom from other obligations. It should be your fun time. Letting your mind run free will allow whatever is in the back of your mind to come forward. This is when your imagination can create new ideas and find solutions to old problems. A mind free from the daily stresses can reveal new possibilities on how to approach new customers and make that big sale, which is the dream of every salesperson. Everyone should allow him/herself this gift of free time to allow this creativity to grow.

A heart warming experience.

I had this month that I wanted to share with everyone.

It was a Saturday afternoon. I was home alone and getting bored since no one was at home to amuse me. I decided to play poker for few hours at a casino half way between my house and San Diego.

When I sat at the $1.00 - $2.00 poker table, I noticed a lady who was sharply dressed, wearing expensive jewelry. Since she appeared to be rich and upper class, I assumed she would be snobbish. After playing a few hands at the same table, I observed everyone was having fun and talking while playing. I realized how pleasant and down to earth this lady was. She joked and laughed and made us all feel comfortable. It seemed everyone else at the table and the casino knew her. I discovered she and her younger sister live south of San Diego, and for the past year they have been making the 45 minutes drive to the casino every Thursday. They stay at the hotel close by, play poker for several days, and leave for home each Sunday evening. I thought to myself they would be prime candidates for Gamblers Anonymous. I was to learn how wrong I was, and I had judged them prematurely.

When I had a chance to take a break and sit out of the game for a while, she decided to do the same. We started taking in general, and I found out she was 72 years old. She was in top shape and looked as if she took good care of herself. Her make up was just right, and she was the most pleasant person to talk to.

She revealed the story for their weekly travel to play poker. Her younger sister who lives with her is dying of cancer. She does not want to stay home and think about dying, so they pack every Thursday and check into the hotel. They play poker, shop, and dine. They get to meet new people and see old friends they have made at the casino, who have almost become like family. On Sunday they drive back to their home. On Monday the sister stays in bed resting. Each Tuesday she gets her treatment and stays in bed on Wednesday to recuperate. Each Thursday they are on the road again to enjoy life.

She told me she loved her sister and would do anything for her. Since this is what she wants to do, this wonderful lady does it with her. She takes care of her on a daily basis, and is at her beck and call for anything she wants. She told me, “Since my sister will be gone soon, I want to be with her every minute, so I don’t miss a moment.” While the younger sister plays at the $4.00- $8.00 table, she plays at the $1.00 - $2.00 table to pass the time and be close to her.

It touched me so much that I related this experience to my family. I wanted to share this with you as well. There are always “life lessons” to be learned, and in some cases, to be re-learned. First of all, judging people by appearance is unwise and unfair. Secondly, and most importantly, family and friends are very dear. We should enjoy them all of the time and not wait for unfortunate circumstances to rob us of missed events and relationships. We need to realize how quickly time passes, and realize that the opportunity to make memories will be missed if we don’t take advantage of making them.

The younger sister has one daughter. This wonderful classy lady has four children, two grand children, and two great-grand children. How proud they should all be of this wonderful lady.

Make an effort to experience real moments in each day.

The following excerpt is taken from the book, "Make the Connection" by Bob Greene and Oprah Winfrey (Harpo, Inc. 1996).

Bob Greene shared the story of when he went skiing by himself in the beautiful mountains of Utah. "It was an incredibly clear and beautiful day. The snow was a deep, fluffy powder. The sun was out. The air was crisp and fresh. And as I stood there, overlooking this incredible view, in one of my favorite places, doing one of my favorite things, I had the sudden realization: 'I'm not happy.'"

He tried to figure out why by replaying the entire day. Then it dawned on him. For that entire day, he was mentally somewhere else. He realized he was thinking about career plans, buying a house, what day he was going home, whether his car would start after his two week absence, etc. Bob wrote, "I was preoccupied with everything that I was going to do, and not anything that I was doing. I asked myself if I had appreciated one single moment of that day as it happened. Then I tried to remember the last time I appreciated any moment." He took off his skis and sat down in the snow until he got into the current moment. He then began to enjoy everything around him and could feel true joy.

Bob stated, "I began questioning why most people focus on either the past or the future, when their entire life is lived in the present....I was sacrificing my present for my future, not realizing that the future never really arrives. It's always the future! I decided from that day on that I was going to experience as many current moments as I could...Now I realize, what's the point of good things in your life if they are never recognized or appreciated as they happen?"

His words of advice are, "Make an effort to experience real moments in each day." As many of you go on vacations this summer with your family and loved ones, appreciate and value each other and each experience, whether it be small, or large and significant. "I can't stress enough the importance of living in the moment, of experiencing each moment, both good and bad moments that make up your life. This will open you up to feelings of true joy, and that's what life is all about."

Have a great summer!

“LIFE”

Section 2 News from Fred:

“LIFE”

“It’s been said that LIFE is the greatest do-it-yourself project
you’ll ever undertake. Acquiring the tools and skills you need
will make you a better craftsman.”
In our busy world, each of us needs to go in so many directions
to “cover all the bases” in life. Our world includes: People
(family, friends, neighbors); Work (reports, computer
work, manual tasks, files, phone calls); Food (purchasing,
cooking, diet planning, healthy choices); Clothing (making
choices in purchasing, cleaning, storing); Shelter (taking care
of our homes both inside and out); Money (budgeting, paying
bills on time); Health (exercise, eating good foods, reducing
stress), and finally Fun (entertainment and just enjoying each
other). Whew! And we wonder why we’re tired at the end of
each day?!?
This is why the people who write Organizational Books are
doing so well. We all need HELP! While recently reading
one of these books, “Organizing Your Life, 4th Edition”
…no matter what area of our life we are dealing with, we
should be doing the following:
1. Gather general information. Get informed.
2. Collect information about your specific likes, dislikes,
strengths, and weaknesses. (No, you can’t do it all or have it
all. No one can, so be reasonable and choose wisely).
3. Identify goals. You need something to aspire to, even if
it’s only pictured in your mind. Being in control of your belongings
and time is the ultimate goal.
4. Set up a plan. How will you achieve this goal? Write it
down and revise as necessary.
5. Break up the plan into simple tasks. “A yard is hard, but
an inch is a cinch.”
6. Schedule tasks, and work toward your goals a little each
day. Beware of those who will want to break into your time/
schedule and steal this from you.
7. Develop ways to check progress and reward yourself for
achievements. (Actually, enjoying an organized life will be a
great reward in itself.)
8. Avoid discouragement, no matter What situations happen
or Who “brings it on.” There will be “bumps in the road”…
Maintain an attitude of I WILL SUCCEED!