Time to vent!!!!!!!!!!!!

[coach]

Well messing around with the car yesterday and today hooking up new gauges and cleaning up other loose wiring. Needed some 1/4 female crimp-on connectors and since it is Sunday, my FAVORITE LOCAL, HOVIS AUTO PARTS, store is closed. I shot up to our local Advance Auto and grabbed a pack with 7, COUNT'EM...7 female connectors. The guy ran them up and I thru a 10 dollar bill on the counter and he gives me back 4 bucks and change!!!WTF! I said," I gave you a 10". He said "I know, they are $5.50 a pack. HOLY MOTHER OF GOD...I just bought 3 packs of males and eyelets from MY FAVORITE AUTO PARTS STORE on friday for 5 bucks, and there were 10 to a pack!!!!!!! I grabbed the pack to look at it to make sure I didnt grab a BAR OF GOLD instead, and they are TOP QUALITY "MADE IN CHINA" connectors. They dont even have wire in China!!!! WTF do they need connectors for??? I tossed the pack back to the guy and grabbed my 10 and see ya Advance auto. No need to go there anymore. When in the hell are we going to take our country back. If they were made in USA, I might have still bought them, but come on, .80 cents for 1 connector made by a child who eats 3 times a week??? What really gets me is the azzhole who had them start making the damn things is an AMERICAN, just like all the other traders that go over there to get things made for a bigger profit margin. I just venting because this really pizzed me off. Everything in that store was from China. If I want something from China, it better be Fried Rice and Gen Tso chicken damn it.:mad

signing off!
Thanks
Coach

 

[casper]

x2 Bud this country has gone to cheap

 

[Warp6]

We really need to bring all our stuff back over here. It's affecting us in a bad way. I know we can't get it ALL back but at least tax the piss out of the people to take all their manufacturing out of this country only to bring it back here for resale.

 

[coach]

The govt is never going to do anything about it. Our relationship with China is TOO IMPORTANT and besides that, they have bailed us out of some of our latest $$$ problems. SH**, who wouldnt? If I were China,making products for pennies and selling them to you for 1000% profit so what if you need a few billion to hold you over for a few years. I have made 1000 times that off of your country over the last 10 years alone. The thing I do not understand is China is a COMMUNIST nation...HELLO???. Russia was for 60 years and we called them our enemy and would never dream of doing business with them.

Where we can stop it is the shipping companies and teamsters who work the ship yards unloading the cargo. After 9-11, we got a glimpse of what could happen. The country started really going over everything that came into port. It slowed everything down to a stand still. For people like me who work in the manufacturing sector of this country, we started to get orders for product that were being supplied from overseas for years. The overseas companies product sat on the docks for inspection for weeks and weeks. Our govt was fearing attacks thru supplies sent into the country from other terrorist. Well it is kinda back to normal, but for that little time, it showed Americans, that we need more manufacturing. If we were ever to go to war, like WWII, we are screwed. In the 40's every refridgerater or furnace company switched over to making airplane parts or tank parts. Now all the appliances are made in Mexico or out of the country. No one is left to switch over to war time products. Do you think China is going to make us missles to shoot back at them if that were to happen? The problem is the business men who are making these choices do not remember WWII so they do not realize the importance of manufacturing in your own country. Stop Wal-mart and you put a big dent in Chinas pocketbook.
Well this could go on forever, I have lived this for the last 10-12 years as a tooling engineer for the automotive industry. We go to battle with China everytime we have to quote a job.

Thanks
Coach

 

[GNTIM]

I feel your pain. A few years ago I followed my sisters and mom into one of those little nick nack-shops in a little country town called Montross in central Va. Out of boredom I looked at the labels on a bunch of stuff as I walked around the store and everything was made in china. Wonder why the economy is f'up?

 

[gculver]

Simply put.....We have sold our country to overseas interests over the past twenty-five years...Now, It's catching up with us with a relatively small manufacturing segment which in turn has led to record setting unemployment, foreclosure's, bankruptcy's, bank failures, deficit spending and bailouts at the taxpayers expense ...which leaves a US economy that can't truly recover within the next ten years, IMO. We are now considered a top-heavy service related country with a bleak outlook on well-paying manufacturing jobs...Corporate profits come 1st..Citizens 2nd....I smell a revolution brewing, just don't know if it will be in my lifetime!

GC

 

[Chuck Leeper]

About rite...

I went to O'Reillys for a pair of water pump gaskets for my LSX engine. [last set from dlr was $5+]
He has 2.. they don't come is sets.
I give him a $20 bill. He hands me back about $5...I said WTF is this?? You told me $7.00. He says, rite, each!
Forget that crap... I don't want them. He cops an attitude, and tells me he has to do a bunch of paperwork to give me a refund..NP... get busy. He can't figure out how to do it, and tells me come back tomorrow and see the mgr...
He had the $20 on the top of the register.. I reached over, got it, and told him to "wait til tomorrow, and the mgr will show you how."
That store is always empty.. I wonder why...

 

[captainron]

OK I'll jump on this bandwagon. What really scares me are the jack stands, jacks, car dollies etc made in china that are being sold here. You go to Pep Boys and all you see are made in china Torin crap. I wonder how many ER visits are due to that stuff breaking. It's scary. I don't even know who sells quality auto parts anymore - but I'd pay the premium if its for better quality.

 

[TurboTnZ06]

I started buying stuff from SnapOn. F China.

 

[coach]

Well I will say this. At least in our little Turbo Buick world, alot of us here make our own stuff and our vendors are top notch with what they make. Our internal engine parts are Chinese, but so are most others,SAD. When I graduated from high school, in the 80's, there was a forging foundry about 2 miles from where I lived. A few buddies got jobs there instead of going to college. They were making 12-15 bucks an hour right out of school. They were making crankshafts, rods, tranny yokes, and several other engine parts. It was a top quality shop.5 years later they were making $20+ and living good. The company sold out to a bigger forging firm and within 3 more years it was gone. This is the kind of place that should be making our cranks and rods, not frickin' Hop Sing Twong!!! It was just recently opened back up by some small business guys and the wages are now 10-12 bucks an hour and it is 20+ years later. The prices we pay for items havent gone back in time 20 years, so why have the wages? Sad to say, but when the Free Trade Act was sign into effect, it doomed what was left of our country. Advance auto, Auto Zone, Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-Mart, should really be called, Chinese Auto, China Zone, China Buy, China-Mart, and the AMERICAN businessmen that make a living off the lopped sided profits should be thrown in jail. Do you realize that 5 of the top 10 richest people in AMERICA are Wal-mart owners.

I agree, I smell a revolution coming and I hope I am here to see it. For anyone who has never seen the HBO Mini Series "John Adams" WATCH IT!!! It will show you in detail how the country was supposed to be set-up and ran. Then compare it with how the last 80 years have screwed it up. Most of the changes for worse have come in the last 2 generations. My how we have prospered with technology and education. It has made us the laziest people in the world, period!

 

[coach]

I just caught the NO POLITICAL threads here warning...hope we dont get shut down. I consider this a working mans topic, not political.

Coach

 

[Rebel]

I agree, it's not a political topic. I have tire sales people hitting me constantly. I'm tired of all the Asian manufacturers stealing one of the last American products. My first question on all of my tire purchases is: are they made in America. I won't sell my customers an Asian tire. Screw Hankook and his mom.

 

[regal454]

my recent rip off

Last week I needed a tail light for my truck. Just one 3157 bulb. NAPA closed at 7, so I had to go to Autozone. They don't sell them individually so I had to buy a 2 pack. On top of that, I was stuck buying the LL (long life) bulbs since they were out of the regular ones. Ended up paying $5.99 plus tax for one bulb I needed that probably cost 2 cents to make!! NAPA sells them individually for 99 cents each! What a rip off!! I'm done shopping there!

Coiach, my grandparents lived in Cochranton when I was younger, spent my summers up there. It's beautiful up there! I definitely miss it!

 

[INEEDAGN]

Del City - Wiring Products and Professional Electrical Supplies

I don't know if anyone makes those crimp on connectors in america at all, but if you gotta buy chinese crap at least get a good price on it. Del city has minimum sales quantities, but at their prices, you won't mind buying a 100 pack. Split them up with your buddies, that's what I did. $60 got me like 1400 cheap style crimp on connectors that we split between us. They have it ALL, like 8 different quality levels from bare steel to the ones with solder in them already. And those narrow push on terminals for car speaker terminals, they got 'em. They also have 70 amp relays that have the mounting tabs molded in them, dual contact relays, automotive grade cross link wire, the works. They also have assortments in nice metal containers for those of you who don't think you need 100 of every ring terminal in every size and wire gauge.

Waytek wire is another site, which has no minimum sales quantity, but prices are a bit higher.

 

[SGRIM]

I went to O'Reillys for a pair of water pump gaskets for my LSX engine. [last set from dlr was $5+]
He has 2.. they don't come is sets.
I give him a $20 bill. He hands me back about $5...I said WTF is this?? You told me $7.00. He says, rite, each!
Forget that crap... I don't want them. He cops an attitude, and tells me he has to do a bunch of paperwork to give me a refund..NP... get busy. He can't figure out how to do it, and tells me come back tomorrow and see the mgr...
He had the $20 on the top of the register.. I reached over, got it, and told him to "wait til tomorrow, and the mgr will show you how."
That store is always empty.. I wonder why...

LOL:biggrin:

 

[datant69]

funny thing is those are the most profitable items

any person who deals in them knows you make your money on the knicknacks and small stuff. when i worked radioshack the profit margin on the little connectors could be as much as 500%. i mean a little connector the dealer buys for 50 cents would sell for 5.00 or more. that was something that was pushed by RS is you don't make money on the big stuff as the profit margin on them is usually around 10% if that. you upsell them on connectors and cables and you make your money on that. too many competitors out there these days for many big box retailers to make money on that stuff. Don't forget the warranty, those always paid big spiffs, and commissions. god do i miss retail.

 

[faster]

Let's not forget inflation is beginning to take hold too. Many foodstuffs are up 40% over last year.

Mikey

 

[Little6pack]

Lest not forget another few more reasons there is NO MO manufacturing over here.

THE EPA They started hammering on companies up here in the liberal northeast about the air, water, ground back in the 60's (i remember as a kid all the belching factories) NO more! Ghost towns

So companies moved south as in NC,SC, GEORGIA, FLA where local laws were lax. We are such dumbazzes up here in the northeast.

Then down south caught on & compaies moved overseas
------------
Next UNIONS: Went for the GOLD in Caddy wages instead of Chevy wages.

What did companies do. Move Overseas.

My friends this is the NWO New World ORDER

We need to be hit on the head hard and neither parties in DC are willing to make the USA attractive to manufacture again.

DEMS demonize companies, tax em, epa them to death.
RePUBS are for ALL the money companies can make no matter where they make product.

 

[alwayscode390]

Unions dont do ANYTHING wrong. Why is it bad for people to fight for fair wages and a safe place to work?! Its not the Unions fault that a 6 BILLION dollar a year company has a problem with paying fair wages , BECAUSE THE COMPANY IS GREEDY.

I will say that a LOT of people feel the way we feel about buying foreign stuff lately ... as far as I can tell, this is the most US support I have seen since I have been alive ... too bad things are twisting.

A lot of "foreign" products are actually being built HERE ... think of the auto industry. For some reason we move our stuff out of country to be built, and they bring their stuff into our country to be built. It confuses people ... do I buy a Toyota built in the US to support US jobs, or do I buy an American car built in Canada or Mexico to support a US business?! Hmmmm ... very tangled web we are in right now IMO ---

 

[coach]

Unions dont do ANYTHING wrong. Why is it bad for people to fight for fair wages and a safe place to work?! Its not the Unions fault that a 6 BILLION dollar a year company has a problem with paying fair wages , BECAUSE THE COMPANY IS GREEDY.

I will say that a LOT of people feel the way we feel about buying foreign stuff lately ... as far as I can tell, this is the most US support I have seen since I have been alive ... too bad things are twisting.

A lot of "foreign" products are actually being built HERE ... think of the auto industry. For some reason we move our stuff out of country to be built, and they bring their stuff into our country to be built. It confuses people ... do I buy a Toyota built in the US to support US jobs, or do I buy an American car built in Canada or Mexico to support a US business?! Hmmmm ... very tangled web we are in right now IMO ---

Let me help you buddy. This may not apply to your union, but here is the just of it. If there is a union run shop and a new guy gets hired, he is low man. If he works harder and produces more than the senior guys, they get mad. The piece part price drops so now they all have to work harder to keep up with the new guy. Now the others are going to repay him by either threats, messing with his personal stuff, or even more server action. Dont even try to argue this because it is fact to all who made it thru the 60's-70's-80's union battles. In a union, you are part of a mass of people. You cannot be recognized as a good worker because you are the same as all the others. You will never get a raise from hard work, you get a raise when the union says you do. You are busting your ass and "Joe Slackoff" next to you is just riding out his last 3 years until his big fat retirement kicks in. That is what made large companies hate unions and why the relationships are such. I would never have prospered in my life if I had to rely on "Joe Slackoff" to help me make $$$. Lets not even metion the union dues. My girlfriend is in a union and the dues are costly and you get nothing in return. At one time unions fought for the good of the working man. Now most, not all, are so corrupt and crooked that you cannot avoid but be in trouble if you have to join one. My father has said for 30 years that the U.S. Steel industry would still be going strong if there had not been for a union. In 1977 he was making $22.00 bucks an hour and had 10 weeks vacation. He will tell you, it was great, but too much. The workers knew that the company could not afford to keep paying those kind of wages. He will also tell you , the union's demands bankrupted the industry and the Japanese steel makers saw this and went for the throat. They got it and when they did, the U.S. economy took the biggest hit it will ever take. Millions of jobs...gone, never to return.

And the overseas companies that manufacture here, take there profits back overseas. They are not recirculated back into the economy like our manufacturing $$$ was.

These are facts, not an opinion. Look them up.

Coach