[BroadHopper]

Our Dept of Defense does a pretty damn good job of making sure defense spending goes local. Working for a local defense contractor for 33 years, I have witness hiring local skilled help and using local subcontractors to manufacture electronics for the military. DOD spending is put to great use in supporting local economy. In part to gain favor of local representatives and senators. When Obama decided to curtail the F-22 program, this action resulted in 190,000 skilled laborers losing their jobs. Obama did not realized this till after and he had to suffer the consequences of not having some backup program for the civil employess effected.

What I am getting at is that we do have the skills and expertise to do the job, right here in USA. If the consumer demand local products, much like the DOD, there will be a change to local production. Putting high tariffs on goods and services will not solve the problem. Our own greed for cheap products and our selfishness for high wages must be curtailed if we want to be better citizens and to help the nation get out of this recession.

If buying American is top prority then I am sure Annelee dolls will return to Meredith. I know for a fact that many folks who bought the collectables are no longer buying the dolls because they are made elsewhere. The 'China dolls' do not command the prices on the collectors market as the original. The mass marketing of the dolls is what keeping the company alive. Nothing more.

As far as charitable organizations, the defense industries are one of the biggest contributor, if not the biggest, as the case of BAE Systems in Nashua, to local charities. People can complain all they want about DOD spending. At least the money is supporting the local economy.

As JFK says: 'Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country'.