Jack and the twins. NOW

This is Sonny and Sherry holding their grand daughters (A few years ago)

This is Sherry and I with the twins a long time ago. (It was supposed to be below the other picture.)

Really cold and rainy today here in good old North Carolina. A pretty slow day. We met with the old folk at Hardee’s this morning. After a death the subject is usually death and funerals. Sonny has a first cousin to die yesterday. The had lived in Arizona and we stopped by to see them on our way round the country once. He was a truck driver for ABF, Arkansas Best Freight.
Well today there are a lot of college graduates out of jobs but on the market. It is hard to imagine the number of applicants throughout the entire country.
That brings me to my favorite subject, manufacturing jobs. While in the mountains we were in an area that was once the Mecca of furniture. Names like Drexel, Broyhill, Thomasville, Barnhardt, Scott, Southwood, Statesville etc. Huge plants sitting idle Parking lots growing up in grass/weeds.
We live around the largest of Textile Mills, sitting idle. Some cut up into Condo’s or nursing homes. But the replacements DO NOT produce manufacturing jobs. I was once naïve enough to think NC/SC were the real textile belt. But as I travel and read the net I hear where some of you are there are empty Textile mills. We don’t even make thread much anymore, much less cloth.
Dalton, Georgia has lost carpet mills.
Pittsburg has lost Steel mills. NOW Detroit will be closing some car manufacturing plants.
We have some Americans who are the BEST in Ranching and Agriculture. We can easily feed our selves the only problem is having the jobs to earn the money to buy the meat and vegatables.
Now I was a Perot supporter. Call him what you want, but his predictions have come true. All I can say to the president and politicians is you guys sent all the jobs out of the country. BRING THEM BACK. Require public purchases to be at least 50% American steel that builds the bridges and roads and infrastructure.
Require our armed forces to buy uniforms made with American labor on American machines.
FOR HEAVENS SAKE DO SOMETHING!!! FOR OUR SAKES DO SOMETHING!!!
I don’t like to hear, but we had an agreement/trade treaty, etc. WELL MODIFY THE SUCKER, THERE IS NOTHING THAT CANNOT BE CHANGED, CHANGE IT!!!! Canada & the UK are facing about the same thing. The citizens of each country want the Government to protect their lively hoods. Somebody better get aware that taxes do run this country, but if we cannot work to buy all the stuff being imported, there will be MUCH LESS TAXES!!!!
My soap box speech for today. Now I will send a copy of this to the White house. (for what good it will do).
Nite Shipslog
PS:
******When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe

****** The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.

*******It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world. signed.....Thomas Jefferson