AAM has been hosting “Keep it Made in America” Town hall meetings throughout the country this fall, and it seems that with each stop on the tour, the crowds have grown larger, the media coverage more focused, and host John Ratzenberger more impassioned.  At each stop, we’ve heard from numerous voters who are deeply concerned about the loss of their jobs, and of the troubling economic issues attached to the loss of their local factories and businesses.  The timing seems right for these concerns to come to national attention, and we’re watching carefully to see how the various presidential candidates react to this groundswell.

Our event last week in Buffalo, NY, was a particularly big success, and we thought we’d give a last look at it before we move on to South Carolina.

We also received a number of letters from throughout the Buffalo community, giving feedback on the event.  Typical was the reaction from Tony Kutter, of Corfu, NY, who said:
“What a great time I had at the town meeting in Buffalo (Keep It Made In America).  I live in Genesee Count and am a Republican committee member for the last 35 years. I am getting disenchanted with my party but I have many democratic friends who share the same feeling about politics as usual. I will do my best to approach and bear down on the candidates for answers and truthfulness in how they will vote on these issues.

“I raised four children and we always bought Fisher Price toys made in East Aurora. They were a bit more expensive but well worth it. They had a reputation of being indestructible. If Fisher Price were smart they would return to the U.S. after all the product recalls, even if they had to raise the price.  Everyone would still buy their products.”

Fed Up NY also attended the event and blogged about it, observing that a brief drive through “Riverside, Blackrock or the east side of Buffalo” reveals the “abandoned buildings that were once American manufacturing. That’s where the real frustrations are for Western New Yorkers.”

It’s not just New York, it’s the whole country.  AAM will stay focused on this as we head to South Carolina. 

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This entry was posted on Monday, December 3rd, 2007 at 7:09 pm and is filed under Manufacturing in the U.S., Enforcing Trade Laws, AAM. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.