Most people in MidMichigan have heard the term since they were born "Buy American."
In this global economy, is it possible to buy only American made products?
What are the benefits to buying American?
What is the government doing to support American companies and workers?
Here's a case study: General Motors' 2005 Chevy Equinox. It's engine was made is China. The transmission was made in Japan. It was put together in Canada.
Now take the 2009 Toyota Venza. It was engineered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was designed in Newport Beach, California and put together in Georgetown, Kentucky.
This is the dilemma for the American consumer. One company is American using foreign workers; the other one is a foreign company, using American workers.
United Auto Workers President, Ron Gettelfinger tells NBC25, "Customers have the right to buy whatever they want. The only thing we ask people to do is step back and look at the big picture."
That "big picture" Gettelfinger is talking about is spelled out in a study by the Level Field Institute.
A diagram shows General Motors employs nearly as many American workers as all the major foreign automakers combined.
Gettelfinger says, "For every 2,500 vehicles that are sold, GM and Ford employ about 80 people. Chrysler employs 65 or 64, Toyota 40, Hyundai 18."
Gettelfinger says, it's simple, buying from the American companies supports more American workers.
Based on that information, one would think American politicians would do all they can to support American companies, but that's not what happened with the Cash for Clunkers program.
3-billion American dollars benefited foreign automakers more than the American companies.
U.S. Senator Carl Levin blames other countries for not being fair with their programs.
Levin says, "There's no justification in the world for us to let China for instance with this Cash for Clunkers program or Japan or Korea with its Cash for Clunkers program to discriminate against American products. We need to tell them, 'We're going to treat you the same way you treat us when it comes to trade.'"
That's not what Americans did. They took the majority of the Cash for Clunkers money and made the Toyota Corolla number one.
Eight of the top ten vehicles sold in the program are foreign.
Here's the list provided by the CARS program:
Top 10 new vehicles purchased
1. Toyota Corolla (Japan)
2. Honda Civic (Japan)
3. Ford Focus (U.S.)
4. Toyota Camry (Japan)
5. Hyundai Elantra (South Korea)
6. Toyota Prius (Japan)
7. Nissan Versa (Japan)
8. Ford Escape (U.S.)
9. Honda Fit (Japan)
10. Honda CR-V (japan)
General Motors executives admit they were greedy in the past, got into too many financial ventures, and neglected American manufacturing.
GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz tells NBC25, "You can not have a wealthy nation that does not produce anything!"
He says the company is realizing the past formulas don't work.
GM is putting its money where its mouth is. Just this year, it announced the Chevy Volt and Cruze connector rods and camshafts will be manufactured in Bay City.
It announced the Volt and Cruze engines will be manufactured at several Flint-area plants.
Flint's Truck Assembly plant is getting the 1500 half ton pickup back. It used to be in Mexico, before that, Canada.
GM North American Director of Manufacturing, Larry Zahner says, "It is important. I think the consumer will recognize that as we turn our next 100 years as GM."
Back to the original example, the 2005 Chevy Equinox had many components made overseas. Starting in the 2008 Chevy Equinox, one of the model's engines is made in the USA.
Every dollar the consumer spends is a vote that goes somewhere.
That vote shows support for the country it goes to.
No one can deny the global economy, but should there be a sense of social responsibility and loyalty to the homeland?
Only the consumer can answer that question.
Ron Gettelfinger tells NBC25, "At the end of the day, we're all hypocrites."
He says there are certain things you need that aren't made in America.
Roger Simmermaker, the author of the book "How Americans Can Buy American," says you can't buy a 100-percent American-made cell phone, alarm clock radio, or DVD player.
