It’s time to make things in America again

With a major river bridge closed for the rest of the summer, it’s becoming increasingly clear that we need to start making things in America again.

As if land traffic wasn’t enough of a nuisance, the Middle Thorofare Bridge, which connects Wildwood Crest/Diamond Beach in Lower Township to Cape May, was closed late Saturday morning due to engine failure. It’s jammed in the open position to allow boats to get through. In a “best case scenario,” it will take a few weeks to get a replacement engine and make the repairs, but that means it will be closed for the rest of the summer.

Ace Gallagher, the mayor of Hanover Township, owns a stump grinding business. He and I have discussed the problem of obtaining replacement parts for the grinding machines. In one story, a major competitor that had invested in a machine valued at over $70,000 was shut down because a $14 part was missing.

The good news for Ace is that they paid the rent for his equipment. The bad news for Americans as a whole is that we depend on cheap foreign labor (China) to keep the economy running.

From bridge-opening engines to stump grinders to the DOT trucks that keep our highways clear in the winter, we have a problem that results from our dependence on cheap foreign goods, parts and medicines.

It is time to focus on American products and bring manufacturing back to America and New Jersey. This can be achieved through a combination of tariffs to increase import revenues (which can also be used to reduce income taxes) and tax incentives for local development.

It is not too late and the solution begins with the election of President Donald Trump in November.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. All opinions expressed are Bill’s own.

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