Should The US Girl Scouts Buy Their Uniforms From Communist China?

[Bonano]

They should sell weed, cookies are no good for you.

 

[Madeline]

We could kill the capitalist pigs in the street

 

[Madeline]

I'd like to see them do something about their fucking cookies.

That's shit is EXPENSIVE!

You are making a donation, xotoxi. The cookies are just a "thankies".

 

[JBeukema]

Thin Mints are yummy...

 

[kwc57]

American textile manufaturers and clothing manufacturers are on the ropes, because they cannot compete in a world wide market where manufacturers are free to use slave labor or child labor. The US has no embargo on such products, and there are no import duties sufficient to protect all of us from the horrors that flow from this ginormous gap in our trade policy.

The latest casualty in this world wide struggle will be Jackie Evans Inc., a 42 year old family owned and operated company that employs 90 workers at its plant in Passaic, a once-booming manufacturing city in northern New Jersey, about 10 miles west of New York City. They've been making uniforms and sashes for their sole client for about a decade. But they are likely to lose that client, as it sought bids from manufacturers in other countries and they cannot compete.

Who is this customer of 42 years' standing that's about to close this little business? The Girl Scouts of America. Barry Horowitz, vice president and general manager for merchandise for the Girl Scouts, felt the organization's members would be better served by buying uniforms at a lower cost, even if they were manufatured by child and slave in Communist China!

The only uniform components that Girl Scouts are required to buy from the organization are sashes, which retail for $5.50 to $6.50, and vests, which run from $15.75 to $20, Horowitz said.

He said it is possible a new vendor would produce the apparel more cheaply, enabling Girl Scouts to lower the price it charges its members, or at least keep the price from rising in the near future.

Some are concerned, however, that farming out the work to a place like China could result in Girl Scout uniforms being made by child labor in poor working conditions.
State Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. wrote the Girl Scouts' president to say American scouts could wear uniforms made "in part by young girls who would be deemed not old enough to work in the United States."

Horowitz said the Girl Scouts are diligent about checking out potential suppliers to prevent such problems. (Color me *suspicious*...even Walmarts can't seem to assure no children are exploited in th emanufacture of Chinese goods.)

"We have a strict arrangement with vendors that they need to ensure that all appropriate laws are adhered to," he said. "We're very rigid about who does our work."

Horowitz would not critique the quality of the Passaic company's work, saying the main goal behind seeking bids from other suppliers is to ensure the best possible price.

He said the process should be completed by the end of the year.

Is price the only consideration, or do you agree with that a children's group that teaches patriotism and kindness should not be wearing closthing made by children in Communist China? Should the organization adhere to its own values and treat the Jackie Evans Inc. company kindly, by allowing it to continue?

Please let Mr. Horowitz know if you think the Jackie Evans Inc. company should get to keep the contract they have had for 42 years. A $11 sash seems like a small price to pay to keep these workers employed and avoid the hypocrisy of dressing little American Girl Scouts in the products of Chinese slave or child labor.

New Jersey factory that makes Girl Scout uniforms could lose business to China | cleveland.com

To contact the Girl Scouts of America, see this link....

Girl Scouts of the USA: Contact Us

The Boy Scouts of America has been using China made uniforms for years.......and the price didn't go down. As opposed to the Girl Scout sash, the Boy Scout uniform is made up of a shirt, pants, belt and socks. You can drop between $75 to $100 on a uniform. Shirts are anywhere from $24.99 to $49.99. Shorts or pants run from $14.99 to $49.99. Socks run from $5.99 to $15.99. Web belts are $7.99 to $12.99 and leather belts as high as $36.99. Then you get to buy patches for the shirts.

Boy Scouts of America Official Catalog - Scoutstuff.org

Boy Scouts of America Official Catalog - Scoutstuff.org

Boy Scouts of America Official Catalog - Scoutstuff.org

 

[Madeline]

kwc57 wrote:

The Boy Scouts of America has been using China made uniforms for years.......and the price didn't go down. As opposed to the Girl Scout sash, the Boy Scout uniform is made up of a shirt, pants, belt and socks. You can drop between $75 to $100 on a uniform. Shirts are anywhere from $24.99 to $49.99. Shorts or pants run from $14.99 to $49.99. Socks run from $5.99 to $15.99. Web belts are $7.99 to $12.99 and leather belts as high as $36.99. Then you get to buy patches for the shirts.

Boy Scouts of America Official Catalog - Scoutstuff.org

Boy Scouts of America Official Catalog - Scoutstuff.org

Boy Scouts of America Official Catalog - Scoutstuff.org

That is disgraceful.

 

[Madeline]

Thin Mints are yummy...

OMG yes. Those things are heavenly.

 

[JBeukema]

The price didn't go down, bust the cost did.

The result: a huge increase in the profit margin.

That's what happens when you no longer have to pay the workers enough to eat or worry about the slightest matter of workplace safety.


Go, capitalism.

 

[Newby]

But, Madeline, the poor Chinese children have to eat too? Where's your empathy for them????

 

[Bonano]

Next time a girl scout comes to your door tell her to fuck off to China to sell her douche cookies.

 

[Nosmo King]

1) china isn't communist
2) tariffs will never be placed b/c we are owned by china
3) people should learn a useful skill instead of relying on manufacturing jobs if they want a 21st century living

China isn't communist, yet President Obama is a Marxist/Socialist/Communist/Fascist! I guess it all depends who your profits are made by. Chinese can be excused because they make money.

And someone who thinks manufacturing jobs require no useful skills just has much more to learn.

 

[bigboy55]

I live in Passaic county, NJ about 20 miles northwest of the plant. My daugthers are in Girl Scouts. They do a lot of good things for the girls & the community. Let them save the money & spend it on the girls. Buy it from China. I wish it were different but why should they suffer with higher prices to buy American when these politicians have let everything else go to China. The Rep. Pascrell here is crying about it but these Dems have let jobs leave the state due to insane tax increases.

When I moved here in 1997 from NY the property taxes were about $2900 a year. They didn't increase that much until the Democrats took back the govenors office. That was around 2003. In 2003 they were about $3300. Now they are almost $10000 a year. Screw them all. I hope everyone moves to Texas or refuses to pay taxes. They are ruining this country & do not care until they have something like the Girl Scout situation that puts a spotlight on the problem. The NBA was also talking about it to make more money. It's ok to scrutinize a non-profit but not the NBA who rip people off with merchandise prices.

If they wanted to fix the problem they would not charge corporate taxes on corporations that are in extinct American industries.

Also, Ford & GM are talking about moving alot of manufacturing to Mexico. The little guy who has to stay in the US gets screwed but these large corps get away with murder. Go figure.

 

[bigboy55]

boediccca wrote:

If the Federal Government can borrow trillions of dollars form the Chinese, the Girls Scouts buying uniforms pales in comparison as an issue.

Just sayin'.

I agree.

I still find the Girl Scouts' plans objectionable and have written to them to say so. I hope you will consider doing the same.

Little evil is still evil.

You need to look at the bigger picture. The Girl Scouts are a non-profit. My girls are in the Girls Scouts. They do a lot for the community. Stop picking on them. It's these politicians fault starting with Clinton. He started this free trade crap while taking money from Chinese nationals. Pick on the NBA. They are doing the same thing. Pick on Ford & GM, they are talking about opening plants in Mexico & closing plants here. Why are you picking on the little guy. They are once again a non profit. You are acting like they are benefiting from it. Most of the people in the offices are mothers that volunteers. No pay. Leave them alone or start a fundraising drive to help them.

Read the book before you judge it by the cover.

 

[Madeline]

boediccca wrote:

If the Federal Government can borrow trillions of dollars form the Chinese, the Girls Scouts buying uniforms pales in comparison as an issue.

Just sayin'.

I agree.

I still find the Girl Scouts' plans objectionable and have written to them to say so. I hope you will consider doing the same.

Little evil is still evil.

You need to look at the bigger picture. The Girl Scouts are a non-profit. My girls are in the Girls Scouts. They do a lot for the community. Stop picking on them. It's these politicians fault starting with Clinton. He started this free trade crap while taking money from Chinese nationals. Pick on the NBA. They are doing the same thing. Pick on Ford & GM, they are talking about opening plants in Mexico & closing plants here. Why are you picking on the little guy. They are once again a non profit. You are acting like they are benefiting from it. Most of the people in the offices are mothers that volunteers. No pay. Leave them alone or start a fundraising drive to help them.

Read the book before you judge it by the cover.

I like the Scouts, bigboy. I am not "picking on the little guy"; I am defending the little guy aka that New Jersey manufacturer that has relied on the Girl Scouts for 42 years and will go out of business if they proceed with their plans.

You wouldn't pay an extra $5 for a sash Made In The USA?

 

[Madeline]

I live in Passaic county, NJ about 20 miles northwest of the plant. My daugthers are in Girl Scouts. They do a lot of good things for the girls & the community. Let them save the money & spend it on the girls. Buy it from China. I wish it were different but why should they suffer with higher prices to buy American when these politicians have let everything else go to China. The Rep. Pascrell here is crying about it but these Dems have let jobs leave the state due to insane tax increases.

When I moved here in 1997 from NY the property taxes were about $2900 a year. They didn't increase that much until the Democrats took back the govenors office. That was around 2003. In 2003 they were about $3300. Now they are almost $10000 a year. Screw them all. I hope everyone moves to Texas or refuses to pay taxes. They are ruining this country & do not care until they have something like the Girl Scout situation that puts a spotlight on the problem. The NBA was also talking about it to make more money. It's ok to scrutinize a non-profit but not the NBA who rip people off with merchandise prices.

If they wanted to fix the problem they would not charge corporate taxes on corporations that are in extinct American industries.

Also, Ford & GM are talking about moving alot of manufacturing to Mexico. The little guy who has to stay in the US gets screwed but these large corps get away with murder. Go figure.

Basically, you are arguing that things are so bad, why try to address any injustice at all? I just cannot accept that.

It would take 1 minute to e-mail the Girl Scouts, so I'm not asking for a big commitment of time here. The only uniform articles the children buy from the National Hdgtrs are sashes and badges; surely you can spare another $5 to keep your neighbors employed?

Yes, we need to look at our trade deficit, our import policies and our tax code -- but life is not an all-or-nothing proposition. This is one little deal we might could influence, bigboy.

I hope you will reconsider your apathy and e-mail the Girl Scouts, and I wish you and your lovely daughters well.

 

[bigboy55]

American textile manufaturers and clothing manufacturers are on the ropes, because they cannot compete in a world wide market where manufacturers are free to use slave labor or child labor. The US has no embargo on such products, and there are no import duties sufficient to protect all of us from the horrors that flow from this ginormous gap in our trade policy.

The latest casualty in this world wide struggle will be Jackie Evans Inc., a 42 year old family owned and operated company that employs 90 workers at its plant in Passaic, a once-booming manufacturing city in northern New Jersey, about 10 miles west of New York City. They've been making uniforms and sashes for their sole client for about a decade. But they are likely to lose that client, as it sought bids from manufacturers in other countries and they cannot compete.

Who is this customer of 42 years' standing that's about to close this little business? The Girl Scouts of America. Barry Horowitz, vice president and general manager for merchandise for the Girl Scouts, felt the organization's members would be better served by buying uniforms at a lower cost, even if they were manufatured by child and slave in Communist China!

The only uniform components that Girl Scouts are required to buy from the organization are sashes, which retail for $5.50 to $6.50, and vests, which run from $15.75 to $20, Horowitz said.

He said it is possible a new vendor would produce the apparel more cheaply, enabling Girl Scouts to lower the price it charges its members, or at least keep the price from rising in the near future.

Some are concerned, however, that farming out the work to a place like China could result in Girl Scout uniforms being made by child labor in poor working conditions.
State Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. wrote the Girl Scouts' president to say American scouts could wear uniforms made "in part by young girls who would be deemed not old enough to work in the United States."

Horowitz said the Girl Scouts are diligent about checking out potential suppliers to prevent such problems. (Color me *suspicious*...even Walmarts can't seem to assure no children are exploited in th emanufacture of Chinese goods.)

"We have a strict arrangement with vendors that they need to ensure that all appropriate laws are adhered to," he said. "We're very rigid about who does our work."

Horowitz would not critique the quality of the Passaic company's work, saying the main goal behind seeking bids from other suppliers is to ensure the best possible price.

He said the process should be completed by the end of the year.

Is price the only consideration, or do you agree with that a children's group that teaches patriotism and kindness should not be wearing closthing made by children in Communist China? Should the organization adhere to its own values and treat the Jackie Evans Inc. company kindly, by allowing it to continue?

Please let Mr. Horowitz know if you think the Jackie Evans Inc. company should get to keep the contract they have had for 42 years. A $11 sash seems like a small price to pay to keep these workers employed and avoid the hypocrisy of dressing little American Girl Scouts in the products of Chinese slave or child labor.

One more thing. I bet you Mr. Horowitz has a large workforce of illegals working there. I am a commercial contractor & I do a lot of work in factories in that area. Every one I have been in has a large hispanic workforce that does not, I repeat, does not speak english. I will also almost guarantee you the mattress you are sleeping on was not made by a legal worker. Look to see what major mattress manufacturer is in the next town over if you think I am making this up.

Also, don't tell me I am profiling against them. I have a mouth & ask questions. So I know for a fact they are illegal. Paterson & the city of Passaic like the state of NJ are sanctuary cities.

So the question is " Is it better to have the garments made in china legally or made by illegals taking American jobs for the profit of the owner of the company?"

 

[Madeline]

bigboy55 wrote:

One more thing. I bet you Mr. Horowitz has a large workforce of illegals working there. I am a commercial contractor & I do a lot of work in factories in that area. Every one I have been in has a large hispanic workforce that does not, I repeat, does not speak english. I will also almost guarantee you the mattress you are sleeping on was not made by a legal worker. Look to see what major mattress manufacturer is in the next town over if you think I am making this up.

Also, don't tell me I am profiling against them. I have a mouth & ask questions. So I know for a fact they are illegal. Paterson & the city of Passaic like the state of NJ are sanctuary cities.

So the question is " Is it better to have the garments made in china legally or made by illegals taking American jobs for the profit of the owner of the company?"

The Girl Scouts of the USA says its uniforms will continue to be made in America following a public uproar over reports the organization was considering bids from overseas manufacturers.

The owners of a family-run New Jersey factory that has been the main supplier of the uniforms for a decade were told recently the Girl Scouts would be seeking bids for the job — including from a company in China.

Workers at Jackie Evans Inc. in Passaic said they couldn't compete with foreign market prices and the move would force their factory to close.

Michelle Tompkins, a spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts, said Monday the organization is still taking bids for the job, but only from U.S.-based companies at the urging of parents, members and volunteers.

Girl Scouts: Uniforms to be US-made | cleveland.com



See, bigboy? Apathy is overrated; we can still have an impact, just by speaking out.

One last thing....I grew up in New York, and I never laid eyes on a Mexican there but I certainly knew tons of Puerto Ricans. It is not unusual to hear Spanish spoken, and these people are as much American citizens as you or I.

That might could have changed, but I doubt it.

 

[Revere]

Manufacturing has been fleeing New Jersey in droves. Is it the Girl Scouts obligation to support the shitty business climate in New Jersey?

They still may send the work somewhere else in the US.

 

[Madeline]

Manufacturing has been fleeing New Jersey in droves. Is it the Girl Scouts obligation to support the shitty business climate in New Jersey?

They still may send the work somewhere else in the US.

The Jackie Evans Inc. company has had that contract for decades. If they cannot find some cost-saving measures to better compete, fair enough.....I dun think the Girl Scouts should have to subsidize them that-a-way. I just think articles of clothing symbolizing American patriotism should not be made by children and slaves in Communist China.

That said, I hope they get to keep the contract. I ♥ small businesses.

 

[blu]

China isn't communist, yet President Obama is a Marxist/Socialist/Communist/Fascist!

????

I guess it all depends who your profits are made by. Chinese can be excused because they make money.

what does this have to do with anything?

And someone who thinks manufacturing jobs require no useful skills just has much more to learn.

what skills do manufacturing jobs, such as those that will be lost by girl scouts moving to china, require?