The history of Connecticut is found in many forms all around us. I see it as I drive around and notice the large, old, abandoned brick factories that are now closed and boarded up. These were huge thriving businesses built along rivers that powered the machinery that made wonderful products used locally and sold across the country. Those were the days when everybody had a job. Companies would provide housing for their workers and their families and pensions for their retirement. It was not uncommon for employees to spend their entire lives working for just one company. Whole families were known to work there as well, one generation after another. These were good jobs.
What the heck happened? We didn't stop using the products that were made at these factories. So what was it? Was it the decisions of business leaders to have their products made in another country for less money? Could be. All I know is that it wasn't all that long ago that this happened. What I notice now is that we no longer manufacture many products here and that too many of our residents are unemployed and can't find work. People don't have the money that they once had. They don't have the jobs.
Politics is not my strong suit, and it seems like the more I learn about economics, the less I know. Even the experts aren't sure how we got into this mess and no two people think alike on how we are going to get out of it. This leads me to think that we cannot afford to wait around for others to fix our problems. We must "go for self" by taking responsibility for our actions, our decisions and the choices we make. Asking ourselves, "What can I do about it?" is a good place to start.
First, let us identify the problem, if we can, and then provide some possible solutions. Without asking why the real estate bubble burst, or why the banks aren't lending or whether we have hit the bottom on foreclosures and bankruptcies or when the jobs will return, let's focus on the issue of today's money. Our money. The money we work hard for. The money we spend on purchasing. Where is this money going after we buy something? Will it be circulated among our neighbors? Or, will it go to people in other countries? Are we giving our money away? Simply put, when money is spent on products imported from foreign countries, our hard-earned dollars leave this country to pay the wages and improve the economy in other parts of the world. That said, I don't know about you, but I was taught that charity begins at home. This is my second reason to Buy Connecticut. Yes, all that I mentioned above are contributing factors to the overall problems we are experiencing. Yeah, the jobs are gone but that doesn't mean our money has to follow them. Why don't we keep our money here allowing for circulation?
Let me be clear, this is not a push for boycotting. What I am saying is that there is a need for a heightened awareness to a problem that exists, and so far we are not doing anything about it. So what can be done about it? Where to start? We are talking about the potential for change here.
The analogy I would like to start with is that of recycling. Not long ago we all just discarded our recyclables with the garbage and threw everything into the landfill. Remember that? Now we are aware of the need to protect the environment. We reuse our paper and cardboard; we find other uses for our plastic, aluminium and glass containers. Recycling businesses opened up for second-hand items like wood, windows, metals, fixtures, and so on. We look at recycling differently now with our new sense of awareness. What we are doing, each of us, is protecting our environment, trying to make Mother Earth a better place to live for ourselves and our children. We are all working together, doing our part, pitching in for a common goal. We have also created new jobs with this recycling concept.
Is putting effort into changing our spending habits and bettering our local community any different? We are always faced with choices. Whether to buy that item, made by someone on the other side of the world or from your neighbor is your choice. The folks that make products here, the artists, farmers and handicrafters, their job is to make something available for you to buy. They offer you something of quality for a reasonable price. We can't afford to lose these jobs. I can only ask that before you buy, read the label to see where it was made and think about where you want your money to go.
Don't discard your money, recycle it... Buy American/Buy Connecticut.
Jimmy Halloran is Co-Owner of ConnecticutHandiworks.com, an online retailer featuring handcrafted items made in Connecticut
No comments:
Post a Comment