Apple: Bring Jobs Back to America

With Apple making billions and billions in profits (even in a bad economy), you'd think they could afford to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.A. and still make a decent profit.  Once a company like Apple has more than $25 billion dollars in cash on hand, that tells me they are either charging too much for their products, or they could make a little less and invest in American manufacturing facilities.  I think you can make money, be competitive, and do the right thing - all at the same time.

Intel is investing $7 billion over the next two years to improve U.S. based manufacturing facilities, and in the process will create 7,000 new high-wage jobs in this country.  The only question will be - can we find qualified workers in the U.S. to fill these high-tech jobs?  I certainly hope so.  If the United States is to stay economically competitive, we need more than service jobs.  We need high-tech manufacturing jobs.  It is time for Apple to follow Intel's lead and bring some of these jobs back to our own shores.

And please don't tell me it can't be done...that companies *need* to manufacture overseas to stay competitive.  That is a load of crap.  You can buy a quality espresso maker made in Italy that costs only $100 more than a crappy one made in China.  You can buy an electric toothbrush (Oral-B) made in Germany for the same price as one made in China.  And you can still buy a few things made in this country that are well made and priced competitively.

Apple, please "think different" and consider investing more in America.  You'll share some of your obscene wealth with American workers, and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.  Imagine if your labels said "Designed and Assembled in California".  How cool would that be?