Barbara Mayhue – 6/9/05

This page was last updated on June 11, 2005.

Put blame where it belongs; Barbara Mayhue; Beaver County Times; June 9, 2005.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“I cannot believe the May 26 editorial regarding Americans buying foreign products.

“The editorial commented that ‘the American people lack the self-discipline’ to stop purchasing these products because they ‘want the best products at the lowest possible prices.’

“What a concept. Obviously, you must have all the money in the world to purchase whatever you want at whatever prices asked.”

[RWC] Huh? If I understand this correctly, Ms. Mayhue is saying – unintentionally, I’m sure – that without imports we would be unable to purchase a lot of items we can afford to buy now.

“Don’t blame this situation solely on the consumer. Blame also the manufacturers for their greed. Their profits didn’t allow for their owners’ and executives’ enormous salaries, so they moved their companies out of the country, leaving this country with low-end jobs and leaving us with no choice but to buy what we can afford.”

[RWC] Why is it always “greed” when businesses want to maximize their earnings? Isn’t it management’s fiduciary responsibility to maximize profit? What does Ms. Mayhue believe is the primary goal of a business? Why isn’t it greed when workers push for higher wages or change jobs to make more money?

Ms. Mayhue ignores the foreign companies that moved production facilities to the U.S. These companies include BMW, Honda, Sony, Toyota, and so on. She also promotes the myth that companies that do move from the U.S. leave behind “low-end jobs.”

“No choice to buy what we can afford?” When did anyone have a choice to buy what they could not afford?

“Also, ethics in the American workplace have deteriorated. Perfection is no longer the searched-for standard. ‘Everybody makes mistakes’ is the accepted standard, with the result being more inferior American products produced.”

[RWC] Wait, I thought the reason businesses moved production out of the U.S. was due to greed. Ms. Mayhue now tells us businesses had to move because of product quality problems.

“And as for ‘leading the good life,’ get real and read the paper - no health insurance for millions, more bankruptcies, more companies going out of business.

“What world are you living in? The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and the middle class is becoming extinct.”

[RWC] The U.S. economy is outperforming nearly all industrialized countries, including those socialist havens in Europe. If “the poor are getting poorer, and the middle class is becoming extinct,” how can home ownership be at an all-time high? If the U.S. is so bad, why do so many immigrants risk their lives to come here?

Perhaps Ms. Mayhue should ask herself on which world she is living.