FTC: Made In The USA Comments Concerning Dana Weeks--P894219 Office of the Secretary May 12, 1997 Re:Made in the USA Policy Comment Dear Madam or Sir: I am writing to express opposition to the proposed change of the standard by which products are labeled "Made in the USA." Such a change would have serious adverse impact on the American public. People are entitled to honest, reliable information upon which to make consumer choices. Loosening content standards for labeling products "Made in the USA" would be a fraud. Because of the significance of these proposed changes that these changes are being driven to serve the greed of a wealthy few, I hereby request public hearings be held on this matter. As a consumer, I am diligent in seeking out American-made goods where possible. I am able to do this despite the odious practice of Yankee-sounding brand names. "Lake of the Woods", "Colorado" or "Great Land" invariably appear on products made abroad. I am only able find and buy American- made goods because "Made in the USA" labels really mean what they say. Alter or weaken the meaning of "Made in USA" to benefit some unscrupulous big business fat cats and corporate pigs, and you remove my and other Americans' ability to make informed choices. Choices to support domestic industry. To promote a sustainable domestic economy. To keep Americans at work and off welfare, employed and thus for some, out of prison. You would weaken my ability to boycott countries which exploit or persecute their own people. Erosion of America's industrial base would accelerate. My ability to help stem the flood of American dollars to Communists in China would fade away. I went shopping for hand tools recently. With the help of truthful and honest country-of-origin labeling, I found and bought pliers made by the Diamond Tool Co. of Duluth, MN, rather than another tool made in a sweatshop somewhere in China. No doubt the Chinese product was cheaper to make and market. But the tools made in China and in Duluth, USA were priced within pennies of each other. Somewhere between China and my local hardware store, corporate fat cats had jacked the price. The same fat cats have spent millions of dollars thus pocketed to lobby the FTC and Congress for weaker standards by which products may be labeled “Made in the USA.” This is repugnant. Do not alter current criteria for made-in-the-USA labeling. As a consumer, I am an affected party. I request to be provided by the FTC with a copy of the final rule. Sincerely, Dana WeeksDana Weeks |