OK guys, a chance to weigh in on Keystone and Dakota - Trump approved but with a catch
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Hey roadtrasheer is our pipeline significantly more expensive than what we could buy overseas or is it cost competitive? Is Trump forcing more costs on that XL pipeline by requiring US Steel at the exclusion of other options?
I'm sure we agree on way more than you think, it's just I've been labeled a liberal because I don't worship the ground Trump walks on. How about Trump starts building/manufacturing his own products in America before he starts forcing private industry to. Weren't we discussing hypocrites recently?
I have to agree with you again here. Trump's a hypocrite if he won't force his own companies to do what he's using Government to force other manufacturers or suppliers to do, and he needs to be called on it.
What frustrates me is no one cares about the costs and difficulty Government has imposed on U.S. manufacturers and suppliers. We need to weed that out first, then see who could afford to operate profitably in the U.S.? We might not even have to use Government to impose any "buy US first" edicts on our companies if we'd just free them up to operate here profitably without all of the heavy hand of big Government.
To me the Government just screws up sh*t, even when they are trying to help.
Damned if I can understand the opposition to use of US Steel. Maybe everyone on here is too young to remember what happened to the steel industry in the US. Allow me to refresh. US govt loaned cheap money to Japan and China to assist them in building their economy. US was repaid by those countries dumping their steel in US. Cheap money to rebuild factories steel mills.
US Steel could not compete with government subsidized products built in super modern plants. Meanwhile, US industries were charged full price for money. They tried to work with totally antiquated equipment.
You bet your sweet *** that I agree with demand to build with US produced steel. Even if the cost is a little more and bid fairly in US or bidding advantage allowed to US manufacturer. We sat on our asses in the 70's and watched our industry stolen.
Sat thru a memorable meeting 20 years ago. Local manufactures of fabrics was getting killed and needed relief to stay in business. He related that he had just referbed some of his plants and used the cheapest steel he could find to modernize his facility to compete. Textile mills moved across waters for cheaper production costs. Employees received my sympathy, but not administration who sought the cheapest way out.
Hopefully no one will question my conservatism.
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I'm not sure about base costs, but HTS on tube steel is somewhere between 8.5% and 35%. You'd really have to figure out what the exact specs are to know what specific tariff code applies.
how can you agree with that after our govt has told him to take hands off? Trump should not be allowed to make an opinion. Younger Trumps are in charge.
There's a building for Homeland here in the Eastern Panhandle that may up getting torn down before it's finished. They've had some horrific "Buy American" issues crop up. For example, electrician ran all his conduit, pulled all his wires, but it was learned he used couplings for the conduit that was not US made. Had to rip it all out.
Hadn't thought of this...I do remember how Bethlehem Steel virtually shut down in the mid 70's and early 80's up in Western New York...thousands of lost jobs...off to China, Japan and in some cases Mexico.
A lot of it was driven by Union demands, but also a lot of it was also Big Government just as you described...environmental regulations and Foreign subsidies to build up Japan and China.
If we're gong to force American companies to use our steel, why not allow it to be sold with the same tax supported subsidies they gave the Foreigners? Like the way we do Farmers now with price supports?
I am still against Government mandates, but if we're going to "force" US steel to be used, why not make it as cheap to buy as we possibly can to offset China's and Japan's cost advantages that we helped them build?
Just like Trump said, we're so stupid when we do deals...why do we screw ourselves?
Well I'm saying if Trump wants us to buy American and build American, his company's should not be exempted. Be consistent.
I don't hate business, I just think business does fine on its own. Business doesn't need government to manipulate the market, and business doesn't need government protection. Government should establish laws that dictate what businesses can and can't do, but other than that government should be hands off.
I trust the EPA, and if that trust is misplaced than I expect my government to address it quickly. I think the problem I have with Trump is that we are all seeing the real problem but expecting one man to fix it. The problem is our governement. The two party system and financial influence has corrupted even local levels of government and forced us into a system that lacks accountability and does not function as intended. Trump is many people's answer to that corruption. I don't buy it. I bought it in 2008. I think we need to affect change from ground up.
I think there should be some style of worker insurance (outside of social security) that is used to supplement some Americans (such as the aged miner in your scenario). My wife's grandparents were good citizens, worked their whole lives, donated to the Republican Party, and were WWII vets. They are dying in a home (because at home care was too expensive), and literally have nothing to pass onto their children. These scenarios are unacceptable. One thing I like about Trump is his commitment to trim the fat off of government contracts. I think the government spends poorly, and it needs to be tightened up. Yes, it's just more spending...but it can be done if we spend wiser.
I agree with much of what you posted here boom...on this I think you need to give him a chance.
You realize the fat on these contracts are because of the bureaucracy and regulatory requirements levied in response to the outrage over the "$100 hammer"?
You should do some reading on Earned Value Management Systems and the financial reporting requirements associated with it. I have some Gov't contracts that require it and others that don't. The ones that require it, I tack on at a minimum 300% of the required Program Management (The most expensive resources in our company when compared to Engineering and Field Support) support necessary to follow the contract than that of the ones who don't. The worst part is that it's required to follow these completely ambiguous "guidelines" (because they are open to interpretation from the various DCMA and DCAA representatives, it's not that I'm fleecing the customer. Its a neverending moving of goalposts. You want Gov't contracts to cost less? Get the Gov't out of the process.
You want a satirical yet extremely realistic look into the world of defense spending? Watch the movie "Pentagon Wars" with Cary Elwes, Kelsey Grammer, and the guy from Scrubs. The early scenes where they are going through the different Engineering revisions and how it comes up is so spot on. It will also give a very realistic look into the dysfunction of a Program Office. Much of my disdain for Gov't is beyond my experience in the DMV and more with the Fed bureaucracy. I always say that Private industry can do it cheaper, faster, and better, however, with all of the regulations, they've ground us into the same immovable mass of **** they became.
Don't blame it on "government". Congress has placed many of those requirements on agencies like the DOD, DOE, etc.
[QUOTE="DvlDog4WVU, post: 1433789, member: 3664"]You want Gov't contracts to cost less? Get the Gov't out of the process.[/QUOTE]
This whole post is so spot on! It's the bureaucracy that is our enemy...and those people have a vested interest to keep Government as big and inefficient as possible because that's what protects their jobs and lifestyles.
My God has he nailed it here in this entire post. Trump has more work to do than even he is aware of.
Leviathan will not be easy to dismantle, but we have to try.
Excellent post DvLDog4WVU.
This whole post is so spot on! It's the bureaucracy that is our enemy...and those people have a vested interest to keep Government as big and inefficient as possible because that's what protects their jobs and lifestyles.
My God has he nailed it here in this entire post. Trump has more work to do than even he is aware of.
Leviathan will not be easy to dismantle, but we have to try.
Excellent post DvLDog4WVU.
Understand. just being a little catty. But The Donald is being forced to not participat in Trump Indus.
He isn't upsetting his friends including the donors who contributed to his campaign set to benefit from the pipeline
Do you realize how much money Hillary raised? It was significantly more than Trump raised. And she would've denied Keystone because one of her largest donors, Tom Steyer, is a radical Environmentalist.
As of right now it's cheaper to buy import steel , but is that because of taxes & regulations? I don't know the answers to that. I know I have to turn my heat down to weld it .im sure it's up to code & 98% of the time it holds test , but I have had to replace more Pakistani fittings due to pin holes than any other ..
I actually thought he voluntarily surrendered his interests in Trump Inc?
Could be wrong.
In 2010 I worked at us steel in Chicago & they was building a pipe machine for rolling the steel . It was my understanding it was for the keystone , after that I went to Pittsburgh & worked on the new coke battery plant ..at U.S steel ....very good job .
I am down with your idea...as long as the somewhat minimal length of Keystone in Canada is built from Canadian steel or if unavailable whomever our administration decides to source it from(actually EDIT, if unavailable from here it would be an act of good faith to source from our friendly neighbour)....US Steel in Canada has been re-branded to its original plant name of Stelco now however the plants are still owned by Bedrock an American company. There are plants here in both Nanticoke and Hamilton....
Why are all the Libs and Cons getting along today? I guess it is the Trump sort of wildcard mix? I still have a raised eyebrow but am watching enthusiastically....
I wasn't talking about specific Program offices. They are like any other organization. Some great, well intentioned, and hard working folks. Then there are others who aren't.
You are right. He could spend entire term fighting legal fights or continue with historical precedence. Why would he want to bust his *** to be President if he sees all his efforts would be twice as difficult. This one is different also because of his vast holdings. This would be the same situation Palin found herself in. Two people had a constant flow of FOI claims that kept her defending herself. Could he have withstood? Probably, but it would take away time governing, IMO.
Yes, but I'm not an impartial broker here. Not do I have family involved in American steel I have other interests.