Made in the USA is NOT Enough to Save the Economy

        What is wrong with our country today? Everyone sits around complaining about the economy and waits for it to fix itself. People would bash the newest politicians out their than worry about what is happening in their own backyard. The crazy thing is that we have solutions to fixing our own local economies - there are studies that show how to fix the problems at home. Simply put - Shop Local.  If your money stays local there are more jobs at home - more revenue in the local economies.  Buy made in the USA when you can - but if you buy from a large chain store - most of your money still leaves your area.  Large chain stores employ less people - get huge tax breaks - cost local communities to even be there. We are paying them less up front sometimes - but always paying more in the long run. When the local American population can wrap their heads around that then we will be on the right track again.
        If you seriously think that Obama and Washington are ready to pull us out of this and have all the answers- then please - let me sell you a bridge in Brooklyn.

Small Business Owner - Take Control of the American Economy

        Are you a small business owner - or do you have a network of small business owners that are suffering in todays economy? I want to hear from you and the problems you are facing so thay can be addressed and we can get our country's economy back on track.
ALocalWay@aol.com
@ALocalWay on Twitter
or leave a comment here

Even if you are just a local consumer tired of seeing your town losing local businesses due to the economy - if you want to help - let me know!

The American people want to support you - let's show them how!!!

Let's make "Too Big to Fail" "Too Small to Matter" Local Economy

    Was it $700 billion dollars that all those big banks needed to pull out with after they used our money to play with on Wall Street? I could be wrong on that figure - but I am pretty sure it wasn't less.  Why did the government bail them out? Oh yeah - "too big to fail" - they had to survive so they could take care of us - right?  They needed the banks to keep loaning money so our economy could keep growing and put people back to work.
   Who has the money?
The largest 20 banks in the USA have 57% of bank assets averaging  $380 billion
The mid size banks have around 11%  - averaging $1-10 billion each
small banks - 11%  $1 billion and under
   Who does the lending?
The largest 20 banks  - 28% of loans
Mid size banks - 20 % of loans
small banks - 34% of loans
  So the small banks with the least amount of money are lending the most to help to grow our economy - while the big banks are probably playing on Wall Street again and making their investors happy - why did we bail them out again?
Why are we giving them our money?  If we want a better local economy - doesn't it make more sense to put our money in a bank that believes in your community? After all the mistakes they have made in the past I would be afraid to leave my money in the hands of heartless corporate fat cats.
   I say we invest in Main Street - Not Wall Street !!!!!
Here is your chance to make a difference without changing your lifestyle a bit - move your money to a local bank or credit union - keep your money local and help your community - prevent Too be to Fail again - if we all move our accounts - they become - Too Small To Matter - the next time they make a bad investment - let them go down - the way they should have to begin with. 
If you love your community - take the time and move your accounts - a minor headache - should have been done a long time ago. Follow the money trail and start keeping your cash at home - I will continue to seek out the easiest ways to help solve the shop local buy USA issues - this is the easiest one.  You will be doing your part everyday without even knowing it.
With all the talk from the Obama administration about jobs and the economy - you would think that things would have turned for the better by now - I guess it really is left up to us to get control.   The key is to keep money at home.
More local and made in the USA = more jobs -   we need banks that are on board to achieve this.
So Support your LOCAL bank!!!!!

Big Biz Runs for the Border

        The purpose for this blog is education - we intend to educate the American public on how their everyday choices reflect on the economy, to shop responsibly, to poke fun at some of the extreme politicking going on, and above else we want to help our fellow man.  We believe that most Americans do not realize the power they yield at the check out register and that if they had a bit of help understanding where their hard earned cash is going - they would make better choices. Responsible spending will bring with it - a lower deficit, more money in your community, more jobs, better jobs, better education, higher home values, less crime, etc...  All of these things are happening in India right now - they have a growing middle class as the American middle class shrinks.  I wonder if that has something to do with all the jobs our American Big Biz have moved there to avoid our governments regulations? hmmmm
     If you have made it this far through the blog and you are yawning right now then apparently you fail to understand how this is going to affect you. So your job is safe - you are indespensible - you have it made - right?  Wrong!  Think again - the next time you pull out in your BMW I want you to take a look around at your neighborhood. How secure is it going to be as the middle class disappears and your fellow citizens begin to turn to crime? Look at the public parks - how long will the money last before funding is cut to support those little luxuries in life - feeding straving families surely will override cutting the grass. What abouit all those lovely little independently owned businesses that line the streets of your hometown - will they still be there after these big box chain stores plopped down in the middle of town and are given all these tax breaks resulting in the little guy not being able to compete. Now that middle class American citizens are becoming lower class Americans - has anyone thought about their tax dollars shrinking as well? You can't get blood from a turnip you know. So where will these new tax dollars come from - YOU - the future over taxed citizens - because remember - you still have your job - the government still has to get paid - big biz is protecting itself by running over the border. 
     So before you roll your eyes and say it doesn't apply to you - Think Again - spread the message - we are going to continue ongoing education about the money trail. We are not selling anything - but like you, We will benefit from having a better America and it can happen quicker and have more impact if we do it ourselves instead of waiting on Washington to cut through all the red tape!
Sincerely,
Amanda Schalau
Average American

Flag Burners Beware -

The link below is of a guy who tried to burn the American Flag on the LSU campus - Yes he had the right to assemble - but the ones who stopped him had the right to assemble too - I for one am tired of these stupid protest - tha flag represents his freedom so why would he burn it ? - get the HELL out of the country if you hate it so much.     If you need that much attention then go get therapy - get a grip

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUb_qvHX_wc&feature=player_embedded

People need to think how their actions really make them look stupid - remember 9/11 - it's just not popular to burn flags anyone. Go hug a tree or something useful.  Or find a new crack dealer because whatever you are smoking is making you stupid

Shop Local - Does NOT mean Wal-mart

          Recently I have spent most of my time blogging the benefits of buying American made products - today I am going to spend a little time on something that is just as important to your local communities - Shopping LOCAL.  When I use the term "shop local" I am not talking about running down to your local Wal-mart and do your shopping.  When I say "shop local" - I am talking about the individually owned shops around your town. How will this little bit of time and effort on your part benefit you and your community? - Well it starts by keeping more of your spending dollars in your immediate communities. More $$$ in town means more jobs in town right?
         With Mother's Day upon us - I am truly disturbed by all the 1-800 numbers being advertised all over the internet and the television to order good old mom her spring bouquet. - When a person picks up the phone or goes online to order their flowers - they are a middle man taking a cut of the money and having your local florist doing the work and getting paid less. Why not just call your local florist directly and get a custom arrangement unlike all the 1,000s of ones being ordered by a picture online.  Shouldn't your local florist get to know you and what your budget and tastes are like? Wouldn't it be nice to have  relationship with someone in town who is there for you for special occasions?
         I have always used a local florist - always.  When I had my children - they sent me a stuffed animal to say congrats - when Christmas came around I was surprised with a card and a poinsettia - when my husband passed - they were there to hold my hand and the flowers were as special as anything you could imagine.
       Knowing that hundreds of thousands of people out there are missing out on a relationship like that saddens me.
      The average consumer is lost when it comes to communicating their needs with these hard working individually owned businesses - they are used to buying chain store prewrapped gifts that they forget that they call call these locally owned shops and get better gifts and service for the same price. And the gift means more when it doesn't have a Wal-mart sticker on the shrink wrap.
        Beauty shops are especially good at putting together special gifts and most offer gift certificates - also keeping money in your community. Also tell your local beauty shop what hair spray you use - or how much you want to spend on beauty products and let them fill your needs instead of the big box chains that are sending you money out of town.  These people will accomidate your needs - they want to - and your local community will thrive. 
      So to sum it up - using your local businesses - keeps money in your community, creates new jobs, better customer service, spices things up with unique products and added diversity, keeps character downtown with local storefronts, and the most valuable thing that cannot be bought - YOU will be bringing you community closer together as well as making friends that you can invite to your annual Christmas party - instead of emailing thanks yous to all those online stores.  
       By the way - when is the last time you got a invitation to a get together from Wal-mart or 1-800-Flowers?  I must have missed mine - (never)

Blog to Shop Local

In the past year we have rebuilt our lives and pushed ahead because the world didn't stop - ut we carried with us the pain that he was feeling when he took his own life. How desperate he must have felt and with no where to turn. I understand that he couldn't reach out and ask for help. We hope to build a network for local businesses and their local communities. To let the local consumer know how their spending power can really make a difference in the economic strength of the area where they live. They need to remember when they make their purchases that their children are growing up in the local school system, that the empty buildings lining their streets equal unemployment and crime in their towns. They fail to realize that their homes are going down in value with every click of the mouse that they are using to buy products that they could have bought from a local vendor. Are they thinking about their children not being able to find jobs in their community as they grow older - or the burden of  the government programs that are feeding and housing those who cannot find a job. At this point in the game - Is it even possible to buy local and buy American?  
Step one is to buy local - we are working on ways to make this more convenient to today's consumer - we will be working on step two - Step two involves our country moving back to producing it's own goods - I would be hard pressed to get all the products I needed to live and try to get 100% American made items. It is our intention to provide a way to find these businesses easily and build a demand for these businesses.  There needs to better balance between the import and export of goods   - we feel the only way to start building our country back up - in particular - the communities where are children are growing up - is to start from the bottom - the consumers
The consumers buy from local businesses - demand the businesses start promoting American made products - this creates a demand for the manufacting to come back into our country - thus keeping $$$$ in our country and creating a flurry of new jobs.   I personally do not care if Wal-mart keeps "rolling back" their prices on all the junk that gets made in China - if my kids are going to end up on welfare because they couldn't find a job in 15 years.
Just my 2 cents - follow our progress - website and youtube videos coming soon - we are 4 days into it and trying to build the movement - Spread the word