New Jobs For Michigan

As if NAFTA, GATT and all the other TRADE Agreements aren't bad enough, taking jobs away from Americans, but we are also competing with the Department of Justice for jobs as well.

So when you are looking up voting records to see who supported giving away American jobs to other countries, go here to Vote Smart.

I guess we could all go to work for UNICOR, it's reported in 2003 to be one of the fastest growing companies in America! Just look at what all they produce.

These are excerpts from:

THE FACTS ABOUT FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES -- (House of Representatives - May 20, 2003)

Library of Congress /Thomas

Starting at [Page: H4360]

Now, I think this Justice Department, for some reason, really has it in for Michigan. We are a great tourism State, we are a great agricultural State, we are a great office furniture State, and we are a great automotive component State. But take a look at this: fleet management and vehicular components. In 2001, it was $31 million. Last year, they grew it to $99 million. Automotive components grew by 216 percent. How many American workers do you believe are now unemployed because of the actions of Federal Prison Industries in the automotive components sector?

They had a bad year in graphics; they had a bad year in industrial products. They both declined. Office furniture, another good year. Increase of 24 percent. Recycling. Now, there is something you might think would be really worthwhile, but they declined in recycling. In services, here now they are getting into the services business. This is the first entry that this Justice Department is saying, through some very loose interpretation, not only are we going to be able to go and sell and mandate to government; but we are now going into the private sector, and we are going to compete with private industry in the commercial market. Forty-one percent. This Justice Department is going to grow their Federal Government business, and they are going to grow and compete in the private sector. It is absolutely unbelievable the growth plan that Federal Prison Industries is under today. The overall net result is that last year Federal Prison Industries grew by 16 percent.

What else do we know about Federal Prison Industries as we go through their annual report? Take a look at what they produce. Fleet management. Vehicular components. The business group. Rebuild and refurbish vehicle components. New vehicle retrofit services.

Fleet management. Customized services and programs. Turn-key solutions. Clothing and textiles. Law enforcement, medical, military and institutional apparel. Mattresses, bedding,

[Page: H4363]

linens and towels. Embroidery, screen printing, custom-made draperies and curtains. Industrial products. Dorm and quarters furnishings. Industrial racking. Catwalks. Warehouse office shelving. Custom fabricated industrial products. Lockers and storage cabinets. Optical eye wear. Security fencing. Replacement filters.

I wonder if we go back and take a look at each one of these how many of these industries were actually growth industries last year and then compare them to what happened at Federal Prison Industries. My guess is they probably grew at Federal Prison Industries and declined in the rest of the world.

Graphics business group. Custom engraving and printing on awards, promotional gifts and license plates. Interior and exterior architectural safety and recreational signs. Printing and creative design services. Remanufacturing of toner cartridges. Office furniture group. Office furnishings and accessories. Seating products. Case goods. Training and table products. Office systems products. Filing and storage products. Packaged office solutions. A turnkey solution. Electronics business group. Exterior and interior task lighting systems. Wire harness assemblies and circuit boards. Electrical components and connectors. Electrical cables, both braided and cord assemblies.

This was back in 2003, you can check out UNICOR's site to see their 2009 Annual Report

The expansion into the renewable energy sector is exciting and we are very pleased with the newest “green” product offering on its Schedule of Products: Photovoltaic (solar) Panels. We recognize that new opportunities such as those in the renewable energy sector as well as exposure and training inmates in Lean Six Sigma processes will strengthen and broaden the continued FPI reentry goals.

Given our Nation’s economic climate and employment trends of recent years, FPI has faced the realities of lagging earnings as well as the loss of valuable inmate jobs. The Board and FPI leadership have made a concerted effort to ensure that FPI’s revenue stream remains sufficient to cover its operating expenses. This year, FPI undertook the decisive corrective actions that we felt were necessary to prevent further erosion of operating cash. This included the downsizing and consolidation of several operations, and the closure of several FPI factories. The closures included discontinuing FPI’s wood dorm and quarters furniture operations which, at the height of activity during the mid-1990s, employed more than 800 inmates. Despite the financial challenges presented in fiscal year 2009, we are committed to our mission to employ and provide job skills training to the greatest practical number of inmates.

Now, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if the Department of Justice, (Federal Government) owns and operates Prison Industries, and it's mission is to provide job skills to the greatest number of inmates, isn't this like a conflict of interest?

"Now we will have this brand new factory there called Federal Prison Industries. That will be paying workers 23 cents to $1.15 an hour.

The factory will not pay any property taxes to support your local schools, to support your local business infrastructure. It will not pay any State taxes. The workers will not pay any Social Security. The workers are not even covered by OSHA." CR 5/20/03

Could this be why the United States leads the world with the largest prison population per capita, because it's a very profitable business for the Federal Government?