Shouldn't federal projects be built with U.S. equipment?

Shouldn't federal projects be built with U.S. equipment?
EDITOR:
A few weeks ago I was watching a PBS program about natural gas drilling in Wyoming on federal land. Local residents were upset about the damage to our pristine wildlands. I don't like it either, but am willing to bite the bullet because we need the natural gas. But then I noticed that the heavy equipment that was used for building the access/maintanence roads was Japanese made.
We Americans are paying the cost of a certain amount of damage to our pristine wildlands and the Japanese are getting the manufacturing jobs producing the equipment doing the damage to our wildlands.
Then I took notice at a highway construction site. Funded in part by federal money. Your tax money and mine. Once again I saw Japanese-made heavy equipment. So our tax money is directly subsidizing Japanese manufacturing jobs.
I don't know when it got changed, or who made the change. But it used to be required that work done on any federally funded project had to be done by American manufactured machines and tools. NAFTA, the pet project of the Democrats sent many of our jobs south out of country. Lets get some of them back!
I propose that we write to the president (it's very easy to do on the Internet) asking for an executive order mandating that federally funded work be done by U.S. manufactured machines and tools. Both of which must be manufactured of U.S. made steel. Which in turn helps solve the problem of increasing imported steel tariffs.
My city of Aurora is on the verge of buying a piece of Japanese manufactured heavy equipment. So cities, counties, and states are part of the problem also.
Write, e-mail or call your congressman, senator, the governor, and the president now! Together we can help make a change.
DONALD MILLER
Aurora
As lockout approaches a year, settlement urged
EDITOR:
The Niles Clergy Association has expressed concern for many months about the lockout at RMI. Nearly a year has passed since the lockout began.
We have hosted prayer services every week praying for a peaceful and just resolution to this lockout.
We have met with management and union representatives and have listened to both sides.
We express our appreciation to everyone who has prayed for the peaceful and just resolution of this matter. We respectively encourage all to continue to pray in this spirit.
We urge both sides to come to a swift and peaceful resolution to this matter. We are convinced that only a peaceful and fair settlement will be most beneficial to both sides and to this entire community.
Father LARRY FRIENT
Father JOHN GUBSER
and the Niles Clergy Association
Schools must tighten belt
EDITOR:
Citizens of Austintown, I must ask you to think hard before you vote yes on the school levy.
The school board still has not learned fiscal responsibility. They think we all have money trees growing in our back yard. Sorry to say I don't have any in my back yard.
Now they have finally got their $26 million new school for which we will have to pay for the next 26 years. I fear that when this school is built, they will put a levy on the ballot to furnish it.
Do any of you know that the high school alone has a superintendent and a director of curriculum -- what ever that is? They also have four principals. Kind of top heavy I would say, and Austintown Middle School has a principal and an assistant principal, as does Frank Ohl Middle School.
They say when a new company moves into an area, they want to know how good the school system is. But also, they want to know how the taxes are. At the rate we are going, they will have to change the name from Austintown Township to Levy Township.
In closing, let me say that I and sure in the spring the Trustees will have a Levy for the police and the fire departments. Please say no to both of them.
ROBERT E. O'MARA
Austintown