Reverse the trade flow

Reverse the trade flow

How can the Labor Depart- ment, the Commerce Department, and the U.S. International Trade Commission help the job situation in the United States and even in the Mahoning Valley? What’s been at the source (no pun intended) of job losses here and throughout the country? Answer — offshoring and outsourcing.

Well, members of the Congress, and the Senate, and dear President Obama: It’s time we see foreign companies off shoring and outsourcing to the U.S. (without 10-15 percent unemployment).

Why the Labor Department and the Commerce Department? Because they keep the stats on imports, exports, production, inventories, and prices of the top 20 (even top 50) producers, importers and exporters worldwide. Loaded with that data and backed by evenhanded trade (the Trade Commission comes in here), the ultimate goal is to get “foreigners” to outsource and offshore to the United States.

If we can produce Hondas and Toyotas, we can produce airplanes, green energy, patented cancer drugs, cures for Alzheimer’s disease, and iPods for everybody.

Louis DeToro, Youngstown

Borrowers, lenders: work together

A belated Merry Christmas to all, and especially you mortgage holders, and the banks that own the mortgage. I hope I can help all of you.

From my working for finance companies in the past, I shall give you some information that should help. Anytime anyone owes anyone money and is having a problem paying, always phone the company and explain your situation. Most likely, they will help you out. Do not ever ignore your bill. That is when you get in trouble.

Message to banks: Please help these people who have always paid good in the past. See if you can work out a lower payment until they get on their feet. It would be so much better if they stayed in their homes and you still had the mortgage, rather than kick them out and have an empty house to sit empty and get vandalized. The house may have to be torn down, and the bank may have the cost of removal, and then the bank would be further in the hole.

The sensible and compassionate way to handle this is the above.

Thelma Wertz, Canfield