Buying Local

One thing is certain about life in North America these days, and that is that most things are uncertain. A look at the real estate market is proof positive of this; there are more homes for sale than there have been in a very long time, largely as a result of people losing their jobs and making changes in their living plans.

A drive around any neighbourhood will reveal this to be true. The problem is, our economic problems are the result of many different factors combined. That Burlington, Ontario home for sale could be on the market because the owners "took advantage" of sub-prime mortgage offers. On the other hand, many houses in Burlington and other cities in Ontario are for sale because of job losses. One of the biggest concerns as far as employment in North America is the state of automobile manufacturers.

The fact of the matter is that whether or not we are on board with the plans of Ford, GM, and Chevrolet over the past decade or so as far as marketing, our economy across the continent is tied to their success. Much of Ontario's woes of the last few years have come from the facts that the big auto makers can no longer afford to maintain former levels of plant staffing. Ottawa itself has become concerned with the problem (along with Washington DC), enough to seriously consider bail out plans for the nation's largest automakers.

Of course, government bailouts for large corporations are hard for any citizen to swallow. After all, if business can count on government to get them out of trouble that they created, then any business can come up with plan destined for failure and still "succeed" financially. What is to stop the government from bailing out every sling manufacturer, restaurant, or power plant company that starts to get into trouble financially?

For that reason, the bailout of domestic auto companies has to come at a grass roots level, and that means the consumers in the country need to take action. We're not talking buying domestic just for the sake of it (although it will help you and your fellow citizens in the end). It is important, instead, to really make decisions based on facts instead of "common knowledge", which is so often wrong.

So what is wrong about common perception of vehicles manufactured domestically? Well, almost everything. Not long ago, salespeople handing out Oregon business cards after a transaction at a Ford dealership in Portland would have had the chance to make a case for the vehicles in stock. Today, though, too many people are not even bothering to check in with domestic dealerships as they buy. They run on rumours of sub standard parts, fear of warranties that will not be honoured, and poor comparative fuel consumption. The fact is that most domestically made vehicles are more than competitive in all of these categories.

Individuals alone can't help get the economy back on track through purchasing domestically manufactured vehicles. Business to business transactions count for most of the dollars spent in the world, and the auto industry is no exception. Cities which buy a Ford model for a septic truck, shipping companies who honour GM rigs, and maintenance companies using Chevrolet lines for highways are all helping to keep domestic automakers, and our economy, afloat.

Buying domestically manufactured vehicles just makes sense from any perspective. Once you get passed the hype and focus on facts, most people see that domestic vehicles are the best purchase from all angles, the economy certainly not least.