Manufacturing & Technology News articles from December 2006

Manufacturing & Technology News archives from December 2006

Manufacturers and farmers form alliance to battle against proponents of free trade.
December 15, 2006... A new coalition is being formed by farmers, manufacturers and labor officials who are frustrated with multinational companies' control of a trade agenda they say is devastating the U.S. economy. The coalition has the backing of Nucor, the...

DARPA creates program aimed at overcoming production problems.
December 15, 2006... After years of discussion and prodding from the private sector, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has created a new manufacturing program aimed at fostering a radical transformation of the industrial base. The "Disruptive...

OECD ranks China No. 2 in global R & D.
December 15, 2006... China is becoming a powerhouse in research and development, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). China this year is expected to move into second place in the world in R & D spending, with a total...

Europe launches huge R & D program.
December 15, 2006... The largest research program in the history of Europe is about to get underway. The Seventh European Framework Program For Research and Technological Development will receive a formal kick-off on Dec. 22, when the European Commission issues its...

GAO audits U.S.-China commission.
December 15, 2006... The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is undertaking an audit of the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), at the request of Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.V.). "We've been in operation for five years and they think...

Doctorate awards reach new record.
December 15, 2006... Science and engineering doctorates hit an all-time high in 2005, reports the National Science Foundation. Last year, 27,974 doctorates were awarded, up from 26,272 in 2004. The 2005 number surpassed the previous all-time high of 27,273 reached...

Momentum drives manufacturing training program nationwide.
December 15, 2006... The "Dream It, Do It" campaign aimed at training young people for exciting careers in the manufacturing sector is beginning to blossom. The two-year old program is emerging from a pilot stage and is beginning to attract attention, money and...

A 'Statement of Purpose'.
December 15, 2006... About 50 individuals attending a meeting of the Coalition for Competitive Markets in Colorado spent about 90 minutes crafting a common "Statement of Purpose." The proclamation "establishes a very important and substantial common ground among...

Bureau of Labor Statistics includes Chinese worker compensation costs in International Comparison.
December 15, 2006... The total hourly cost of a production worker in the United states rose slightly last year to $23.65, but that doesn't come close to the hourly compensation costs for a worker in China, according to the Foreign Labor Statistics division of the...

Bush's pick for nation's top regulator is scuttled by confirmation committee.
December 15, 2006... President Bush's controversial nomination of Susan Dudley to become the nation's top regulatory official has been dropped by the Senate. Critics claim that Dudley, who is director of regulatory studies at the privately funded Mercatus Center at...

Report: regulations are not killing Mfg. Jobs in Virginia.
December 15, 2006... The state of Virginia, which is ranked by Forbes as being the most attractive state in the country for business, lost one-fifth of its manufacturing jobs between 2000 and 2005, a drop of 66,000 to 296,000, but few of those were lost due to the...

A look back at the Congressional debate over trade with China.
December 15, 2006... When President Clinton signed legislation granting China with permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) on Oct. 10, 2000, it was widely argued that the legislation would usher in a new period of democratic reforms in China, along with open...

Arguing in favor of PNTR House debate--May 24, 2000.
December 15, 2006... David Dreier (R-Calif.): Today's vote on trade with China is probably the most important vote that we will face in this session of Congress. Make no mistake about it. This vote is a win-win-win for America's workers, America's first-class...

House members arguing against PNTR.
December 15, 2006... Joe Moakley (D-Mass.): If we do not reconsider [China's trade] status every year, we are going to lose what little chance we have of effecting any change in China. China needs to change. If we grant the Chinese government permanent normal trade...

U.S. senate debate--arguing in favor: September 19, 2000.
December 15, 2006... Patty Murray (D-Wash.): If Congress fails to grant PNTR to China, we will hinder our broader relationship with that country, make it harder for us to promote change there and damage America's workers and industries as they compete with other...

U.S. Senate debate--arguing against.
December 15, 2006... Robert Byrd (D-W.V.): The Senate is about to make a grave mistake. It is hard for me to believe that after a year which has seen the Chinese Government rattling sabers at Taiwan, continuing to brutally repress religion, and, generally, behaving...

President clinton's remarks upon senate passage of HR-4444 (Sept. 19, 2000).
December 15, 2006... There is much more at stake here than our economic self interests. It's about building a world in which more human beings have more freedom, more control over their lives, more contact with others than ever before, a world in which countries...

President clinton's remarks upon signing of China PNTR (Oct. 10, 2000).
December 15, 2006... ... Opening trade with China will not, in and of itself, lead China to make all the choices we believe it should. But clearly, the more China opens it markets, the more it unleashes the power of economic freedom, the more likely it will be to...

Manufacturing czar takes leave before facing a congressional storm.
December 15, 2006... The federal government's manufacturing "czar" is calling it quits. Al Frink, an executive with a carpet manufacturing company in Los Angeles prior to his appointment in July, 2004, has announced he will step down from the post of Assistant...

Manufacturing policy recommendations implemented.
December 15, 2006... * Create an Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and Services to serve as chief advocate for the manufacturing sector and implement recommendations. * Create an Office of Industry Analysis to assess the cost competitiveness of American...

Manufacturing policy recommendations not yet implemented.
December 15, 2006... * Initiate a benchmark analysis used to measure progress toward improving the economic environment for manufacturing in the U.S. * Create an Intergovernmental Committee to foster coordination among federal, state and local governments. ...

Congressional malfunction: 2007 budget bites the dust.
December 15, 2006... Republicans left town on December 9 without passing a budget for most of the federal government for the 2007 fiscal year that started on November 1. This "record of dismal failure" must now be addressed by incoming Democrats, say the two men...

We receive hundreds of unsolicited testimonials--a sampling.
December 15, 2006... "Thanks to the coverage of our effort generated by the article in Manufacturing & Technology News, we have obtained access to a wide spectrum of opinions, experts and industries. Many of these individuals and companies would never have had the...

Mfg. & Technology News: no advertisements. Objective, original journalism from the nation's capital.
December 15, 2006... Manufacturing & Technology News pursues important stories that impact the future prosperity of industry and the U.S. workforce. We interview people who need to be interviewed and ask what they are doing. "The publication Defense Secretary...