Other than military spending, why is support of manufacturing a government issue? Local governments can encourage manufacturing jobs through tax breaks, but the law of supply and demand can't be legislated. People in other countries work for less and cost of living is cheaper there. In the 1700s the US economy was about farming. The 1800s and 1900s were about manufacturing. That era is over. We are in the information and service age. There is still a need for engineers, plumbers, electricians, construction workers and truck drivers, but where is the business value of manufacturing something in the US? Why did Clairmont and Franklin become welfare towns? Those local governments did not see the writing on the wall and help shift the towns economy to something viable. Look at the mill towns of Manchester and Nashua. The manufacturing building are still there, but they are filled with high-tech firms. Shoring up manufacturing may be a security issue, as in the case of aircraft carriers, but artificially propping up an economy is expensive.
It would be great to see the lakes region flourish with new specialities that create jobs, but I don't think that will happen soon.
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