Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and Mike Rowe, creator and host of Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs,” joined forces Sept. 29 in Washington, D.C. for the launch of “I Make America,” a national grassroots campaign to promote U.S. manufacturing jobs through infrastructure investment and passage of export agreements. Infrastructure investment and export agreements are proven ways to create and sustain jobs for U.S. workers.

According to a recent poll conducted by Clarus Research, a majority of all voters (53 percent) said they think “worse” of the economic stimulus package when they find out that only three percent of its funding was dedicated to rebuilding highways, roads and bridges. Yet, a strong majority — 66 percent — believes “Given current economic conditions, it’s a good time to build and repair America’s roads and bridges.”

“America’s infrastructure is the connective tissue that keeps society out of the ditch,” said Mike

Rowe, an outspoken advocate of the trades, and founder of the site www.mikeroweWORKS.com. “Our roads, railways, runways, and the stuff we can’t always see, are falling apart around us. Fixing the infrastructure is a job that will have no end, but if we don’t get started, it’ll be the end of us.”

Since 2001, more than 4.7 million manufacturing jobs have been lost. I Make America is a resource for workers in the manufacturing industry, as well as the businesses that rely on them and the communities they support, to send a message to Congress that we need new manufacturing policies that will create badly needed jobs now, according to AEM.

The message of I Make America is that America needs a new manufacturing policy that creates jobs by doing two fundamental things:

• Generate economic activity by rebuilding and modernizing America’s infrastructure — roads, bridges, sewer, clean water and flood control systems.

• Help farmers and manufacturers create more jobs in the U.S. by exporting their products to new markets around the world.

“We need to dramatically increase American manufacturing jobs so our economy can compete with other countries and our equipment manufacturers are able to prosper and grow right here in the United States,” said AEM President Dennis Slater. “Until these things are done, America’s economy will suffer and our competitive position in the world will be threatened.”

The I Make America Web site highlights the disproportionate job losses in the equipment manufacturing sector and related industries and provides facts on benefits to American prosperity from supporting policies that protect and grow this industry.

Additionally, I Make America showcases short videos at www.ADayinAmericanLife.com from employees and small business owners around the country telling the real life stories of how manufacturing impacts the national economy.

For more information, visit www.IMakeAmerica.com

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