This article comes to us courtesy of SF Weekly's The Snitch.
As a tourist, you might refer to the Bay Bridge as a spectacular sight; as a local, you will probably call it congested.
But embarrassing? Now that's one adjective that doesn't come to mind when you stare at one of the city's prized landmarks.
However, a group of American manufacturers are calling it an embarrassment. The Alliance for American Manufacturing launched a new campaign, dubbed "Should Be Made in America," pointing out all the ways in which the U.S. government is outsourcing infrastructure jobs that could go to the American people. The group's first stop: San Francisco Bay Bridge.
The group hoisted two large billboards near the Bay Bridge this week with the following message: "The Bay Bridge, 100 Percent Foreign Steel," and the Chinese flag plastered across it to remind commuters that their new span of the bridge is being built by Chinese workers.
"Our campaign is designed to spark changes in federal, state, and local procurement policies," said Scott Paul, AAM's executive director. "The problems with the Bay Bridge project could have been avoided if California officials had made it in America. Instead, the project is costing American jobs, undermining California's environmental goals, and facing numerous delays."
California awarded the Bay Bridge project to a state-owned Chinese firm, claiming it would save taxpayers money, Paul said. He added that American workers were ready to build the new bridge.
The goal of the campaign is to essentially shame American politicians to give future work to American firms. "Any of our leaders willing to outsource jobs to China could find one of our billboards next to their shiny new project. We hope there isn't a great demand for our billboards, but we are prepared to put them up wherever necessary."
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