Re: [OT] Space Programs was: Columbia

> >Only to American manufacturers ? And will Daimler-Chrysler count as
> >such ?
>Honda is an American manufacturer,
Well, barely.

>  as it has assembly plants here
And that's my point -- I believe you'll find that Honda (and the other 
Japanese importers/assemblers) import the majority of their components, 
instead of setting up component-manufacturing plants here. So, Japanese 
vehicles on average have less than 30% U.S. content, whereas
"traditional" 
American manufacturers (Ford, etc.) have 80%+ U.S. content.

So, if we want less pressure on NASA's funding, buy vehicles with a high

domestic content, so the Federal government gets to levy taxes against
the 
Assembly plant's wages and again against the wages at the Manufacturing 
plants. Unless you prefer to help the Japanese government's funding
issues, 
of course.

--Morton