On the recordJuly 21, 2010
We have some 1,300 manufacturers. The average wages earned by people working for manufacturers in the Philadelphia area is well over $45,000 annually. It is a major source of where our future economic growth is going to come from. And the gentleman from California, who has dedicated a great deal of his life on economic development, really understands that at the end of the day the only way to really build wealth in our Nation is that we have to be making products, that we can't be a consumer-driven economy and expect to continue to have a high quality of life for ourselves and for our families and for our children and grandchildren. In Philadelphia, we're making everything from Peanut Chews, which are the best candy bars in the world, to saltwater fishing reels, which are the world class among fishermen and -women throughout the world. We're making railcars. We're making railcars and we're making upholstery for railcars. We have manufacturers that are engaged in making bicycles.
