Palm Bay Mayor Wants to Ban All Products Made in China

This is a rush transcript from "Your World with Neil Cavuto," October 5, 2007. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: Here we go again: Razor recalling 20,000 electric scooters. Turns out the handlebars can fall off. That makes nearly 700,000 Chinese- made items recalled just this week.

My next guest now trying to get his city to stop buying anything and everything made in China. John Mazziotti is the mayor of Palm Bay, California.

Mayor, what reaction have you gotten?

JOHN MAZZIOTTI, MAYOR OF PALM BAY: What reaction have we gotten?

CAVUTO: Yes.

MAZZIOTTI: Well, at the meeting — at the meeting we had last night, there were some people outside that were commenting on it. Since the meting last night, I must have gotten about 20 e-mails. And the e-mails have been 19 favorable, one negative.

CAVUTO: All right.

MAZZIOTTI: So, it's been pretty positive...

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Now, what can you do? Is it in your power to take Chinese-made goods off shelves?

MAZZIOTTI: Well, it's in the power for the city to do it on things that we purchase.

CAVUTO: I see.

MAZZIOTTI: So, it doesn't apply to the rest of the residents. It — in other words, if they're the sole source, then, obviously, you would buy from them. If it's an emergency, let's say, a hurricane is coming, and need to buy, you would buy from them.

The problem I'm having with this whole thing is that we are losing manufacturing jobs like crazy. We need to do something.

CAVUTO: OK. So, what would it apply to, then, Mayor, in your city? What are you buying now from China — just a couple items — that you would presumably stop buying?

MAZZIOTTI: Most of the high-tech items we're buying, a lot of the computers, especially the laptops, are manufactured and assembled in China.

A lot of the video equipment we get is assembled and made in China. We buy shovels. We buy wheelbarrows. All those things are in China. Those things were all made in this country at one time. But they're not anymore.

CAVUTO: All right.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: But I bet they're cheaper, right? So, now your constituents might come back at you, Mayor, and say now you're spending more for all this stuff, and you're in a pickle, right?

MAZZIOTTI: Well, I may be in a pickle. But, you know, you have to say what you believe in.

And — and I believe that, if we don't do something now — let's face something. The city of Palm Bay is not going to change the world. We know that. But the city of Palm Bay can take a step forward and hopefully start something. And I would like to see other cities get involved with this and do a similar thing. I would like to see counties and states get involved.

The federal government has allowed these things to come into this country unabated. And they — they just, you know, when you have got people in China that are working for 50 cents an hour, the human rights in China are awful, the quality control is awful, and then you have got the toys coming into this country with lead poisoning, you know, and then Mattel company apologizes to the Chinese, I mean, it's time we do something.

CAVUTO: All right. Well, Mayor, you — Mayor, you might...

MAZZIOTTI: Manufacturing jobs in this country...

CAVUTO: OK. I wish we had time, sir.

But you might be on to something. We will follow this very closely.

Mayor, thank you very much.

MAZZIOTTI: Thank you.

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