Many recognize John Ratzenberger as Cliff from “Cheers”, but he played an entirely different role during a recent visit to Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry.

The current host of “John Ratzenberger’s Made In America” on the Travel Channel joined the nonprofit Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) and the United Steelworkers to raise awareness about America’s dwindling manufacturing sector. Local politicians, business owners and citizens from throughout the Midwest packed the museum’s auditorium.

The February meeting, which was the seventh and final national town hall meeting for AAM, raised questions about corporate, individual and government responsibility for the 3.2 million manufacturing jobs the United States has lost in the past seven years. Audience members and local politicians voiced the importance of devising and enforcing viable trade laws, the urgency of voting as consumers and the need to train the next generation of factory workers.

Scott Paul, AAM executive director, urged audience members to ask presidential candidates tough questions. He said voters should ask candidates about their plans for dealing with countries that set their own currency rates, such as China. Paul says China’s ability to set its own rates gives it an unfair advantage; if its currency depreciates, it can sell its goods cheaper in the United States. On the other hand, American products are more expensive in China if its currency depreciates.

Ratzenberger spoke about China’s low quality standards, citing the 2007 recalls of millions of Chinese-made toys as an example. He said outsourcing is “destroying our middle class,” and suggested that China might one day be more qualified than the United States to make American war equipment. “Next time we go to war we just call China – how’s that for a plan?” he asked.

Ratzenberger also pondered the idea that even if America starts seeing more manufacturing jobs, it might not have the work force it needs to fill them. “The kids aren’t being trained and we’re not putting enough honor and dignity into [manufacturing] for them to want to go into it,” he said. Ratzenberger complained that modern society overemphasizes the value of a college education as opposed to training for blue-collar jobs, and that Hollywood demeans the manufacturing industry. He said the result of this is a loss of “common sense.” “Before I vote for anybody, I’d like to see them go out to the parking lot and change the tire on their car,” he said.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said American-based businesses are crippled by the lack of a national healthcare system because employee healthcare costs account for a hefty percentage of their product costs. He explained that this system renders American companies uncompetitive against companies that have governmentally funded healthcare programs and don’t have to build such costs into the price of their products. Durbin pointed to governmental reform as a way to ease the pain.

“Why don’t we have a special break for every company willing to build its plant in the United States?” he asked. “We’ve got a tax code that rewards companies for going overseas. We need to reward businesses for staying here.”