The phrase he is using now is NOT what he first used that was offensive to all black americans. This one could also be offensive to some people. Race is a serious issue in this country. He may have intended no harm, but the comment was inappropriate.
Give me a break! Though the OP might be mixing colloquialisms, the one he now uses has nothing to do with race - are we concerned a Jeremy or Jerry might be offended?
jerry-built - 1869, Eng. dial. jerry "bad, defective," a pejorative use of the male nickname Jerry (a popular form of Jeremy), or from naut. slang jury "temporary," which came to be used of all sorts of makeshift and inferior objects (see jury (adj.)).
Source: Online Etymology Dictionary,
Online Etymology Dictionary
Jury Rig
Pronunciation: \jur-ē-rig, -rig\
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: 2jury
Date: 1788
: to erect, construct, or arrange in a makeshift fashion
Source: Merriam Webster Dictionary,
Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online
And by the way - if I was sensitive I might be offended at his sig where he says "go green." After all I drive a gas guzzling American Icon. I love a large carbon footprint! But really - we need to retire the idea of PC.