Buy American!

[Timothy]

I light of the Olympic uniform debacle!  

Bumped...  http://www.buyamericanmart.com/index.html

[lhprop1]

Fishing Equipment

http://www.stcroixrods.com/  
(most, not all and I buy St. Croix exclusively and have for twenty years.  I've never broken a St. Croix rod...I own five!)

The Mojo and Triumph series are the ones made in Mexico.  They're still great rods.  I've got a few myself.

Personally, I prefer http://www.thornebros.com  They're made 100% right here in Minnesota and are considered the best muskie rods and best ice fishing rods money can buy.  Of course they have rods for garbage fish like bass, but no one really fishes for them that I know of.

[Timothy]

The Mojo and Triumph series are the ones made in Mexico.  They're still great rods.  I've got a few myself.

Personally, I prefer http://www.thornebros.com  They're made 100% right here in Minnesota and are considered the best muskie rods and best ice fishing rods money can buy.  Of course they have rods for garbage fish like bass, but no one really fishes for them that I know of.

No muskie left in the east!  Damn little pike or walleye either!

I bought a Triumph series light spinning rod last year that I pretty much leave in the car 9 months a year.  My others are all one piece bait casters, a couple Avid and a couple Premier series.  My salty inshore rod is a one piece Premier spinning, 7' MH which could double as a pike/salmon rod when I'm back in Michigan.

We have some rod builders here as well!  Salt water fly fishing is really big here too...

[Timothy]

You remember Cliff Claven, the postman from the popular television series, Cheers? He’d philosophize and pontificate and come up with the most interesting factoids. Well, Cliff Claven was played by talented comedian and actor John Ratzenberger. I recently had the opportunity to interview him about buying American made products. And with only a few shopping days left until Christmas, that’s exactly was Ratzenberger wants us to do.

Ratzenberger is touring the country promoting the concept of buying American. In fact, he and entrepreneur Mark Andol have created a website, madeinamericastore.com, which educates the public on the advantages and necessity of buying American and also sells American made products. Currently on special for the holidays are gift boxes of made-in-America products designed for children, men, and women, respectively.

He gives an example as to why, if we want to experience economic growth, it is important to buy American. “If you buy a T-shirt made in China for $4-5 cheaper than you can get here, you will eventually put the American T-shirt company out of business.” This company will then no longer pay for a business license (tax), collect and pay sales taxes, or pay income taxes to the state and to Uncle Sam. Lower tax revenues eventually lead to economic decline. It also leads to the missing tax dollars being made up by the rest of the population.

“It’s a domino effect,” Ratzenberger says. “I know a lot of truckers in Los Angeles. They used to take a truck load of merchandise back east and return with a full load of merchandise to be shipped out from L.A. to points around the world. You know what they’re telling me now? They’re coming back empty.” This is a reduction in the trucker’s pay. Therefore a reduction in the amount of taxes he pays. Everyone is affected. If there are fewer truckers on the road, there’s less need for truck stops and fuel and junk food too.

Ratzenberger grew up in Bridgeport, Ct., a manufacturing town. He started out as a journeyman carpenter. In fact, he helped build the stage at Woodstock. “All my heroes were people who could make things. Manufacturing is our strength. It’s the people who get up in the morning and put their hands to something that make America strong. But they are eliminating shop courses in schools and people are losing skills.” Ratzenberger feels that this must change or our country will suffer.

Ratzenberger claims the tools made by American manufacturers, such as the Estwing hammer, will last far longer than its Chinese counterpart. He says, “I can spot a Chinese hammer from yards away just by the way the metal glints off the sun. Those hammers chip and break in no time at all. Whereas an Estwing hammer can be handed down from one generation to the next.”

You get what you pay for.

Products made in China are of poorer quality. Not only that, but Ratzenberger adds, “There are no laws in China covering environmental issues. They do whatever they want. One third of all our air and water pollution comes from China. They have no EPA. In America we have found ways to protect the environment but these methods cost money. As a result, we must charge higher prices. But investment in American-made products will pay off in a cleaner, safer environment and a stronger economy.”

When going into a big box store this holiday season and thereafter, Ratzenberger encourages Americans to ask where the “made in America” section is. “And if they don’t have one,” he adds, “walk out!”

http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2014/12/19/buy-american-watch-your-taxes-go-down/?intcmp=ob_homepage_business&intcmp=obnetwork

[alfsauve]

There are a lot of good reasons to buy American made.   And a lot of good reasons not buy Chinese (mainland Chine) products.   However, the Broken Window theory in the third paragraph is flawed.

Any money saved buying a less expensive product is then available to be spent buying other products and services.    If I could find an American made toaster (presumably more expensive) then I would have less money to buy bacon (American grown and processed) to go with my toast.  Then the American farmer loses out to save the American toaster makers.   (That is assuming you can find an American made toaster.  Our 50 yo Mary Proctor toaster died last year and none that I could find were made in the US.)

Let's take his T-shirt example.   I go buy 7 t-shirts and spend $35 more buying American made than foreign made, then it's $35 less to spend on other things.  So I'll stay home and have toast and peanut butter instead of going out to eat.  The local restaurant and their workers have less business and less income, and possibly go out of business.    The money thing balances out one way or another.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for buying American made and supporting local farmers/ranchers/industries, especially the micro-brewers , but the macro-economics of it isn't the reason why.   

[Sponsor]

[Timothy]

All well and good but as more consumers demand and buy American made products the prices will normalize!

[tombogan03884]

I do not know that you CAN buy an American made T shirt or footwear other than running shoes (I know Nike is still in the US ) You will not find a US made incandescent light bulb at any price.

[TAB]

new balance makes some of their shoes here.

I bought 10 cases of GE 100 watt bulbs several years ago, when I was in CA and they out lawed the import of 100 watt bulbs ( no bs)  I will be good for the rest of my life.

[Big Frank]

If anyone knows where to find blue jeans in big and tall mans sizes let me know. Actually it's too late now. The fat man shop has made in Bangladesh jeans and I bought some. I don't believe American jeans would cost any more if I could find them.

The only shoes made in the USA that I know of are some that New Balance makes and some Red Wing boots. AFAIK Nikes are all made places like China and Vietnam. They violate minimum wage laws and use child labor.

[TAB]

not all redwings are made in the US any more   


as for jeans,

grandriver, dickes 1922 collection( and only these    )   carhartt also has a line made in the usa.