Communication is key
As a 37-year resident and business owner in Searsport, I hope to continue both roles for the rest of my life. My life’s narrative here is both quintessential and unexceptional, except for the number of extraordinary potential threats to the town and our existence occurring through the years, the most recent being the proposed LPG mega-tank.
The planning board must apply 18 performance standards of its ordinance to every applicant, but they also contain subjective interpretations and approximations, which require the board’s judgment in assessing the suitability of the proposal, while protecting the health, safety and welfare of the town’s residents. “Welfare” refers to the economic well-being of the community and the ability to maintain the balance between residential, commercial and industrial interests by attracting all three types of newcomers. Revenues and municipal services depend on the well-being of the environment and tourism that support those interests.
The state agencies’ permitting processes of this applicant have been seriously flawed, but this hasn’t entered the board’s decision-making in declaring the application complete, making the process highly suspect and irregular. We have the results of two studies coming: an economic impact report and the Good Harbor Consulting hazard/risk assessment. They must be given fair consideration, and people must be allowed to comment freely as is our traditional right. The potential scope of this proposed development dictates further information, and clarification is imperative. To base a decision on faulty data or misguided opinions is unacceptable at best and irresponsible at worst.
For everyone’s sake, please keep the door to communication and your minds open.
Phyllis W. Sommer
Searsport
Taxes and services
Nobody likes to pay taxes, but by the same token no one seems overly eager to do without the services that those taxes pay for, either. When I was member of the select board here in Rockport I rarely heard a citizen testify for fewer services for themselves or their community.
As a relatively prosperous town with an expanding tax base, we’ve been able to meet our growing public needs without raising our property tax mil rate, even in the face of declining state aid and reimbursement. Other Maine towns aren’t so well-positioned. And even Rockport is feeling the squeeze: Local schools, which use a large portion of our tax dollars, must deal with unfunded education mandates frequently descending from the state and federal governments.
So taxes are necessary, but so is making sure those taxes are fair. Tax equity comes from asking more of those better able to give. A good example would be to let Bush-era income tax cuts expire on the two percent of American households making over a quarter million dollars a year, while extending the cut for the 98 percent of households below that income level.
With the hundreds of billions of dollars that would be raised over the coming decade, the federal government could bring down its debt, while also easing the budget crises of states like Maine, which in turn could better support its towns. That’s the kind of wise tax policy Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe should support in this year’s deficit-reduction negotiations.
Tom Murphy
Rockport
Tax deal
Improved health care is just one of the benefits we could enjoy if our state and federal governments collected enough revenue to properly serve our needs as a people. Instead, our already insufficient health-care system is being further diminished in Augusta and Washington by spending cuts, cuts only made necessary by out-of-whack budgets that don’t ask enough of those best able to contribute to the common good.
As a pharmacist, I come into contact every day with heartbreaking stories of suffering caused by inadequate medical insurance. While I believe the best ultimate solution is a single-payer system, even incremental change such as is represented by the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) takes increased public investments, though in the long run, having more Americans insured is not only more humane but will save money as well.
What stands in the way of those smart investments? One impediment comes from the state’s and nation’s wealthiest citizens and most profitable corporations not paying their fair share in taxes.The percentage of national revenue provided by them is at a 60-year low.
We can start to reverse that troubling trend by allowing tax cuts to expire at the end of this year on household income above a quarter million dollars.
This return to more reasonable rates for the rich would raise nearly a trillion dollars over the next decade, allowing us to reduce debt and invest in ourselves. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins should support this rational tax measure as part of any budget deal.
Darrell Adams
Mars Hill
Shameful blog
George Smith, in his blog, writes ‘Thinking I saw a bit of movement to the side of the stump, I aimed at that spot and fired.” Hard to believe this man was the head of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine for 18 years. Shameful.
Dave Glidden
Bucksport
Fiscal cliff
Here are two myths about taxes that I might be able to dispel just in time for the big “fiscal cliff” Congressional budget debate. I’m not claiming any special knowledge, millions of people could make these points.
First, small businesses don’t make hiring or other financial decisions based on the federal tax levied on the highest-income taxpayers. That’s both because very few small businesses fall into that top tax bracket, and because there are so many more important factors involved, first and foremost customer demand. This was certainly my experience as a builder. So claims that allowing tax cuts to expire on the top 2 percent of households and 3 percent of businesses, those earning over $250,000 a year, would somehow inhibit job growth are just ridiculous.
Second, taxes are not collected on a whim: they pay for goods and services we all need and use. I sent my two boys to public schools, I drive on public highways, I rely on public health officials to keep my food safe and prevent epidemics. So the real question isn’t whether we need taxes, but who should pay how much. When we’re in the midst of a debt crisis and need to bolster middle-class support programs like Medicare, it makes sense to ask more from those with most to give.
I’m betting Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe will see through the myths and stick
to the facts in this year’s important deficit-reduction negotiations.
Paul O. Sylvain
Skowhegan
The Bush tax cuts should expire for income earned over $250,000 and the rates for capital gains should increase. Right now it’s at 15% and that’s too low. When you give preferential rates to capital, you drive down the value of labor — you know, people who are actually out there working and not just sitting on piles of cash.
Capital is used to form companies. When conditions are favorable, companies hire employees. Don’t expect American companies to throw their money into the wind. They do enough of that already when they pay the highest corporate tax rates of any country in the world. American companies have billions of dollars in cash just sitting overseas, because they were able to earn that cash in foreign countries, without being taxed to death on it. If we had reasonable tax rates here, that cash on foreign shores could be brought back to this country, where it would be partially taxed, and the rest would end up in the American economy. Lower tax rates = win win for US govt and US economy.
American corporations DO NOT pay the highest tax rates in the world. PERIOD.
If people actually paid their fair share we could have much lower rates — instead, the rest of us pick up the slack for the deadbeat Americans like Romney for example.
a lie perpetuted by a lie followed by an insult…are you sure you didn’t just win a seat in the maine democratic house?…sound real familar….
Regardless of your personal feelings, Romney is not a deadbeat. He pays the amount of tax he owes as determined by the tax laws enacted by the US Congress.
You may disagree with the tax laws but that does not give you license to make libelous statements about Romney. You would be better served to spend time petitioning Congress to change those laws with which you disagree.
Enough with your hyperbole — that’s why your guys lost the election. You aren’t in touch with reality. Calling someone a deadbeat isn’t “libelous”. Not even close.
Where did I accuse Romney of breaking the law? No where. He is still a deadbeat though. Hiding your money overseas (that you made through firing people), strategic gifts, etc. all to pay the lowest rate possible, then arguing that you still pay too much? Deadbeat. It’s not patriotic whatsoever.
They aren’t my guys and I’m at least as in touch with reality as you.
Libel: a written or oral defamatory statement or representation that conveys an unjustly unfavorable impression. See definition of deadbeat below – Romney pays the taxes he owes ergo not a deadbeat.
Deadbeat: one who persistently fails to pay personal debts or expenses. Tim Geithner and Charlie Rangle are deadbeats. It is a proven fact that they did not pay the taxes they owed. The IRS has never brought an action against Romney for failure to pay what he owes.
Do you use the tax code to your advantage without breaking the law? My guess is you do. Does that make you a deadbeat?
Being a deadbeat and being patriotic are not the same thing.
For the record, I do think the tax code needs a major overhaul. Also for the record, I believe that there needs to be a mandate that a significant portion of any additional revenue raised by virtue of said overhaul must be used to pay down the US debt and not be used to fund new programs or increase funding to existing programs. I further believe that the salaries of the US Congress should receive the same increases as those allowed to recipients of Social Security; that members of the US Congress and all federal employees participate in the Affordable Care Act and not be given a premium healthcare package.
Defining deadbeat in its narrowest sense does not make Romney any less of a deadbeat. He’s is actually worse than a deadbeat. He paid lobbyists and used personal influence to pass laws that allowed him to legally escape from his moral and financial obligations to making American capitalistic democracy work for everyone. Romney’s comment on the 47% alone makes him a deadbeat …………in the broadest sense of the word.
The definition, according to Merriam Webster, is 1. a loafer or 2. one who persistently fails to pay personal debts or expenses. You can’t just attach whatever meaning you want to a word; also, there are thousands of words to choose from and several that in the case of Romney are more accurate than deadbeat. Romney’s comment on the 47% makes him an out of touch elitist, but not a deadbeat.
Who are you to determine what Romney’s moral obligations are? Isn’t that similar to the Tea Party pushing their morals onto the rest of us?
We should all be lobbying Congress to change what we believe to be unfair and/or lopsided. Just remember that it was the actions of both parties that got us here. Maybe it’s time that we looked beyond the two party system.
Merriam-Webster has deadbeat one word and says it dates back to 1863. That led me to the “Civil War Wordbook including Sayings, Phrases & Expletives” by Darryl Lyman (Combined Books, Conshohocken, Pa., 1994. Page 19.
Mr. Lyman says “deadbeat” takes its meaning from “beat.” Beat — loafer or sponger. “The word was widely used among soldiers to designate a man who did not carry his weight. Probably from the slang verb ‘to beat’ (to cheat)…”Deadbeat, another word for loafer or sponger, also came into vogue during the Civil War. The first syllable probably comes from the adjective ‘dead’ (‘complete’), as in ‘dead broke.'”
Maybe we could discuss semantics over coffee. In the meantime, do you really believe that increasing the tax rate on just 2% of taxpayers is going to solve our problems? I think it is more important that the tax code be overhauled which would lead to a more just taxation system for everyone – the wealthy and the poor.
I listened to parts of a radio program today about non-profits and was fairly dumbfounded to learn that the NFL and the NHL are non-profit organizations. I don’t know the inner workings of those organizations but I can’t really imagine what service they provide that qualifies them to have non-profit status. I, for one, think this is an issue that should be investigated immediately. How many non-profits should actually hold that status?
As for everyone being fair and honest, our elected representatives are the ones who have made the laws of the land. If the laws they enacted are not fair, isn’t that a reflection of the honesty and integrity of those in office?
I’m not a fan of Mitt Romney but he has done only what our government has allowed. Is it really fair to denigrate him for being successful? If you were a successful business person and earned a six or seven figure salary, would you take whatever steps are legal to shelter as much of your money as you could or would you just pay the highest rate and be done with it?
She does it all the time. So do most of the other progressives on here. They toss around pejorative words and descriptions like candy.
I think that he actually broke the law by his manipulation of the return he allowed us to see by making it appear that he paid more than he does. But since we will never see his return (I hope we never ever hear his name again) we will never know. Good riddance!
A deadbeat is someone that does not fulfill one’s obligations.
In order for a capitalistic democracy to work everybody has an obligation to be honest and fair in all their dealings and work toward making both capitalism and democracy a reality for everyone.
More than any other system a capitalistic democracy requires those at the top to make the most effort.
Romney is a deadbeat.
How is Romney not fulfilling his obligations? He pays what he owes. Do you use the tax code to your advantage? Does that make you a deadbeat?
Ridiculing people for following the law and paying the minimum taxes (I sure do it!), is a bit ridiculous. Ridiculing them for wanting to make it even easier for the ultra-wealthy to pay even less however, is fair game.
Ah, I get the distinction. But Romney is not an elected official and so cannot make it easier. The question is are any of our elected officials willing to make the hard decisions or will they opt for job security and again do nothing?
Then change the law.
Not true. He actually manipulated the return he chose to show us so that it appeared that he pays more. Besides since he did not allow us to see his returns how do you know what he pays?
So in the end he paid more than he owed. Maybe he will amend, maybe not. And, yes, I get that he did it so that his statement about the rate he paid was truthful. But he did pay what he owed and then some. I personally, and I’m guessing you as well, would not be willing to pay more than I owe for any reason.
I just find it frustrating that the problems with our tax system are all centered around Romney did this, Romney did that, and not focused on the real problem which is our tax code.
Perhaps if people spent as much time holding our Congress people’s feet to the fire as they do on Romney’s tax rate we might make some progress in fixing what is broken.
He’s not a deadbeat…he’s skilled, and plenty of rich Ds are, too. That’s why both parties need to support comprehensive tax reform.
Our tax rates are progressive…our tax policies are regressive. I want that changed.
He is skilled at gaming the system..as are the rest of the large corporations.
Exactly. The system is designed to BE gamed…and it should be changed.
As much as it may stick in the craw of many who themselves have been victimized by the system (many of whom are right here on this forum) we need strong GOVT. regulation and those who continue to game the system go straight to jail.
Given the enormous number of tax deductions our corporations get, the effective corporate tax rate in the USA is lower than in most of the industrialized world. Corporate tax revenues as a percentage of GDP have dropped in the USA from 4% in 1965 to 1.3% in 2009. In 2009, only Iceland, of all the countries in the OECD, had lower corporate tax revenues as a percentage of its GDP.
As a capitalist businessperson, I am only going to hire employees when there is a market for the goods and services my business sells. We cannot drive up demand if we attempt the austerity economics that have decimated the Greek and Spanish economies. Higher taxes on taxable income above $250,000 takes money that likely would have been invested overseas and allows its investment at home in building the infrastructure we need to grow this economy. That infrastructure investment spurs aggregate demand which spurs economic growth.
Thank you for a reality based explanation.
Do you think Heistheone has ever met reality? They seem such strangers.
I have said forever that demand is the only thing that creates jobs. Good post.
Thanks.
Good use of statistics to spin, mislead, and distort reality.
1. Corporate taxes are only paid on profits. No profit, no taxes. Choosing 2009 as your example of how corporate tax revenues have declined is particularly misleading since this was at the low point of the recession when profits were also at their lowest.
2 A large percentage of businesses in the US do not file corporate income tax returns. Their income is taxed as personal income taxes.
What you call austerity economics in Greece and Spain is a direct result of the reckless spending by government in those countries. The fact is that in the long run governments are limited in the same way that individuals are and eventually if you borrow and spend too much you will go into bankruptcy. The austerity measures you deplore may be hard on the citizens but the alternatives are even worse.
Take the 3/31/11 Congressional Research Service report, then, which shows our effective corporate tax rate being lower than the average effective rate in the remainder of the OECD.
My earlier cite reflects a world-wide recession, so I don’t see how comparisons among countries in 2009 is going to change the result.
As the original poster was talking about corporate rates, I don’t see why individual rates matter. In fact, the top marginal individual rates in Europe are much higher, so your point is self-defeating.
You don’t understand the effect of the common currency on countries like Spain which have taken a real hit. Spain’s governments did not overspend, but its private banks did overlend. When these loans went bad, the government stepped in. The bond market then raised the interest rate on Spanish government debt from around 3% to 7% which made the borrowing costs prohibitive. Were its economy geared to the peseta, devaluation would have rescued the Spanish economy. As it is locked into the Euro, Spain has faced some real short term pain. European bankers are only now realizing that austerity is self-defeating. It drives the economy deeper into recession.
When you said “Corporate tax revenues as a percentage of GDP have dropped in the USA from 4% in 1965 to 1.3% in 2009.” you were obviously implying that BUSINESSES in the US no longer pay what you consider their “fair share” of taxes. I was pointing out that most business in the US does not pay corporate taxes and their taxes are not included in that statistic. In fact, there have been so many changes to tax law and business structures since 1965 that directly comparing tax percentages between 1965 and 2009 is meaningless.
Because tax and business law and even the way statistics are compiled is very different between countries, comparing tax revenues between different countries is also meaningless without a detailed analysis of the base data.
Most of what you call tax deductions our corporations get are nothing more than legitimate business expenses.
In what universe do you think that a country is entitled to interest rates of only 3%? The 7% rate is closer to normal historical rates. Yes, if they still used the peseta they could have devalued it. While that would “save” the government and benefit borrowers there would have been plenty of pain to many individual citizens. Devaluation causes inflation, often very high inflation. This hurts broad sectors of the citizenry. And while it helps those who presently have loans it also drives interest rates for new loans higher. Often much higher.
Just wait until interest rates in the US return to historically normal levels. You do realize that the present rates have been artificially created and cannot be sustained indefinitely? This government is going to devalue our currency as well. It is only a matter of time. That is the only way to make the present debt manageable. However, just think about the effect on most citizens.
English must not be your strong suit if you think “corporate” means business.
Google T-Bill rates over the last 100 years and you will see that they have been under 4% for a majority of that time. The surge in the late 70s and 80s was an exception.
Debt as a percentage of GDP was much higher immediately after WW II. Luckily, we had Presidents such as Truman and Eisenhower who understood that austerity was counterproductive. Truman gave us the GI Bill and Ike, the Interstate Highway System.
I presume you support raising the tax rates on taxable income above $250,000. If not, your cries about deficits are silly posturing.
First of all you cannot just give a blanket statement that t-bills have been under 4% . That statement is meaningless without also indicating the time period of those t-bills.
Also, the rates over the past 100 years are immaterial and meaningless as well. The rates over the past 30 years or so are much more important. I do agree that the rates of the late 70s and 80s was an exception and should be considered as such. They should also be noted as what the rates are likely to be during a period of high inflation. And because of the devaluing of the dollar we will see high inflation. It is only a matter of time, not if, but when.
By the way, t-bill rates today are from 0%, (that is right ZERO %), and 2.75%. The 2.75% rate is only on 30 year t-bills and it appears that almost no one is buying them. That indicates that the big buyers think the rate is too low. The next rate down is 1.625% on 10 year t-bills and those are not selling well either.
So just what do you think will happen to the federal budget if those rates just go up to your idea of a historical normal of 4%? The interest payments that the federal government must make will at least double.
The economic situation around the world at the end of WWII was so different from now that it makes using that period as an example ridiculous.
The reference was to a chart showing 10 year T-bill rates. You’ve obviously been too lazy to Google the information yourself.
The current T-bill rates suggest that we face a greater risk of deflation now, than inflation.
Pray, tell me how the dollar has been devalued in relation to other currencies. It has held its own against the Canadian dollar and is rising against the Euro. Thankfully, it is falling against the Chinese currency, which will help our exports.
I have listened to the inflation scaremongers for too long to take them seriously. Inflation in an economy suffering from insufficient demand has never been seen historically.
Should I have Googled 6 month rates? 30 year rates? Oh, thank you! The 10 year rates!!!!
Did I mention that 10 year rates are presently 1.625%? Less than half your historical number?
The real measure of inflation is what it costs to buy products. Even with low demand prices have been steadily increasing. Do you buy gas? Heating oil? Food? God help us when demand actually does start to materially increase with the amount of new money created by the Fed over the past few years.
When other currencies are also inflating comparing one against another only tells you which one is doing worse.
Keep up the insults. I love them. It just goes to show how weak your arguments are. And that I’m getting under your skin. LMAO
Pack it away Hestheone. That message lost on Nov 6. Or are you still in denial.
Phyllis W sommer
You get what you pay for.
The Good Harbor Consulting assessment, I’m sure will have the proper results requested.
Build the tank already.
Maybe we can get you a deal on a house next door to it.
Sure would be easier to heat my house if I was closer.
Dave Glidden
Geo Smith wouldn’t make a good pimple on a Northern Maine hunter’s back side.
The socalled “fiscal cliff” is more like the “fiscal curb”. Not that big a deal. Besides it’s owed to banksters.
Think of it as more of a fiscal speed bump.
You can die if you don’t eat for a month, but that doesn’t mean the first day you suddenly eat less is a cliff you’ve fallen off.
It’s funny how all politicians talk about is a need to go on a diet (get the debt under control). This seems like a thing to do it, yet they’re all so wildly against it. Interesting.
How many more of these obviously scripted letters is the BDN going to print? They all contain variations of the same theme and often the very same sentences asking Snow and Collins to pass a tax increase on the 2%.
And this is wrong because …………….. ?
Because those people need that money like a junkie needs more heroin, that is why it is wrong to let those tax cuts expire. Just a hunch, but they may want to do something about the loopholes in the tax laws that allow the uber wealthy to hide their money in offshore accounts before they let the tax cuts expire. Just a hunch.
Your post seems original but you ignore the scripted letters and posts that many political and social conservatives seem to have parroted over the years.
I know. I love it that so many think like I do. There may be hope for America yet.
If everyone started insisting on being offered American made products to buy instead of Chinese crap, we would not be facing a “fiscal cliff”. It would also end unemployment, bring the wages back up into this century, and turn our economy around overnight. No single act would put our country back on track any faster. There is nothing that our paid for politicians or big money could do to stop it. Every factory in our area that has been shuttered would be back up and running in no time. We just need to do what consumers do best, create demand. Demand American made, demand a change for the better.
Unfortunately, that would mean not buying anything. That’s not going to happen.
Not true. We buy American made products off the internet all the time. We have four kids and 5 grandkids. They will all be getting things that are made in America for Christmas. We insist on it. I wish other people would make the same effort this year. It is our only hope for turning our economy around, period.
Televisions, radios, media players, computers, telephones, hard drives, microwaves, you name it — all of these things are either made outside of the United States, assembled outside of the United States, or contain parts from outside of the United States. This includes your car and anything that has a microchip in it. That means that even if you buy an American car, odds are some parts were made outside of the country. There is no getting around it.
I agree ryan, electronics made in America are almost impossible to find. I am saying that needs to change, and the sooner the better. If every consumer in America said for this Christmas season that if it is not made in America, I’m not buying it, things would change in a heart beat. Every shuttered factory in Maine would be back up and running by spring. It’s all about demand and we need to demand more. More patriotism from our politicians. More patriotism from our corporations. More patriotism from the top 1%. More patriotism from ourselves at the cash register. Germany has one of the strongest economies in the world, if not the strongest. Two basic reasons. One, the export more than they import. Two, Germans buy German. We have an absolutely unmanageable trade deficit thanks to some very, very poor negotiating by our “friends” in Washington and we buy anything but American these days.
I wish it was so simple as just demanding American made products. I would like to buy American made products but I am not willing to pay double or triple the price of foreign made goods, especially when those American made goods are inferior in quality.
Until government addresses the reasons why we cannot compete this is not going to change. Those reasons include:
High corporate tax rates, both federal and state.
Endless rules and regulations.
Endless lawsuits and delays, often by NIMBYs. It can take YEARS to build anything.
Excessive environmental concerns.
A culture that disparages blue collar work as inferior.
I could go on but I think you get the gist….
I think the overall quality of American made products is far superior to anything coming in from offshore. The only advantage offshore products have is price. I maintain that when you factor in job losses, sinking wages, the disappearance of our middle class, and a lower standard of living than our parents had, it is no were near as cheap as it appears.
The American automobile companies lost market share and got in trouble because not only were foreign cars less expensive but their quality was markedly better. While that is no longer true the damage was done. Of course many so called “foreign” cars are now made here and many American cars are actually made in Canada or Mexico.
I worked in the electronics industry in the late 70’s. American consumer electronics at that time were junk compared with imports. I didn’t like it, but the fact was that the difference in quality and warranted failures between the brand i was working for and the Japanese competition was close to a factor of 100. The Japanese completion has a warranted failure rate of around 1%. My brand at the time had a comparable rate of around 120%. (One of the worst in the industry that year. But other American competitors were not that much better.) That meant that for every unit we sold 1.2 had a valid warranted repair of some type.
We lost the consumer electronics business and I see no way to get it back. The up front investment for a modern consumer electronics manufacturing plant is in the billions. Because of NIMBYs, frivolous environmental concerns and lawsuits, union work rules, etc, … It just isn’t going to happen. I would love for it to, but unless government addresses the real obstacles to manufacturing we are done.
Regardless of who or what is to blame, we need tangible action and we need it sooner rather than later. I think we need to get back to when America had a trade surplus. Our trade deficit was roughly $560 billion last year. That number in no way defines the actual amount of cash flowing out of this country every year. It is just how much we come up short in the trade balance. If they are going to fix the problem in Washington, they at least have to stop kidding themselves about where the problem lies. We simply can not continue to send jobs and money out of this country and then turn around and wonder why no one has a job and no one has any money. It makes us all look simple. In 1985 when famed commie hater Ronald Reagan was president, our trade deficit with communist China was $6 million. Last year it was $350 billion, or $350,000 million. I tried to figure the percentage of increase, but my abacus caught on fire. If we get back to a nation that runs a trade surplus, our unemployment, tax revenue, and deficit problems would take care of themselves.
What you just said about the trade deficit and the need for a trade surplus is absolutely correct.
We have been told for decades now that the trade deficit was unimportant and to not worry about it. This was a huge lie and I wish the perpetrators could be tried for treason and hung. (Not kidding, that is how strongly I feel about this lie.)
The reality is that we have been sending our wealth to other countries for decades. What is worse is that for at least 20 years we have been borrowing the money we have been sending out of the country. This is actually one of the underlying reasons the economy is really much worse than most people think.
It is a house of cards and we have been told “Don’t worry, Be Happy.”
We have the worst trade agreements on the planet. Any path to correcting our economic situation needs to start right there, in my humble opinion. I wouldn’t hold my breath though, there are a couple of hundred “Americans” making billions off of these ridiculously lopsided trade agreements. Without “free” trade, it would not be profitable to move a factory from the U.S. to communist China. Warren Buffet bought and then closed down Dexter Shoe and moved it to China. Dexter Shoe employed hundreds of people in the area and was a profitable company. He just did what any good capitalist would do. He told the people who built that good name to pound sand, packed up all the machinery, and moved it to communist China where he could maximize his profits on the backs of cheap labor. No worries about looking unpatriotic, no worries about abandoning the good, hard working people of Dexter, and no worries about hoping in bed with the communists. Strictly business, nothing personal.
I, completely agree and buy American whenever possible, even if it means paying several times more for things from American Apparel rather than buy from WallyWorld.