And buying stuff I need from the higher priced vendor (USA) cuts in to my personal profits. That’s my point. Why should the consumer fund the “Buy American” campaign? Why not the producers ?
Seems to me the real cost is in the added overhead of minimum wage, and an effective tax rate of about 50 – 60% of all income over the poverty level.
Cut back on the 9% CA income tax, 30% USA income tax, the 8% sales tax, 15% social security, and set the minimum wage at $0.00 and we could potentially compete again.
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Sounds great – wait…didn’t we try that back in the 1800’s? Yeah, the middle class did really well back in those days.
You’re overestimating the tax burden a wee bit as well, unless you consider the poverty line to be something north of 200K/yr. My households total tax burden was about 35% (including fed, state, ssi, and medicare), and we make well into the six figures. Of course, my TOP marginal tax rate was above that, but I don’t pay that rate on my entire income.
I think our society has become just a wee bit too hung up over the pursuit of the almighty dollar. There was once a time, not too long ago, when you bought quality instead of the cheapest thing on the market, and when people bought products made in the USA because they knew they were helping fellow Americans.
