| Author | Message | ||
     Arcticktm |
How many of us have actually bought a tire made in China, anyway? I always check the sidewall, and have never bought one for car, truck or bike. I would only consider it for a pure dirt tire, or something else where high speeds and safety are not a big factor. Most of mine have been made in Germany, France or Brazil. Plastic toys and clothes are one thing. High tech safety items are another. As for tax on foreign bikes, there actually IS (or at least was) a special tariff on small engines over 1000cc. I think (not sure) it is only a few percent, though. We stumbled on this by accident at Arctic Cat when releasing the "Z1" engine. Late changes with Suzuki made it actually 1050cc, which took it just over where the tariff kicked in, and made our engine slightly more expensive (since they were all built in Japan). I was told it was an old tariff imposed to help H-D back in the early days of their recovery from the AMF era. | ||
| Chellem |
Most here seem to have not learned that the Reagan "trickle down economics" doesn't work for shit. Can you explain why it doesn't work? I'm not being funny, I'm being serious. I don't have that many liberal friends, and so the only place I really have to hear what the "other" side thinks is here. I like political threads. :P | ||
| Nobuell |
My company designs and manufactures mechanical equipment for nuclear power plants. We export about 40% of our equipment. The only country that plays by the rules is the USA. There are major import taxes in every country we send product to. They all scream when the USA implements a duty but they are very quite about theirs. | ||
| Rocketsprink |
I will, when I'm not typing this all on my phone. | ||
| Aschem |
I never buy Chinese. First choice USA, 2nd choice a non-communist country. | ||
| Greenlantern |
If it weren't for the absolute mess that the Bush administration left us in, the Buell Company would still be in business. Think about it... Uh.. that is where you lost me. I was not a big fan of the previous administration, but to blame it for the shutdown of Buell or even for the current financial crisis is about as credible as blaming the current administration for the same. This crap has been building up for more than the last 8 or 9 years and history has shown the pattern almost precise enough for one to set their watch by. Now someone is making an attempt to start the recovery and everyone is bitching about it. The sad truth is if McCain had won the election it would still be the exact same bitching, only from the other side. Whatever happen to patience and perseverance ? This is the reason I try to avoid political discussions because while both sides can't be right, they can certainly both be wrong. (props to Abe) One thing at a time though , If taxing foreign tires will make U.S tire manufacturers competitive then I am all for it. For those who complain about not getting the same bang for the buck on their cheaper import tires, How about actually keeping them inflated to the proper pressure on a weekly basis or is that another freedom being infringed upon?!? I'm going back to the fellating bat!  | ||
| Klcm54a |
 I agree. Here's a big red flag on that blame Bush comment. This is an issue with the country. Both parties are sucking the life out of the rest of the country. Americans need to fire and forget em. That's the only way we can get the attention of the the politico. Buy American first and stick together. If they don't represent us (emphasis on local community level) then vote em out. | ||
| Rocketsprink |
not my words, but I couldn't agree more. Trickle-down economics was always more of a political mantra than an accepted economic theory. Economists have long known that the type of spending engaged in by the rich: yachts and corporate jets, expensive dinners, tailored suits, etc., does not generate much useful long-term economic activity. In addition, the rich tend to save a larger portion of their income than the poor, meaning that less of the money being put into the system stays in the system. The rich are more capable of spending or investing windfall money abroad so extra spending may not stimulate the domestic economy. Large businesses will not expand manufacturing or hire new workers just because they get a lump of money: if consumption is not increasing, they will just pay out the money in dividends or perhaps use it to pay off debts. Large payouts to the rich and big business can be used by them to consolidate power and squash smaller competitors. I also don't agree with the trickle up theory either. | ||
| Sifo |
Economists have long known that the type of spending engaged in by the rich: yachts and corporate jets, expensive dinners, tailored suits, etc., does not generate much useful long-term economic activity. Sure that kind of spending only benefits manufacturing and service industries. Let's not forget building trades for their big houses too. Oh, wait... that pretty much sums up the economy! Why the hell did Bush fight so hard to bring China into the WTO anyway? Oops, that wasn't Bush, was it! | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Corporate greed has moved a lot of manufacturing jobs overseas. Wait till the financial sector moves overseas because of the hounding they are taking from the Obama administration. Do you think the big banks and financial institutions are going to allow the government to set salaries and tell them how to run their business? HA !! | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
In addition, the rich tend to save a larger portion of their income than the poor, meaning that less of the money being put into the system stays in the system. What kind of nonsense is this? Do you think they stuff it in their mattresses? The money they save is used by banks to make loans or by corporations to invest in new equipment, etc. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
The only country that plays by the rules is the USA. There are major import taxes in every country we send product to. They all scream when the USA implements a duty but they are very quite about theirs. EXACTLY.... all these folks who run around championing the free market forget the FAIR part of the equation. There is nothing fair or level about our trading position with the rest of the world. | ||
| Chellem |
Corporate greed has moved a lot of manufacturing jobs overseas. I have to take issue with that. I mean, it may be part of it, but consumers themselves have also helped move manufacturing overseas. I buy organic food whenever I can. By doing that, I'm voting with my dollars. It's important to me to support local farmers who stick to more environmentally responsible methods of farming. Is it the cheapest way? No. Absolutely not. But as I said, I'm voting with my dollar. It means I only have 3 or 4 oranges instead of a whole bag sometimes, or maybe I don't buy a new pair of shoes. But that's the choice I made. Our obsession with STUFF has led people to make choices to maximize the amount of STUFF they can get for their dollar. This means that getting the BEST deal, the CHEAPEST price, becomes of tantamount importance. The cheaper something is, the more of it we can aquire. What if that means that the product is going to come from China? Well, that sucks, right? But what ya gonna do? I NEED the stuff. But when you buy something made in China because it's cheaper, well, you're also voting with your dollar. So many people have voted with their dollars that to be competitive, businesses move the industry to places where it's cheaper. Is that greed? Maybe partly. But a business that isn't profitable quickly goes away. Banks don't loan money to businesses who can't reach and maintain a certain profit margin - they're bad risks. Everyone agrees that, in theory, American workers deserve to earn a fair wage, get good benefits, retirement, blah blah. But when they're actually shopping, and the American product costs a whole bunch more than a similar-appearing product from China, what do people do? They vote for the Chinese worker over the American one. What if we all decided to spend the extra money, and only buy ONE American thing instead of TWO imported things, because, really, we for the most part do have enough stuff. American companies would be profitable again, and American workers would have jobs. Too simple? I am kinda a simple person. So let's not entirely blame the evil rich folks for this situation. We consumers helped out a lot too. Just my $.02. | ||
| Sifo |
Not too long ago there was a big push to normalize trade with China. A lot of work went into bringing China into the WTO. Now we are left trying to compete against China in manufacturing. On top of that we want to keep raising taxes on businesses in the US. Is it any wonder that they pick up and move production to China? These "greedy corporations" are simply competing on the playing field that has been set up for them. When this was originally in the discussion stage we all heard about how things would be so much better by bringing overseas workers up to US standards. I never doubted that wages and working conditions would seek an equilibrium, but I never ever believed that it would be by raising the standards of overseas workers. Sure it's all Bush's fault! What a joke. What Bush did poorly for the economy BO is doing on steroids. We are being told that the economic stimulus is working better than could be imagined. If that were the case then could we back off on spending the 80% or so of the spending that hasn't been spent yet. Of course not! Then want to get going on Stimulus II! Don't let a good crisis go to waste after all! | ||
| Chellem |
This is an interesting read. Please note - it is dated 2004 - so it is NOT in response to the current political climate or any like or dislike to Obama's policies (or even Bush's for that matter, really). http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/FDR-s-Policie s-Prolonged-Depression-5409.aspx ""President Roosevelt believed that excessive competition was responsible for the Depression by reducing prices and wages, and by extension reducing employment and demand for goods and services," said Cole, also a UCLA professor of economics. "So he came up with a recovery package that would be unimaginable today, allowing businesses in every industry to collude without the threat of antitrust prosecution and workers to demand salaries about 25 percent above where they ought to have been, given market forces. The economy was poised for a beautiful recovery, but that recovery was stalled by these misguided policies."" And here's a kicker - remember, from 2004: "Why the Great Depression lasted so long has always been a great mystery, and because we never really knew the reason, we have always worried whether we would have another 10- to 15-year economic slump," said Ohanian, vice chair of UCLA's Department of Economics. "We found that a relapse isn't likely unless lawmakers gum up a recovery with ill-conceived stimulus policies." How's THAT for foresight? ->ChelleM | ||
| Ducxl |
We've all been living the Ponzi scheme preying upon lesser countries with their oppressed peoples' in order to obtain products at lesser prices than American labor can deliver. I like the tariff referred to in the title. As a country i think we've got too much money going out and not enough coming in. Just the opine of a dimwit. Got a nice new pair of sneakers recently.Bought them because they're proudly emblazoned with MADE IN USA!!! Yep,New Balance model 992 made by my proud American neighbors.Buy New Balance and support your homeland economy. I'm ok with made in Germany or Italy or any country that doesn't oppress it's citizenry. But i'll go out of my way to buy American products first.Even if i have to save up. | ||
| M2nc |
Not to get all political but how can you have fair trade when the other guy can change rules with no internal opposition. Until China has freedom of the press, ownership of property, and other civil liberties, we should not be trading with them. I am glad we finally have a president that is sticking up for American manufacturing. I believe this country can compete openly with just about any democracy long term. We have a work ethic unmatched around the world. But when you have a country the size of China that the government has all the control and the citizens have none, we will never have a chance. I do not buy Chinese tires anyway so this tax is not bothering me a bit. | ||
| M2me |
I don't have that many liberal friends, and so the only place I really have to hear what the "other" side thinks is here. I like political threads. :P I agree. I've never understood people who say, "This is Buell board! There should be no political threads!" In the first place, if someone doesn't like political threads then just don't participate. In the second place, Buell boards, surfing boards, knitting boards, etc. are the very places we should be debating politics and the issues. I read Democratic Underground all the time but rarely post on there. On political boards everybody is pretty much of a like mind. That's the whole problem with politics in America today. There is a blue corner and a red corner. Everybody just stays in their corner and only comes out to sling some mud at the other corner once in awhile but nobody ever meets anywhere outside their corner. Politics should be discussed in the public square, not just in isolated, ideological corners. BTW, I think the 35% tax on Chinese tires is a great idea. If China wants to dump a cheap product on our shores I say slap a tax on it! How many capitalist countries have been built on a policy of free trade? Answer: none. Look at the UK, Germany, France, United States, etc. Were these economies built on free trade? Nope! It's never happened in human history. "Free trade" agreements have been the biggest piles of crap ever dumped on the American people. They've been championed by multi-national corporations who don't give a crap about the United States. Why has our government been going along with this heist for so long? | ||
| Liquorwhere |
If it weren't for the absolute mess that the Bush administration left us in, the Buell Company would still be in business. Reminds me of a joke I heard.... A russian Premier was being forced out and when his successor came to him for the transition meeting the old Premier gave the new Premier two letters. "When you find yourself in real trouble, open the first letter, when you find yourself in trouble again, open the second letter" was the advice from the old Premier. It wasn't long before the young upstart found himself in a heap of trouble...he opens the first letter and it read "Blame everything on me"....the new leader heeds the advice and presto he is in good shape again. Not long after though he again finds himself in hot water...he opens the second letter and it reads "Sit down and write two letters"..... I always find it funny that the new blames the old and the old blames the older and the present, and the next will always blame the present and yearn for the past when it was SO MUCH BETTER....we are as a world a bunch of hypocrites, bellyachers, lazy gripers that are never content because if you have more the problems just get bigger and if you have nothing the problem is not yours, it was created by those that have more.....pathetic. | ||
| Gsilvernale |
What I don't understand is if we have taxes on imported tires, it means that we lose jobs in the US to distribute and install the tires? People still have to buy tires. Does not matter where they come from, or how much they cost. It's not going to impact the total number of tires needed/sold in the United States if we tax foreign tires. | ||
| Benm2 |
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/66dc0964-c7d9-11de-8ba8- 00144feab49a.html?nclick_check=1# Check the chart towards the middle of the article, the one showing renminbi per dollar (Chinese currency). China's fixing of their currencies value to the dollar is just another form of trade protection. | ||
| Dbird29 |
I hear Obama has a new Czar. Bush is his Blame Czar.  | ||
| Midknyte |
People still have to buy tires. Does not matter where they come from, or how much they cost. It's not going to impact the total number of tires needed/sold in the United States if we tax foreign tires. When you are on a tight budget, and the price of something you need goes up substantially, do you not run on what you have as long as you can and put off the purchase or even give up? | ||
| Jimidan |
Thank the Lord that we have a smart President for a change. Thank the Lord that we have a smart President for a change. WOOOOOOOOOOWWW... I was going to rebut the points you made in your post, but reading this line made me realize in an instant that all effort would be for nothing." I don't expect many to understand what is going on, it is complicated and subject to a lot of political misdirection by those who are still profiting from the status quo. Let's just say that President Obama is a chess player thinking 3 moves out in a world of checkers players. I always find it funny that the new blames the old and the old blames the older and the present,... Well, accountability works that way sometimes, if we are being honest. If you look at what Dubya inherited and what his policies (and the deregulation that Reagan started and Clinton continued) did to that nest egg, then it is obvious where the blame lies. Borrow and spend doesn't work, especially when there is no industrial base left. Dubya's philandering set up the conditions for a lot of industries to fail, including our beloved Buell Co. We need to find another path for economic expansion and set a strategic direction emphasizing it. Our baseline problem now is energy, climate change, and greenhouse gas emissions. If we built an industry to address these problems effectively, we could employ a large part of the labor force for a generation. And you'd then make that profitable for private enterprise to get into in a serious way. The kicker is that we need to restore what was when we had an industrial base and not reform what is. The main point about the current crisis is that it could have been prevented by the Bush Administration. These people in authority two or three, or five years ago saw it and knew how to prevent it. They chose not to act, because they were getting an economic benefit out of the speculative explosion that was occurring. The people who could have prevented the dam from breaking were too busy fishing above it, and reaping big bucks to stop and fix the crack. The Federal Reserve and Alan Greenspan, in particular, knew that the dam was cracking but chose to wait until it had washed away, because they were getting a superficially stronger economy out of it. It was all about smoke and mirrors and short term gain...the bane of our economic system these days. President Obama has made a start in the right direction in the current stimulus package which includes important initiatives and incentives to jump start this, all the while China is ALREADY doing it with the aid of government subsidies. We are already buying Chinese windmills fer crissakes...when we should be making them. What did Dubya do but fiddle while Rome burned? Tax relief for the ultra-rich? Start two wars of choice on credit? What has the Party of No proposed? More of the same. Tell me, how's THAT been working out? | ||
| Chellem |
I don't expect many to understand what is going on, it is complicated and subject to a lot of political misdirection by those who are still profiting from the status quo. Let's just say that President Obama is a chess player thinking 3 moves out in a world of checkers players. See, this is what makes me crazy. This, pat you on your head, so sorry you're so dim you can't see the big picture kind of attitude. Please, I'm not a moron, could you tell me what moves Obama is playing that are helping? Don't just say something like that, which, maybe you didn't mean it that way, but comes off as rather condescending, why not actually back up a statement like that with examples or facts? Then, we can discuss them like adults. I promise I'll listen to your side, if you'd only share it with me in some detail rather than these grand statements with very little fact behind them. Because in the article I posted above, several UCLA economists felt that a stimulus was the WORST thing we could do, and actually extended the first depression of our century by several years. Please explain why this stimulus ISN'T going to do that, or why the UCLA economists study was mistaken. | ||
| Cowboy |
I want to know just how many ZR 17inch tires are made in the USA | ||
| Nik |
I want to know just how many ZR 17inch tires are made in the USA http://www.cycletires.com/index2.html | ||
| Court |
>>>several UCLA economists felt that a stimulus was the WORST thing we could do, and actually extended the first depression of our century by several years. Interesting that Ford . . . the one company that the feds didn't "help" just reported a $1,000,000,000 PROFIT for the quarter and GM (Government Motors) just reported they are going to default on the $81,000,000,000 loan. Please . . . no more help. Keep an eye on Rahm. | ||
| Midknyte |
Let's just say that President Obama is a chess player thinking 3 moves out in a world of checkers players. Chess? More like darts | ||
| Midknyte |
with a shotgun |
