Sorry Paul, I know this is getting off topic but it peeves me. I
wore the
Levis Red Straps for years, thats all I bought. Then they stopped making
them and I had to switch to the Big B's Red Straps. As Dale says
they are as
good as the old Levis but now they have stopped selling them here, I've
tried finding a source for them but no luck yet. I hate shopping so
I like
to be able to walk into a store, look at a lable and buy them, no
fitting
rooms etc. Damn I hate it when things change.
As for free trade we have had that for years with the US and Mexico
but last
year I tried to order a 4 1/2" 10-28(?) screw from McMasters and was
informed they would not ship to foriegners unless they had a previously
established account and they would cancel the account of American
ordering
on my behalf and forwarding the screw to me. Yeh, free trade my a** !
Now back to your regularly scheduled rotary programming.

John Gibbons


I searched for, but could not find a supplier in the US for the bearing
size we wanted. Our preferred size is exclusively produced in China. The
search for the next nearest size here in the US turned up only "2"
units. Only one bearing vendor got back to me for this size. No reply
from the rest.

I tried!
So off to China went the emails. Out of 25 or so vendors,  maybe 7
responded. Then some referred me to the real producers of the product;
they have a tendency to trade with each other for the parts they make.
In the end, I hit bedrock, a small company specializing in our approx
size gave us a quote. They are a trading partner of a larger bearing
supplier who referred them to me.

So there you have it, raise taxes here, raise production there. Lower
profits here, greater profits there. Leap the great wall of taxes.

Eventually there will be equilibrium. No matter how desperately liberals
want to believe otherwise, It is the law of economic physics. Do you
want 2-3% earnings, in you gov sponsored IRA, that will be taxed if you
take it out early?, or the readily available tax free 8-10% earnings you
can get from some life insurance offerings?

Our own investors sold to the Chinese the equipment needed to produce
high quality goods. In this case, bearing machinery.

Ed Carver



Cirrus Aviation (most prolific maker of US GA aircraft for a while, I
believe) was recently sold to the Chinese.

Al Klapmeier, founder of Cirrus, doesnt appear to be one to let grass
grow under his feet and has now acquired Kestrel Aircraft
http://www.kestrel.aero/index.html
They announced yesterday that they are moving manufacturing to Superior,
Wisconsin. Held a meet/greet yesterday morning in the hangar next to
where I hang out.  I rubbed elbows there yesterday with a few of the
shakers and movers.  Met Wisconsin Gov Walker and chatted briefly with
Klappmeir.
They are supposed to add 600 good jobs to a town of 30,000 people. Quite
a boost to the local economy until the Chinese come in and take this one
over too.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/220120/

R. Berglund