BUSH Sneakers

Today's editorial in The Lowell Sun is on the money.  Our Rep in Congress, Ms Niki Tsongas, proposes that we require sneakers purchased by DoD to be manufactured in the US.  Since we require it for other uniform items, it seems reasonable to extend it to sneakers.

This theme of US tax dollars being spent in the US is not new.  There was a Congressional requirement that all DoD precision watch components be manufactured in the US.  But, it isn't just DoD, as the "Buy American" aspects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 shows.

This "Buy American" approach even extends to local purchases overseas.  The first time I was stationed in Germany the DoD instituted a program anticipating two Presidents—BUSH, or Buy US Here.  The idea was that if you had to purchase some item on the local economy, see if some German firm was selling a US manufactured version.  An example would have been a Thermofax—which then Captain James Y Myers recommended we get for the squadron Intel shop, to help us speed production of Mission Folders.  Worked like a charm, but I think we actually borrowed ours from someone else, who probably purchased it on the local economy.

Now, there can be some silliness involved in this sort of thing, such as a Congressional mandate to ship US Coal to Germany for heat and power for US facilities.  That meets the criteria for "carrying coals to Newcastle".  But, overall, not a bad idea.

I like what Ms Tsongas is proposing and I applaud the editor of The Sun for backing this move. Next I would propose they see if they can get Ms Tsongas to check into the War Powers Resolution and then it will be two prominent pluses in her column.

Regards  —  Cliff