Re: Shop Local
"Why would you want your tax dollars to be funneled to Japan so that the cops can drive Camry's?"
Because when you have a trade agreement with a trade partner, part of that agreement typically includes equal access to procurement (which is why, for example, government tenders in EU countries have to be issued EU-wide). In many public procurement cases, 'locality' of the supplier should not (sometimes by law, sometimes by policy) be given precedence, although in practice many times it is. The idea is that the taxpayer gets more bang for their buck and if a non-local supplier can deliver the requirements cheaper, they should be preferred.
It's actually not that straightforward... awarding these contracts locally is certainly more beneficial for the locality even if it's more expensive, since money spent locally is circulated over and over in that locality. I don't understand the US cops driving Chevy/Ford/Dodge vs Toyota though, since those Toyotas are made in the US anyway
Biting the hand that feeds IT
