147 be honest - editorialpinups

There are many places that I do not like shopping, Kohls and J.C. Penney. The reason is I never know if the price charged is good for all involved.  I do not like to buy things at x% off.  I feel screwed if I paid more then come back to the store to find I paid more. For that matter, My Pillow does this a bit too much also.  

Governments at all levels have this same problem.  Whether it be taxation, government programs, trade agreements, and intergovernmental agreements the lack of honesty and transparency must be eliminated.

During the Biden (corpse) administration with all of the regulations and tax policy in place they try to bribe companies to build chip factories in the USA.  Over the years we have heard about municipalities offering tax breaks for economic development to outsiders. Would not it be better to have low taxes and reduced regulation for everyone?  Balance and clarity will generate a better, stronger, long term economy.

Look at the retailers that joke around with prices. They spend an enormous amount of time and energy on advertising.  While advertising is good, advertising to say we dropped the price while misleading pulls in the unsuspecting consumer.  Good solid pricing brings customers back for more.

When products are sold based upon artificially low prices, cuts  need to be made somewhere.  To keep prices down there are consistent business practices.  The first is to position manufacturing plants at the cheapest possible location.   They will have arbitrarily lower labor costs created by factors but not exclusive to false economy systems, subsidized housing and housing styles that lend towards subsistence and not necessarily enjoyable living,  a forcibly controlled no dispute labor market, and lax environmental rules that lend towards environmental abuse and a not in my back yard attitude about the environment.

One cannot possibly buy a car strictly on the basis of being green.  Any EV owner that says they are buying the vehicle because it is less polluting over the life of the car is ignoring the source of materials for batteries. The harvest and the manufacture of the batteries makes a big mess and uses a bunch of fossil fuel materials.

Labor costs can be manipulated.  Subsidized housing is one way. Making the housing arbitrarily low and you can pay people less. Make it arbitrarily high, wages have to go higher to cover.  Government entities in the United States do need to allow lower priced housing to be made new.   Things like do not require a garage, allow gravel driveways, look to what worked in the past.  Allow the house to be expanded.  Plan but don't build until needed.

The tariffs has brought out currency manipulation and government subsidizing to keep the prices arbitrarily low fro other countries.  The tariffs need to be played out. Watch as it plays forward.  There is only so much sibsidizing a country can do until the country can no longer afford it.  The possible labor uprizings can come after.

Working with the consumer to see what products are needed, create a sustainable pricing structure, be honest.  The consumer needs to be honest themselves. Government needs to be honest also.

One other thing.  Despite all of this, Get out and got to a few stores.  Learn how to interact with people, ask questions, describe what you are really looking for.  You will find many nice people out there when you are in person that can offer a tremendous amount of help.  Remember that Sears, JC Penney, and Montgomery Wards did a good catalogue business at one time (and all three have failed miserably translating that to the internet) in store they would measure and do alterations when buying certain clothes, mae sure it was the right fit and gave some nice  visible choices.  Experience that before it is gone!