Smithsonian’s ‘Made in America’ mandate not easy to achieve

[The Straight Story]

Smithsonian’s ‘Made in America’ mandate not easy to achieve

Virginia craftsman Byron Whitehurst designs the polystone busts of American presidents that line the shelves of a gift shop at the National Museum of American History. Priced at $20 each, the trinkets are a favorite among tourists, who buy about 1,200 a year.

But that was before a visiting senator picked up one of Whitehurst’s busts and noticed a small tag proclaiming “Made in China.” His angry reaction touched off a firestorm that has forced the Smithsonian to clear its shelves of many souvenirs and rethink how it stocks its popular gift shops.

Come July, Whitehurst’s lower-priced products — designed in Virginia but made in China — will no longer be sold at the third-floor gift shop near the history museum’s American Presidents exhibit. The Smithsonian Institution is converting the shop to sell only American-made products, an experiment that may mean higher prices for consumers but could pave the way for similar “Buy American” efforts at other Smithsonian shops.

The change is far from easy. Foreign manufacturers produce many of the most popular items at Smithsonian shops, including American flag pins and coffee mugs bearing an image of the Washington Monument. Illustrated maps of Washington are designed in Britain, postcards of the Smithsonian Castle are from South Korea, and the tag on a tie-dyed Grateful Dead T-shirt says “Made in Honduras.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/smithsonians-made-in-america-mandate-not-easy-to-achieve/2011/04/13/AFFA2RqD_story.html?hpid=z2

[999998th word]

1. About damn time.

[HughBeaumont]

2. Of course it's easy to achieve.

But that would require paying American workers higher wages and taxing the wealthy.

And they all but decided in 1980 that they weren't going to do that anymore. EVER.

So, no, says our Corporation/Government Merger.

[notesdev]

3. I noticed this at the Archives a few years ago

bought a couple of souvenir mugs, the ones with Elvis and Nixon on them.... you guessed it, Made in China. Crap manufacture too, turns out the image on the mug was just a decal that ended up wearing off after a few rounds in the washing machine.

[JHB]

4. But Senator, that would be Industrial Policy!

If you require the gift shop of an American national museum to only buy nic-nacks from suppliers who make them in America you're interfering with the free market and !

And heavens to betsy, we can't have that!

:sarcasm: , for anyone who couldn't pick up on it.

[eilen]

5. DC could use some small industry

I think there is an opportunity for DC (not Capitol District) to produce those items. There would be little problem with shipping and the money would stay in the community.

[intheflow]

6. Oh eilen!

You crazy dreamer, You! :thumbsup:

[robinlynne]

7. YES!!!!!!