On Taxes, Trade and Cake

he morning after President Bush’s State of the Union address, the coffee room here at Rodman Publishing was unusually abuzz with political discussion.

One interesting conversation centered on tax cuts. “Who doesn’t like a tax cut? More money for me and mine, right? That’s a good thing.” But then someone chimed in and said, “Sure I hate to pay taxes, but I hate to drive on bad roads too. And at some point, I figured out that someone had to pay to fix the roads.” And where did that money come from anyway?” Taxes is the answer.

And overly simple answer but valid nonetheless. I don’t argue that the system is perfect. Abuses are legion, but faults aside, there is also a long list of things we Americans enjoy and someone’s got to pay the bills for defense, education, health care, and flights to Mars and beyond.

A similar dilemma exists when it comes to international trade. Virtually every U.S. consumer benefits from lower prices made possible by imports from overseas. Everyone also knows of someone who’s lost a job because the company he/she worked for has closed up and either moved its operations overseas or gone away entirely. And now, following the confirmation that a cow tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or “Mad Cow Disease”) in Washington State, several foreign countries have imposed new requirements for U.S.-manufactured cosmetic products. In its January 12 newsletter, the CTFA reported that new certification requirements and possibly other entry barriers have been imposed in Brazil, Taiwan, Korea, and China.

According to CTFA on Jan. 22, U.S. cosmetics, as safe as ever, are presently being barred from entering China. Considering the volume of imports from that region that are related to the American beauty business, such a ban is ironic at the very least.

See the letter to the editor (p. 84) to read an opinion on the puzzle of overseas trade, competition and lower prices and the effects on Main St. Let us know what you think and we’ll publish your letter too (signed, of course).

There’s no single, simple answer to the issues of taxes and trade. As a nation, we have to have them and your grandmother was right when she said, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.”

On a happier, more certain note, Cosmetic Packaging & Design’s 2003 Company of the Year: Excellence in Packaging is Avon Products Inc.
(p. 46). Chosen by our readers, Avon has been delivering beauty door-to-door since 1886 and is now also marketing its line of cosmetics, personal care and fragrance products as well as an assortment of apparel and gift items in more than 140 countries. Congratulations to Avon and its millions of Sales Representatives for a job well done.

Here’s to 2004! May it be healthy and prosperous for all of us,

Janet Herlihy
Editor
[email protected]