One of the most common questions I get when I am stopped on the Streets, Los Calles, and Las Avenidas of the world is: “Why should I buy a Custom Suit?”
Well, beyond the obvious, there are two main reasons:
In today’s age, the Tailor is an Endangered Species. These cats are old. And sadly, dying off. (Kind of like what Jim Rogers says about farmers and one of the reasons why the Agriculture sector is a solid long term play for your Bankroll).
I personally, don’t want to see that happen.
Help America
America is in pretty bad shape. One of many reasons we are in this position is because we don’t make anything anymore.
Last year, I moved over to an American Tailor. (Well, I am kind of lying, I still go to Savile Row every year to pick up some Custom Suits). My tailor is a legend in The Game and has made suits for Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra (and I won’t say any more because I don’t want to give away who he is.)
He charges a grip, but I would gladly pay double knowing how well they work. Hell, triple.
Bottom line, which would you rather wear?
A Custom Suit, made in The USA?
Or a glittery T-shirt and tight jeans made in China?
(If you answered the latter, go kill yourself. Or better yet, give me your address.)
Floyd Mayweather Jr., Mark Cuban and Michael Mason on Patriotism
Best quote by Floyd Mayweather Jr. during Floyd Mayweather VS Victor Ortiz Post Fight Interview:
(Start watching at 17:00)
“It’s so crazy. I am in America. The country that I represent, the Red, White and Blue.
I make money in America.
I feed the American citizens, I feed the people that are less fortunate in America.
Even when I make it rain, I am still throwing money to Americans!.”
The Most Patriotic Thing You Can Do by Mark Cuban
Bust your ass and get rich.
Make a boatload of money. Pay your taxes. Lots of taxes. Hire people. Train people. Pay people. Spend money on rent, equipment, services. Pay more taxes.
When you make a shitload of money. Do something positive with it. If you are smart enough to make it, you will be smart enough to know where to put it to work.
I don’t care what anyone says. Being rich is a good thing. Not just in the obvious sense of benefiting you and your family, but in the broader sense. Profits are not a zero sum game. The more you make the more of a financial impact you can have.
I’m not against government involvement in times of need. I am for recognizing that big public companies will continue to cut jobs in an effort to prop up stock prices, which in turn stimulates the need for more government involvement. Every cut job by the big companies extracts a cost on the American people in one way or another.
Entrepreneurs are needed to create and grow companies to absorb those people in new jobs. If entrepreneurs don’t create those jobs, the government ends up having to spend more money to help them one way or another.
So be Patriotic. Go out there and get rich. Get so obnoxiously rich that when that tax bill comes , your first thought will be to choke on how big a check you have to write. Your 2nd thought will be “what a great problem to have”, and your 3rd should be a recognition that in paying your taxes you are helping to support millions of Americans that are not as fortunate as you.
MARK CUBAN: “Any Budget Plan That Is Longer Than The Current President’s Term Is A Crock Of ****”
These are not meant to be researched items. These are “streams of consciousness” from the conversation yesterday’s post created.
First some housekeeping. I DO NOT like paying taxes. In fact I hate to throw good money after bad and the way our federal government spends money is rarely good. HOWEVER, I think that this country has created unique opportunities for entrepreneurs and paying taxes is a small price to pay. In fact, as I wrote yesterday, I’m proud to pay taxes on the rewards I have EARNED through my efforts in the business world. Taxes are not a bad thing, mis-allocation of the money we all contribute is.
So what can be done? Here you go:
1. Transparency.
It had been promised often and never delivered. If there was transparency in our budgets and the actual spending of our dollars, down to the nickel. Someone has to see it and approve it. If they can see it, US citizens (with the exception of classified defense spending) should be able to see it. The value of transparency is that we would benefit from the collective brain power of the American people who would be able to provide us in depth education and information.The power of the people at its best. Sure there would be tons of misinformation as people play the traditional partisan games, but I think that websites that take apolitical approaches to the issues will emerge that we could follow.
With complete transparency we could have our own online Super Committee to look for the best places to cut costs and improve efficiency. Without it, we are at the mercy of a “Super Committee” formed purely to make politicians happy.
