LOL Tennessee

[LouderVol]

That is simply not true. Maybe in some instances, but not accross the board. I prepare commercial estimates for quartz tops part time. Any quotes I do that involve large developments, the quartz is commisioned in Cambodia. Any sinks and stuff we provide come from China. A US based quartz shop cannot produce 300 apartments of quartz tops domestically at a cost the developer can pay. It's dog eat dog in pricing matters. My cost for imported quartz on hte job I assembled last night is $178K for 16,500 SF. After I applied tariffs, containers, port fess, and our margins my sell price to the builder was around $240K for all the units. That's $14.50/SF delivered. If we even tried to produce that domestically in the Birmingham shop the bill would be over $600K and we'd never win a job. The developer knows they are paying $40K in tariffs in my quote. I detail everything. And they do not complain about that when the alternative is over half a mil. Not to mention, no quartz mfr I know of can afford to lock their production down over one 300 unit complex and ignore hte rest of their clients. So, we have importers. That 3rd largest multi-family developer in B'ham I quoted to pays that tariff bill. No one else, until it's time to rent and then they get their money back from the consumer. And even then their monthly rent would be even several hundred a month higher if they were footing the bill for locally cut quartz tops.

agreed, that is how I have seen it in every project I work on. Tariff prices are pushed on to the client. its an extra mark up/middle man.

and even when the tariff price caused the imported goods to be the more expensive option, the local companies raise their price to match because they know they can get away with it and increase their margins.

 

[rikberry31]

That is simply not true. Maybe in some instances, but not accross the board. I prepare commercial estimates for quartz tops part time. Any quotes I do that involve large developments, the quartz is commisioned in Cambodia. Any sinks and stuff we provide come from China. A US based quartz shop cannot produce 300 apartments of quartz tops domestically at a cost the developer can pay. It's dog eat dog in pricing matters. My cost for imported quartz on hte job I assembled last night is $178K for 16,500 SF. After I applied tariffs, containers, port fess, and our margins my sell price to the builder was around $240K for all the units. That's $14.50/SF delivered. If we even tried to produce that domestically in the Birmingham shop the bill would be over $600K and we'd never win a job. The developer knows they are paying $40K in tariffs in my quote. I detail everything. And they do not complain about that when the alternative is over half a mil. Not to mention, no quartz mfr I know of can afford to lock their production down over one 300 unit complex and ignore hte rest of their clients. So, we have importers. That 3rd largest multi-family developer in B'ham I quoted to pays that tariff bill. No one else, until it's time to rent and then they get their money back from the consumer. And even then their monthly rent would be even several hundred a month higher if they were footing the bill for locally cut quartz tops.

I will grant you that there are some products that are immune to tariffs and have a captive marketplace. In general that is not the case. Dom Perignon only comes from one source and the tariff will result in an increased cost to the consumer. However, most foreign goods have similar rivals domestically produced and have competition.

 

[Jackcrevol]

I think Tennessee was the most lopsided state one way for any states over 10 Electoral Votes. It was 64% Trump. Vermont was the only state that was that high for Kamala.

Wyoming (72%), West Virginia (70%), and Oklahoma (67%), and North Dakota (67%) were the only states higher for Trump.

Arkansas, Alabama, and Kentucky came in at 64% as well.

Every SEC state went for Trump. So Southeastern Conference clearly went one way. I am thinking the Big12 may have been 100% Trump as well (pending Arizona holds for Trump).

Just filled up the truck, $96.80. Thanks Obama. If we'd just locked hillary up we'd have gas prices lowered. Biden was too old to go to war with Iran. Trump has our best interest in mind, economy is 'really really strong.' Coal industry don't worry. Kamala smiled too much, unreal!

 

[BeardedVol]

I will copy this post that I had to another person who doesn't understand economics.

If all the cost of import tariffs was passed on to consumers then the consumer would not buy foreign goods. Those countries, in this case particularly China today, absorb the cost so they can move their merchandise. The consumer has a choice, the producer does not. For them it is sell or go out of business.
Last question. Are the Tariffs causing rampant inflation or are they working just as President Trump said they would? The proof is in the pudding.

You have a profound misconception of how tariffs work, that seems to be propagated by your desire to believe Donald Trump, over reality.

Who Is Paying for the 2025 U.S. Tariffs? - Liberty Street Economics

Over the course of 2025, the average tariff rate on U.S. imports increased from 2.6 to 13 percent. In this blog post, we ask how much of the tariffs were paid by the U.S., using import data through November 2025. We find that nearly 90 percent of the tariffs’ economic burden fell on U.S. firms...

libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org

 

[GVF]

Here were go again, you can't see the forest cause the trees are in the way.
In the end who pays it? I hate to make common sense but here goes. If given a choice would a consumer choose an inferior Chinese made good or a domestic product if the prices were similar? The reason China sells its goods is because they are cheap. If a tariff causes that cheap good to become as expensive as the similar but superior domestic good, the cheap good is not sold. China has to sell their crap so they eat the tariff in the end. The domestic importer pass the increase on to them.
This is age old economics that have been understood for eons.
Why are they called protective tariffs? Because they protect domestic products and industry from cheap foreign stuff.
Remember, I am the stupid one. You don't have to act dumb to make me feel better. I will be happy in my ignorance.

The tariff on a handmade chinese stainless kitchen sink equivalent to a kohler is 89%. (that's the current tariff on imported chinese steel). That sink costs me $14. that tariff now makes that sink $26.46. Want to guess how much the kohler or american standard sink costs it is replacing? $450 plus anywhere in America. And they are buying the same chinese sink, putting their name on it and effing you right up the a** when you go to Lowe's or HD or Amazon. There's a reason we import from China and Viet Nam. Sorry dude, you have no clue as to who pays tariffs and why. Tariffs are not absorbed by the exporting or importing country. They are paid by the importing company. Even if Tariff were 400% from china the goods would still be half of what it costs to make american. The import company pays. Period. Right off the top it is collected by uncle sam before you can even think about claiming your containers. Then it is passed to consumers.

 

[rikberry31]

it depends on what you think a district should be.

Why was the ninth district different than every other in Tennessee? In the sixties it was redrawn to included only Memphis to comply with the unConstitutional article 2 of the Voting Rights Act. That's the fact Jack.

 

[Rickyvol77]

You have 1900 THP and TBI officers/staff statewide and until recently, less than 10 were dedicated to Shelby County.

The state crime lab was shuttered, moved 90 miles away, and funded at a fraction of the other ones. Unless you were a rich white woman, turnaround time for rape and crime kits is measured in years.

(Every single time the state has allocated more resources to these two items above, there has been a double digit decrease in crime)

TDOT is largely non-existent. State Roadway incident response is non existent. Both bridges are in a state of disrepair due to neglect (one to the point of needing to be demolished and the other shut down for months). Miniscule portion of 10 year TDOT improvement roadmap is Shelby. Hell, Trump even commented on how bad US 51 was when he visited Graceland.

I69 aint coming in my lifetime.

The state actively recruits Shelby County businesses with $$ to move elsewhere in the state. The state gives out of state businesses 3-4x more in grants to move to Middle TN than Shelby.

We've seen the huge decreases in crime with proportional (its even under proportioned) resources dedicated. Put this county on an even footing and if they fail, they fail....

- THP/TBI were moved out of Shelby County because corrupt city officials, activists and the NAACP wanted less law enforcement after the incident where 4 black cops (with former gang ties) beat the life out of that other gangbanger for having relations with his girlfriend.

- The state crime lab was shuttered and moved out because it was unsafe in the area it was in and multiple incidents occurred there, including when an Antifa group tried to burn it to the ground during protests

- Crime (which has always been in Memphis placing it as one of the most unsafe cities in the country), is bad because the DA and judges refuse to go after and imprison hardcore gangbangers

- TDOT is a good point, but a lot of TDOT's funds go to richer and more developed areas of the state....if you have tons of people and businesses moving to Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, they are going to get priority over a dying city

- Businesses move out of Memphis the same reason they move out of LA, SF, NYC, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, etc....don't fault the state for encouraging businesses to move to better areas of the state instead of leaving the state all together.

The fact is Memphis has been run by corrupt grifters, gangbanger families, and activist lawyers for 70 years and they are the main reason the city continues to fail in every single area...
Memphis "culture" is just that

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

I will copy this post that I had to another person who doesn't understand economics.

If all the cost of import tariffs was passed on to consumers then the consumer would not buy foreign goods. Those countries, in this case particularly China today, absorb the cost so they can move their merchandise. The consumer has a choice, the producer does not. For them it is sell or go out of business.
Last question. Are the Tariffs causing rampant inflation or are they working just as President Trump said they would? The proof is in the pudding.

Let me explain this as someone who has extensive knowledge in this area.

Most of the cheap stuff produced abroad is still significantly cheaper with the tariffs than if produced in the US.

It's why the biggest purchasers of these products (Wal Mart, TJX, Costco, Home Depot, etc) are passing through most of these costs to the customer. They are getting some concessions from the manufacturer and they are absorbing some costs at times but most is being absorbed by the end customer.

 

[rikberry31]

You have a profound misconception of how tariffs work, that seems to be propagated by your desire to believe Donald Trump, over reality.
View attachment 830847

Who Is Paying for the 2025 U.S. Tariffs? - Liberty Street Economics

Over the course of 2025, the average tariff rate on U.S. imports increased from 2.6 to 13 percent. In this blog post, we ask how much of the tariffs were paid by the U.S., using import data through November 2025. We find that nearly 90 percent of the tariffs’ economic burden fell on U.S. firms...

libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org

You say I can't read but you are economically illiterate. The importers may actually write the check but in most cases the cost is absorbed by the producer, there is competition. I know it is hard for a commie to understand free market principles.

 

[Rickyvol77]

Chat GPT says high teens low 20s. No clue if that’s accurate. But improvement is there

Take out Memphis and like 3 rural redneck counties and our education is one of the best in the country.

Thank God most of the state isn't that much of a mess

 

[GVF]

I will grant you that there are some products that are immune to tariffs and have a captive marketplace. In general that is not the case. Dom Perignon only comes from one source and the tariff will result in an increased cost to the consumer. However, most foreign goods have similar rivals domestically produced and have competition.

The only ground your stance has depends on which direction the goods are coming from. Europe? i'll give you some latitude. Far East anywhere? Not a chane in hell anyone in the US will ever be comptetively priced on anything. But, the fact remains in either case....Forign entities are not footing the bill nor absorbing tariffs to import goods into the US. Trump Admin can gas light you all they want. THe importing company pays that tariff at the docks or they do not get their containers, then it is rolled into consumer pricing, and most people never even notice, because the end market price on everyday goods change very little from a 10% tariff to a 20% tariff.

If the exporting company was absorbing tariffs how come my client can't get their goods delivered to the job until they pay the tariff? That is the very first transaction at port monetarily cause it ain't been absorbed or paid by anyone else.

 

[BeardedVol]

You say I can't read but you are economically illiterate. The importers may actually write the check but in most cases the cost is absorbed by the producer, there is competition. I know it is hard for a commie to understand free market principles.

The irony of you trying to make 'protectionism' out to be a 'free market principle' while calling me a "commie" is fantastic.

 

[LouderVol]

Why was the ninth district different than every other in Tennessee? In the sixties it was redrawn to included only Memphis to comply with the unConstitutional article 2 of the Voting Rights Act. That's the fact Jack.

just because it was bad before doesn't justify bad now.

the point should be to remove ALL gerrymandering, not just some of it. all yall are doing is opening yourself up to constant redistricting battles based on who is in charge, its disgusting.

 

[theFallGuy]

- The state crime lab was shuttered and moved out because it was unsafe in the area it was in and multiple incidents occurred there, including when an Antifa group tried to burn it to the ground during protests

Pretty sure this did not happen so not sure what you are referencing? Never heard of Antifa burning anything down in Memphis. TBI moved to get into a new building in Jackson.

 

[GVF]

You say I can't read but you are economically illiterate. The importers may actually write the check but in most cases the cost is absorbed by the producer, there is competition. I know it is hard for a commie to understand free market principles.

Still not true. Free market principles say even with added tariffs their product is still costs a fraction of ours. I can promise you that since cambodia is already providing me quartz between $11-$14 a square foot all in manufactured, ready to install, taxed, tariffed and margined by me, they are not absorbing anything. I can't even buy slabs for even a 300 unit complex for that, and still have to fabricate it.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

- THP/TBI were moved out of Shelby County because corrupt city officials, activists and the NAACP wanted less law enforcement after the incident where 4 black cops (with former gang ties) beat the life out of that other gangbanger for having relations with his girlfriend.

- The state crime lab was shuttered and moved out because it was unsafe in the area it was in and multiple incidents occurred there, including when an Antifa group tried to burn it to the ground during protests

- Crime (which has always been in Memphis placing it as one of the most unsafe cities in the country), is bad because the DA and judges refuse to go after and imprison hardcore gangbangers

- TDOT is a good point, but a lot of TDOT's funds go to richer and more developed areas of the state....if you have tons of people and businesses moving to Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, they are going to get priority over a dying city

- Businesses move out of Memphis the same reason they move out of LA, SF, NYC, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, etc....don't fault the state for encouraging businesses to move to better areas of the state instead of leaving the state all together.

The fact is Memphis has been run by corrupt grifters, gangbanger families, and activist lawyers for 70 years and they are the main reason the city continues to fail in every single area...
Memphis "culture" is just that

The last two mayoral administrations plus the largest employees have begged the Lee admin for the THP/TBI resources. The surrounding R counties that are part of district have asked for the same thing.

They were funding the old Memphis crime lab at a tiny fraction of the others. The new one is still being funded that way.

Crime is partially bad because it takes years to process crime data. Yes, Mulroy is a major cause here as well. Not even getting into fact that state isnt even properly funding its inmates in Shelby County. At some point, if TDOC isnt paying what they owe and there's no place to put them....

The State should never offer a Company $$$$ to move within the state without increasing headcount. They shouldn't offer an out of state company $5,000 a job to move to Memphis and $22,000 for the same company to move to Montgomery County...

Regarding TDOT, there is no excuse for decades of neglect for bridges. It took a boater sending in pictures of a cracking MS river bridge for repairs to be done. You can't allocate .4% of long term budget for a county that has 15% of population and put them on par with the declining (but heavily R) Humphreys County.

No arguments with the last point. Memphis has to want to improve.

 

[Rickyvol77]

Pretty sure this did not happen so not sure what you are referencing? Never heard of Antifa burning anything down in Memphis. TBI moved to get into a new building in Jackson.

During the 2020 riots, a small splinter group that was being tracked by the TBI attempted to set fire to both the TBI state crime lab and the forensic medical examiner's offices

They had suspects on the Fusion Center's watchlist involved but couldn't match the evidence to secure convictions.

Most of the suspects left the state because they weren't from TN but a lot have since been arrested for other crimes

 

[GVF]

Let me explain this as someone who has extensive knowledge in this area.

Most of the cheap stuff produced abroad is still significantly cheaper with the tariffs than if produced in the US.

It's why the biggest purchasers of these products (Wal Mart, TJX, Costco, Home Depot, etc) are passing through most of these costs to the customer. They are getting some concessions from the manufacturer and they are absorbing some costs at times but most is being absorbed by the end customer.

Waste of time. He won't answer me cause I do these quotes every day in my off-time. I know who is paying. And you and several others I can think of know way way more about than even I do. These tariffs are just a basic course in how to gaslight an maerican citizen.

 

[theFallGuy]

During the 2020 riots, a small splinter group that was being tracked by the TBI attempted to set fire to both the TBI state crime lab and the forensic medical examiner's offices

They had suspects on the Fusion Center's watchlist involved but couldn't match the evidence to secure convictions.

Most of the suspects left the state because they weren't from TN but a lot of since been arrested for other crimes since.

We didn't have any riots in 2020 that I'm aware of. We had protests if that is what you are referring to but there was no rioting of any kind. It was actually pretty peaceful compared to all the other incidents going on around the country at that time.

First time I've heard anything someone trying to burn down TBI. Can't find anything online about it either. You got a link?

 

[Rickyvol77]

The last two mayoral administrations plus the largest employees have begged the Lee admin for the THP/TBI resources. The surrounding R counties that are part of district have asked for the same thing.

They were funding the old Memphis crime lab at a tiny fraction of the others. The new one is still being funded that way.

Crime is partially bad because it takes years to process crime data. Yes, Mulroy is a cause here as well.

The State should never offer a Company $$$$ to move within the state without increasing headcount. They shouldn't offer an out of state company $5,000 a job to move to Memphis and $22,000 for the same company to move to Montgomery County...

Regarding TDOT, there is no excuse for decades of neglect for bridges. It took a boater sending in pictures of a cracking MS river bridge for repairs to be done. You can't allocate .4% of long term budget for a county that has 15% of population and put them on par with the declining (but heavily R) Humphreys County.

No arguments with the last point.

- We will disagree on the THP/TBI point, Memphis has received funding but didn't utilize it for LEO purposes, it was grifted and laundered out....I will agree that Lee basically gave up sending extra $$ and resources for that when they had no support from the city officials or the court system there
- It doesn't take "years to process crime data"....KPD and KCSO and several other city/state agencies can do it down to a science in every category in real time. Also that crime data is actually accurate and not numbers where things are made up, reclassified or left out
- They don't "offer" a company $22k to move to Montgomery County, that is the offset in tax relief because Memphis, like most blue urban cities has ridiculous tax rates. When you have high taxes, high crime, low services, low infrastructure, and not many educated workers, you are going to lose out to better ran counties with better people. Also if the choice is to move the company to Montgomery Co or out of state, I would WANT the state to help that
- I don't disagree with TDOT but that is NOT just a Memphis thing, go look at the few TN dying counties that are rural and it's the same thing... Memphis had the money to fix its infrastructure for decades but they chose to keep the money for other things and political grifting.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

State pays Nashville/Davidson 3.5x what they pay Memphis/Shelby to house state inmates...

 

[Rickyvol77]

We didn't have any riots in 2020 that I'm aware of. We had protests if that is what you are referring to but there was no rioting of any kind. It was actually pretty peaceful compared to all the other incidents going on around the country at that time.

First time I've heard anything someone trying to burn down TBI. Can't find anything online about it either. You got a link?

There's no link because it wasn't widely known outside of LEO

 

[Rickyvol77]

State pays Nashville/Davidson 3.5x what they pay Memphis/Shelby to house state inmates...

Shelby County spends the most by far of any county on its inmates and is requesting a new billion dollar jail
and part of the funding issue there is because Shelby County has yet to give a complete honest accounting of proposed budgets for 6 straight years to the TN Comptroller office

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

- We will disagree on the THP/TBI point, Memphis has received funding but didn't utilize it for LEO purposes, it was grifted and laundered out....I will agree that Lee basically gave up sending extra $$ and resources for that when they had no support from the city officials or the court system there
- It doesn't take "years to process crime data"....KPD and KCSO and several other city/state agencies can do it down to a science in every category in real time. Also that crime data is actually accurate and not numbers where things are made up, reclassified or left out
- They don't "offer" a company $22k to move to Montgomery County, that is the offset in tax relief because Memphis, like most blue urban cities has ridiculous tax rates. When you have high taxes, high crime, low services, low infrastructure, and not many educated workers, you are going to lose out to better ran counties with better people. Also if the choice is to move the company to Montgomery Co or out of state, I would WANT the state to help that
- I don't disagree with TDOT but that is NOT just a Memphis thing, go look at the few TN dying counties that are rural and it's the same thing... Memphis had the money to fix its infrastructure for decades but they chose to keep the money for other things and political grifting.

TNECD has offered on average $22K for each new job under grant agreements in Montgomery County, more than 3.5x what is offered in Memphis....(These are for out of state companies coming to TN). If Amazon wanted to build a new warehouse, why should they get 3.5x as much from the state building it in a more well to do area?

Why should Memphis have to fix the state's infrastructure. No other area in the state has to do that. Memphis had to spend millions to fill potholes on state roads that TDOT wouldn't fill or reimburse.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

@Rickyvol77

Please know my defense of some of these disparities is not meant to absolve the grift, cronyism and corruption that was rampant when Herenton ran the city...