Buying local by choice, not by law

Farmers' markets. Here in our Okanagan-Coquihalla region we have some of the best. I love strolling down the lines of kiosks laden with fresh produce.

And who among us has enough iron will power to bypass the table of freshly baked cinnamon buns with the glazed icing dripping off the oven browned sides?

Then there's the ingenuity and artisanship of our local painters and craftspeople.

So much to enjoy, so much local choice. The key word here is 'choice'. The 'Buy Local' movement is an important factor for us as consumers. As long as it is left as a matter of local choice and not one of compulsion by local lawmakers.

I am somewhat concerned as I travel around the country and see a growth industry of 'buy local by law' advocates. They are bringing pressure to bear on elected people to bring in bylaws that limit consumers' choices.

Any time we bring in laws that limit our choices as consumers it leads to decreased quality and increased prices. We also hurt local producers who need to sell their products outside of our own neighbourhoods.

As a nation, we cannot survive unless we can market our goods and services beyond our own backyards and borders. The very premise of fair and free trade is that we won't slam the door on producers from other provinces and countries and they won't slam the doors on us.

Of course, we have to make sure there are product regulations for safety purposes and laws against 'dumping'. Beyond that, history is clear. If a local village puts up barriers that prohibit products coming in from another village, they wind up hurting their own villagers in the process.

What would happen to scores of our local wineries if they not able to sell into other markets? Or imagine how our local orchardists would survive if consumers in Texas who know how amazing Okanagan cherries taste were not allowed to buy them because of their 'buy local bylaws'.

Also, as a consumer it should be my choice if I want to buy a coffee from a local cafe or from, let's say, a Tim Horton's. No politician has the right to tell me I can't buy from a merchant just because that person operates a franchise operation.

Most franchise operators are local citizens who have made a decision to invest (often their life savings) in a business they feel will meet a need and provide them and their employees a livelihood.

Franchises also are often the main buyers and magnets for local products.

An investigative piece on the front page of the Wall Street Journal last week uncovered a startling scandal. It seems that a lot of the so called 'local' opposition against a certain major North American retailer was really not all that local.

Other large rival retailers admitted to secretly funding the 'local' opposition groups to try to keep their competitor from, well, competing.

Similarly, believe it or not, a major US city council recently had the gall (excuse the pun) to order all restaurants to figure out how many calories go with each dish on their menus.

Hey, if a savvy restaurant owner wants to take the time and expense to do that, then good for them but forcing it by law gets ridiculous.

The hot dog vendors on the street and the popcorn kiosks at the county fair also have to go to the trouble and expense to figure it all out and advertise it correctly, or else!

As elected people we should be spending our waking hours working on keeping people's taxes down and crime rates down and essential services up. It is not my right or responsibility to tell customers at a local eatery if they should be having a salad instead of pie and ice cream.

The free and fair market system is not perfect. But it always results in higher levels of prosperity and employment, better quality, more choice and more reasonable prices than an overly politicized system.

'Local' by choice is fine. But 'local' by law is not.

P.S. Thankfully nobody was hurt in the mudslide. Our hearts go out to those homeowners who were hit. Officials are now working at all levels on the issue.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.