See, I just knew the day would improve: Wooden Arrows of Fortune to Save The US Bailout Plan.
"We" get $2 million of that tacked-on $110 billion. Yes, I made arrows (as well as quivers and bowcases) for kids and while I haven’t made them except for myself and friends for years now, it might be the time to get back into it so I can claim some of these bailout funds.
In truth, I do understand how Rose City can be hurting by the excise tax. The price of wooden shafts which I used to buy (often from Rose City) by the thousands has gone up fourfold in the past few years, basically because cedar became scarce once they wanted to use it for medical purposes and arrows need certain elements of wood densities, etc. so that limits the field. I’ve used other woods and found some even dangerous because they split up the grain under the pressure of a 65-lb. pull. Making arrows is no easy deal: each single shaft needs to be weighed, spine-tested, and sorted into dozens by those characteristics. Then they’re cut, dipped, crested, fletched, and a point and nock glued on. I used to sell a dozen for $30; now they sell for $70 or more. And, wooden arrows break.
But I’m in the framing business now, and costs are prohibitive with almost all of the moulding coming from overseas–so I’m paying all the taxes, fees, and now fuel costs to get it over here. Since I just missed out on the arrow "bailout", I guess I’m also too late to salvage my hurting business to get my piece of the pie.
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