Leatherman Tools backs Kerry

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jacketch

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Top Business Leaders from the Outdoor Industry Endorse Kerry-Edwards Tuesday September 14, 2:24 pm ET The Health of the
Great American Outdoors is at Stake

OREGON CITY, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 14, 2004--Senior executives from leading outdoor manufacturers, retailers and
associations across the country gathered today to endorse Senator John Kerry for President and Senator John Edwards for Vice
President. They announced their endorsement at a press conference with Senator John Edwards at Clackamus Community College in
Oregon City, Oregon. "We have come together to endorse Senators Kerry and Edwards because they share our values and goals,"
said Lee Fromson, president of Seattle-based Cascade Designs, Inc., a leading manufacturer of outdoor equipment.
Remarks by Senator John Edwards and Cascade Design's Lee Fromson carried common themes:

"Health care is the hardest decision I have to make each year as a business owner," said Paul Fish, president of Mountain Gear in
Spokane, WA. "I want to provide my employees and their families with quality care but the cost of doing so weakens the very
business we are trying to build together." (So is he hoping the government will subsidize his companies healthcare costs or is Edwards going to sue the doctors into lowering fees.)
Executives attending today's event included: Lee Fromson, president, Cascade Designs, Inc.(Seattle, WA); Peter Bragden, vice
president, general counsel, Columbia Sportswear (Portland, Oregon); Menno Van Wyk, CEO Montrail (Seattle, WA); Paul Fish, president
Mountain Gear (Spokane, WA); Carn Nielsen, vice president, Mountain Gear (Spokane, WA); Dan Nordstrom, CEO Outdoor Research
(Seattle, WA); Jeff Bowman, vice president, Cascade Designs, Inc. (Seattle, WA); Doug Phillips, president, Metolius Climbing (Bend,
OR); Tim Leatherman, president, Leatherman Tool Group, Inc. (Portland, OR); Dunham Gooding, president, American Alpine Institute,
Ltd (Bellingham, WA); Brian Bennett, national accounts manager, Patagonia (Ventura, CA)

Outdoor businesses depend on abundant and available recreation opportunities so their customers can enjoy outdoor activities. In
return, outdoor businesses employ over a million Americans, contribute $18 billion to the U.S. economy and work closely together to
promote an active and healthy lifestyle to the 149 million Americans who enjoy the great American outdoors.

September 14, 2004

Dear Fellow Americans:

Senators John Kerry and John Edwards share our values and goals. They know that promoting active outdoor recreation promotes
good health. They know that proactively protecting and supporting public lands for recreational use means future generations will
enjoy them too. They know that improving the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink is not negotiable for any industry
or business in America. They know that health care costs will continue to increase unless we are united in reducing obesity in
America. (Where is this going to go)
John Kerry and John Edwards are committed to preserving our national parks for the benefit of current and future generations.
President Bush has promoted policies that break that commitment and endanger the future sustainability of our national parks.
President Bush's policies have severely under-funded our national parks resulting in rampant understaffing, site closures, elimination
of visitor education programs and neglected cultural and natural resource preservation, demonstrating indifference towards unsafe
trails, unclear facilities and the growing shortage of safety staff.

As importantly, the Bush administration has rolled back basic environmental protections that undermine parks including:

Rolling back Clean Air Act requirements that ensure visibility and healthy visits to our national parks; Eliminating federal protections
for our public lands that will allow mining, logging and development in national forests; Slashing the Land and Water Conservation
Fund, which enables the National Park Service to acquire new land and protect and enhance existing parks facilities. In contrast John
Kerry and John Edwards have a plan to protect the scenic landscapes and vistas for the appreciation of future generations through
rigorous enforcement of clean air and water regulations and will preserve the resources that embody our cultural heritage through
committed funding for parks operations by:

Increasing the operating budget of the National Park Service by $600 million will put our parks back on the path toward recovery and
restoration. We will pay for this important objective by modernizing the sale of mineral rights and using the revenue generated to
increase the operating budgets of our national parks. We know that Senator Kerry is a champion on the environmental issues that
are central to our industry and customers. We also believe that Senator Kerry's economic and health care policies will keep our
businesses competitive and health care affordable.

Therefore, we the undersigned are proud to endorse Senator Kerry as the next President of the United States.

Sincerely,

Lee Fromson, president, Cascade Designs (Seattle, WA)

Peter Bragden, vice president, general counsel, Columbia Sportswear (Portland, Oregon)

Menno Van Wyk, CEO, Montrail (Seattle, WA)

Paul Fish, president, Mountain Gear (Spokane, WA)

Carn Nielsen, vice president, Mountain Gear (Spokane, WA)

Dan Nordstrom, CEO, Outdoor Research (Seattle, WA)

Jeff Bowman, vice president, Cascade Designs (Seattle, WA)

Doug Phillips, president, Metolius Climbing (Bend, OR)

Tim Leatherman, president, Leatherman Tool Group, Inc. (Portland, OR)

Dunham Gooding, president, American Alpine Institute, Ltd (Bellingham, WA)

Larry Harrison, president, Earth Games (San Clemente, CA)

Jim Clark, CEO, Watermark (Arcata, CA)

Steve Barker, CEO, Eagle Creek Travel Gear (San Diego, CA)

Peter Metcalf, CEO, Black Diamond (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Ashley Korenblat, president, Western Spirit Cycling (Moab, Utah)

Mike Wallenfels, vice president, Mountain Hardware (Richmond, CA)

Roody Rasmussen, CEO, Petzl America (Clearfield, UT)

Tony Post, president, Vibram (Concord, MA)

Kelly Stone, director sales and marketing, Werner Paddles (Seattle, WA)

Joe Hyer, president, Alpine Experience (Olympia, WA)

Mike Sullivan, president, Sullivan Agency (Wimberley, TX)

Bob Olsen, president, Peregrine Outfitters (Williston, VT)

Michael Crooke, CEO, Patagonia (Ventura, CA)

Brian Bennett, director national accounts, Patagonia (Ventura, CA)

Adam Forest, managing partner, The Forest Group (Lotus, CA)

Gordon Seabury, president, Horny Toad Activewear (Santa Barbara, CA)

Paul Gagner, vice president, Gregory Mountain Products (Temecula, CA)

Tom Campion, founder and chairman, Zumiez Inc. (Everett, WA)

Malcolm Daly, president, Trango (Boulder, CO)

Rodney Smith, president, American Outdoor Products (Boulder, CO)

Joan Keller, president, Le Travel Store (San Diego, CA)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact: For Cascade Designs, Inc. Martha Keeley, 978-468-8961

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: Cascade Designs, Inc.

Phone: (503) 253-7826 Toll Free: (800) 847-8665 Fax: (503) 253-7830 Warranty E-mail: toolwarranty@leatherman.com General
E-mail: mktg@leatherman.com
 
Fortunately I have never had any use for Leatherman tools. I wear my Gerber pliers every day; I can open/use them with one hand, and can put them away in the same fashion.

As far as the other companies go, some of them make good stuff, but it is mostly over-priced, and marketed/hyped to appeal to metrosexual weekend warriors. Metros make my skin crawl. Even casual association with them would make me puke.

Thanks anyway, but I'll stick with high-quality affordable gear.

Besides, did anyone ever not think that Kerry and Edwards are leathermen? :rolleyes:
 
I would only care if they became active with the antis.
Click to expand...
Then you might want to check the Kerry/Edwards voting record on the right to keep and bear arms. :rolleyes:



Where is the headbanging smilie when I need it? :confused:
 
Then you might want to check the Kerry/Edwards voting record on the right to keep and bear arms.
Click to expand...
True, Fred, but half the country is supporting Kerry (or more appropriately hating Bush), and I just don't have the energy to take on half my brothers and sisters.

I will get riled, however, if it gets a little more active.

Not blind, just pickin' my moments.
 
I knew there was another reason besides it being a better tool that I own and carry a Gerber product....now I know what it is.
 
Read between the lines. These people are all saying one thing - "Socialized medicine will let me drop the health insurance headache, which will improve my bottom line."

It's not about anything other than money.


Joseph - we're at war. The other side knows it. Our side's great weakness is that too many of our side doesn't know it.

Pick your side.
 
I really wanted a Leatherman Wave. Gerber will get my money instead. I was also considering getting some Columbia upland hunt gear their vest in particular. Think I'll just stick with the Cabela's brand on this too.
 
Quartus, words of wisdom. As far as I am concerned, we're not talking sides, but rather tactics.

As I am trying to understand the issue, it seems Leatherman is siding with Kerry for the environmental issues. That is legitimate, and Bush has not been a champion on that front. He could, and should, do better. (Just talk to the folks at Ducks Unlimited.)

But RKBA is, for me and most folks here, a more important issue. I shudder at the thought of Kerry winning, not just because I'd have to watch his ugly a$$ every day, but for what he would do to our rights.

If he should win, Congress, weak-kneeded that it is, would still have to pass legislation and by all accounts it will still remain in Republican control.

Firebreaks, to be sure. But the job is to avoid the fire in the first place. Bush is safe here in NC, so I could sit on my fat butt and not do anything. However there are close swing states where we can encourage our brothers and sisters to man the barricades. I, for one, will help those who need it in those cases. That's where I am putting my energy.

Same side, different tactics.
 
Under Bush's plan for Association Health Care legislation, all of these manufacturers who are endorsing Kerry could pool their insurance purchases and expect lower premiums.

Even under socialized medicine, their bottom line would still wind up lower because of Kerry's plan to raise taxes on the "rich" which term includes Sub-S corporations.
 
We should thank them for help making out our boycott lists. Any friend of Kerrys is an enemy of gun owners. Leathermans, check. Columbia Sportswear, check. What's the cascade company make? Remainder are mostly the tree-hugger crowd it seems and/or folks I've never heard of. I'm a tree-hugger/environmentalist too, and Kerry undoubtedly would be better on this issue. But, the RKBA is the more important issue, since if it's taken away, we'll not be able to vote in favor of environmental protections, because a despot will eventually take over once the RKBA is gone, and then we'll have a nice dictatorship who will de-forest the entire country if it suits his needs (not to mention kill people who speak out for democracy).
 
Columbia sportswear just had an ad for hunting clothes in one of the magazines. I remember reading it and feelling like I was reading an ad from a snakeoil salesman. It felt like an ad produced by yuppies who just want my hunting dollar, but who have no real support for hunters.

Sad to hear about leatherman, I guess I won't be getting a wave either.

patent
 
I have a mini-leatherman in my pocket right now, but I don't plan on throwing it away. I find it hard to believe that these business leaders are so out of touch with the mind of the average hunter that they would announce this publically.
 
I suggest that if you have any products from the companies listed above, you cut off the label and mail it to them, along with a letter telling them why.

I just bought a pair of wool overalls and a jacket from Columbia. I wish I could return them, but they've been out hunting.
 
I got this generic e-mail reply from Leather Tools today




Dear Sir or Madam:

I assure you I have personally read your e-mail. However, due to the volume of messages received, I cannot give a personalized response to each to you.

However, here in a nutshell is a general response:

Because I publicly stated how I am going to cast my vote, almost all of you have threatened a boycott against my company.

So be it.

I took a position, and now I will accept the consequences.

I am still going to do my absolute best to make great tools and hope that you and all Americans, of every political affiliation, will find them of value. If not today, someday.
Tim Leatherman
President
Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.
 
I just heard about this. I'm from Washington and know most of these store. Most of them focus more on the "Granola" crowd of tree-hugging purists enviro-wackos.

I suggest that the President of Mountain Gear looking into why Health Care costs are so high and then see what John Edwards has done to "contribute".

As for me and my store, I am pulling Leatherman and turning down Columbia. I will not carry anything that would support such a threat to our freedom to keep and bear arms.


Kelsey
High Mountain Hunting Supply
www.luvtohunt.com
Wenatchee, WA
Bush Supporter
 
Gotta throw my two cents in here.

It is not inconsistent to be an environmentalist and an RKBA gunner. I love to backpack, and I love to backpack where I don't run into man-made crap. In effect, the wilderness. Utah is a great example of some of the most wonderful sites on the planet, and there is nothing like going into areas which haven't been trashed by four-wheelers, etc. Just plain old natural settings.

Whenever I backpack, there is a P232 with me.

Bush has done very little for the environment, but RKBA is much more important to me. It's all about balance.

Regarding health care and the expense, that is a major issue for all Americans. I think Bush really screwed the pooch by not allowing the government to negotiate best prices for the Medicare drug benefits program. My health insurance went up 16% last year, and I had no claims. (I also am self-employed, so I had to pay this cost, not some amorphous corporation.) This is not a democrat or republican issue, it is an American issue.

YMMV
 
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