Ever since World War II, America has transformed herself into a Consumers' Republic. Today, the US economy is 70% driven by consumer spending. Our nation's economic health rises and falls with spending. The underlying assumption of the consumption economy has been the need to expand market share, open up new markets, drive down costs by outsourcing labor and environment, while advertising "always low prices."

What we have experienced over the last year is The Great Compression. While the private sector has been de-leveraging, the public sector is leveraging up ---- borrowing more money today on the backs of the future Chinese and Americans who will be stuck with an exploding national debt. We are simply borrowing from tomorrow to spend today in hopes of repayment in the future by "stimulating" the economy.

Is there another way to jump-start our economy?

Our world begins in our backyard. Every decision we make creates ripples. According to research, for every $100 spent in locally owned businesses, $73 dollars stay within the community. Conversely, for every $100 spent at non-locally owned businesses, $43 stays locally. For every dollar spent in online retailing, virtually none, as in $0, stays locally.

Everyday we are faced with the choice to buy a book from Borders, Amazon or Books and Crannies. When we buy a book from Amazon all the dollars are shipped from our local economy to Seattle, Washington. If we buy from Borders, 57% of our purchase heads out of the area. But when we buy from a locally owned store like Books and Crannies, 73% of the money spent stays.

How? Books and Crannies' pay local taxes that support schools, police, fire and rescue. They pay wages to employees to local employees who turn around and spend money and pay taxes. They use local services for marketing, accounting and printing. They make donations to local charity. From one book, the dollar multiplies and recirculates around the community. The same is true for locally owned clothing stores, shoe stores, restaurants and banks. This is how a ripple turns to a wave.

National chains, conversely, employ workers at that particular branch, but the majority of the money and support for the branch is located somewhere else. When we buy from Borders, they use national accounting firms, marketing firms, printing shops that are not located in the area of the store. It is even worse for online shopping. Literally, click and it's gone.

The national companies and the Internet retailers lure consumers with low prices, discounts and convenience. Our local taxes may be used to attract industry, but the industry it attracts is nothing more than a vacuum for sucking up local dollars and shipping halfway around the US ---- creating side pockets, not ripples. When those dollars leave the local economy, they are gone for good; it's swipe and go!

The premise of a global economy is market share. What matters to consumers and local business is customer share. Within our own budgets, we spend X dollars on books, Y dollars on shoes, and Z dollars on clothes. The question is what percent of your budget heads out of town and what percent stays to help ripple through the economy?

Each purchase we make from a local business builds equity in our community. The answer to the economic woes is not some stimulus package from Washington or some Cash for Clunker program or some redistribution of the nation's finances but rather ourselves.

So this holiday season, Experience the Hunt Country ---- Buy Local First!