Countywide : Labor Day Theme: ‘Try American Day’

As the owner of a concrete building block company in Stanton, Rick Muth knows the importance of good foundations, which may explain his dedication to a spreading campaign designating Labor Day as “Try American Day.”

Encouraging Americans to buy domestic products is one of the most basic ways to reinvest in the country and help it shake off bad economic times, he said.

Besides, it’s the patriotic thing to do, said the 44-year-old co-founder of the nonprofit USA Owned, USA Made grass-roots organization.

“We’re not telling people what to do--we’re not asking the government to punish people if they don’t buy American,” Muth said Thursday. “We’re just reminding everyone how important, and how simple, it is to support the country.”

Support came Thursday from County Supervisor William G. Steiner and the mayors of La Palma, Laguna Niguel, Orange and Stanton, who gathered outside the County Hall of Administration in Santa Ana to laud the effort by USA Owned, USA Made to make Monday a banner day for its red, white and blue message.

More than 120 cities and 41 counties, most of them in California, and 27 states have responded to the campaign by passing resolutions dubbing Labor Day “Try American Day.” Among that legion of support, a dozen Orange County cities and the Board of Supervisors have embraced the idea.

The proposal gathered steam in June when Muth and his associates persuaded U.S. Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) to sponsor a bill supporting the concept, Muth said. The resolution passed Aug. 6 in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, spurring USA Owned, USA Made to spread the word to other government agencies and bodies.

Laguna Niguel Mayor Thomas W. Wilson said at the Thursday gathering that the nation’s beleaguered economy would benefit if Americans took the Labor Day message to heart for more than just one day.

“I believe this is a great idea and a great message,’ Wilson said. “I’m hoping as time passes that it’s not just ‘Try American Day’ but ‘Continue to Use American’ every day.”