Tooturoo Economics

   The nation is facing a crisis. Tooturoo Economics leads to lost jobs in America as manufacturing of this critical and popular item goes to foreign nations or as domestic firms stop using it entirely.
   As an example of the Unintended Consequences of this change, children will no longer have a basic learning and recreational tool, which means parents will be forced to invest in expensive items to replace the child's beloved tooturoo.
   Already, two major American firms have stopped using tooturoos as a core component of their product.
   For those who may not be familiar with the term, such as bachelors who grew up in highly privileged households, a tooturoo is the cardboard cylinder at the center of a roll of paper.
   When the roll is empty, a parent will give the cylinder to a child, who then runs around the house with the cylinder at his lips yelling, "Toot-too-ROOH!"

   A tooturoo can be of several sizes. At the center of a roll of toilet paper is a soprano tooturoo. From paper towels comes a baritone tooturoo, and from a wallpaper roll comes a bass tooturoo. The ultimate, however, the equivalent of a didgeridoo, is the contrabass tooturoo, usually reserved for use by a visiting uncle.
   The economic consequences of a tooturoo crisis could be yuge. Initially, the crisis is likely to be touched off by the removal of the tooturoo entirely from paper goods. Already, one manufacturer is marketing rolls of toilet paper without the inner tooturoo cylinder. It has not yet been established how many jobs have been cut by manufacturers as tooturoo-less rolls come off the assembly line. Early job losses will be felt by suppliers of the cardboard cylinders, who will no longer have a market for the product.
   Next will be cardboard manufacturers, plus those who harvest the trees used in making all forms of paper goods.  The consequences thereby become international, since many tree farms are in Canada. In addition, lower wages in Far East countries will attract what few jobs may be left as tooturoo makers shut down from lack of business.
   Political candidates have not yet been heard from regarding this potential crisis, but it's clear that the topic will come up as foreign trade and balance of trade deficits become important topics in the election campaign.