Swag' insiders say Obama knows 'little' about promo industry

President Obama signed an executive order this week that is supposed to cut $4 billion worth of 'swag' from the federal budget. Swag, meaning promotional pens, mugs and clothes distributed by government agencies.

Now the swag industry is upset about it, according to The Hill:

“We certainly wouldn’t want people to stop using promotional products, if they can be used efficiently and effectively, in a knee-jerk way and cost jobs,” said Tim Andrews of the Advertising Specialty Institute, which represents the promotional products industry.

“For the president to say that buying promotional products is a waste is extremely troubling and shows how little he knows about the industry,” Matt Bertram, president of Fields Manufacturing, said in a statement. “This is again another example of our administration making quick decisions that will hurt small business.”

Andrews said the $17 billion industry employs up to 500,000 workers in the United States, and that the government is a major customer. Andrews said the Census saved $85 million in 2010 by using promotional items to remind people to return forms.