A letter to the President, from a small business owner who did it on his own:
So, this morning was a salient example of why my father [the owner of a small family bakery] dislikes this Administration, especially after this weekend's speech.
While we were working on other things, our donut fryer caught fire (nothing serious, sort of).
Apparently a bad welding job from a couple years ago caused shortening to drip into the heating jets, thereby causing a nice little self sustaining fire.
Dad and I just kind of looked at each other with a "now what" expression. Dad tried smothering it with towels, but after the towels nearly caught fire, he broke down and pulled out the fire extinguisher.
At first, dad was resigned to the idea of scrapping every single donut for the day (which he had already cut out). So not only would we lose all that labor, we'd essentially lose our entire day's profit, and that is not taking into account having to fix something we had already paid to fix.
Where was the government? Where were the roads, teachers, whatever that the President chided us about?
The reality of the situation is, it is the small business owner that takes all the risk. If it costs you nothing, or if there is absolutely no risk, can you really take credit for "helping" someone?
My dad and I had to decide if we were going to try to re-light the fryer and basically pray it didn't flash over in my face while frying donuts. That, or watch the entire day go straight to hell.
*We* pay the price of failure, but the government loses nothing. If we succeed, the government gets to take half.
Why? Because they built some damn roads with *our* tax money? Because they hired some teachers I never saw, with *our* tax money? The hell you say! Where's the risk? Where's the sacrifice?
The government risks *nothing* because any and every investment they make *we* pay for. When Solyndra fails, no one in the government loses, The People do.
The small businessman risks his savings, his house, his livelihood, his health, and sometimes his life, and when he actually succeeds (through hard work, massive hours, and pain) the government takes half or more after risking *nothing*.
So yes, Mr. President, we did it on our own and you can basically screw off.
p.s. we fried the donuts. #customerservice
Thinking of my dad, who was unemployed when I was born, and who got hired by, and then took over, a small business. Who worked at it for 20+ years to put food on our table, send us to school, help my mom get through nursing school, and give me the wedding of my dreams.
ReplyDeleteThinking also about my husband. His dad (who started a small contacting business in 1971) had a stroke the night of the 2008 election. My husband took over the business pretty much from that night forward, and has kept it going through the death of his dad, and the worst economy since 1929. My husband, who spent half of his "vacation" last week on the phone with other contractors, subcontractors, employees, and stuck-up university personnel who know nothing but job security and a smidgen of power. My husband, who is directly affected by every tax hike, OSHA regulation and EPA regulation. My husband, who works hard every day so that I can work from home and raise our kids.
From the daughter of, and now the wife of, small business owners, I salute you all.
Good Job to the Krutas a great American Success story. God help us to survive this president and his followers..
ReplyDeleteI think you really SHOULD send it to the Prez! Especially that last paragraph!
ReplyDeleteJim, never mind, the jigs up, a friend pointed out to me that you didn't really write that letter.
ReplyDeleteSomebody else invented the alphabet.
Bummer.
1. I really doubt you pay half or more of your income in taxes
ReplyDelete2. Yes, the roads bring the customers to you, the government gets part of your income to keep them maintained. I lose a portion of my paycheck too, I'd rather keep it that way than pay a toll fee or hike everywhere I wanted to go.
3. The more successful you are at your business, the more health complications you contribute to down the road (unless you think donuts are healthy). Health problems cost the us economy across the board (not just the taxpayer).
4. Solyndra didn't go under because they were incompetent, they went under because china introduced cheaper solar panels than Solyndra could produce. If I could divert half the money that ends up in the department of defense budget and move it to the department of energy, I'd match it all dollar for dollar. Cheap sustainable energy is a win for everyone.