Posted on 01/19/2009 6:35:25 AM PST by Las Vegas Ron
To All My Valued Employees,
There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country.
However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests.
First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a back story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life.
However, what you don't see is the back story.
I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.
My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.
Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the Goodwill store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.
So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... You never realize the back story and the sacrifices I've made.
Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.
Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds.
Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:
I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch.
The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.
The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy.
Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.
When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep.
So where am I going with all this? It's quite simple.
If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I fire you. I fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more.
Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.
If you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about....
Signed,
Your boss
Fantastic!
Bookmark
bookmark
Fair Tax Reason number 869.
Boortz is da man!
Need to be read by every one.
only if you run Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, And any other bank can you have the best of both worlds.
Ayn Rand could not have stated this any better! Very very well done.
bttt
Great!
I agree with some of his points, but I disagree with his conspicuous consumption and looking down at others not only in his company, but others who work hard and still pay huge taxes of every kind. Its not just business owners who pay huge percentages of their income in taxes. This man is likely not exposed to the true lower class. All he can see is the people who have less than he does that he looks down on. I know people with similar attitudes as he. Frankly, many are outright thieves.
Amen. I wonder if Obama has read this? I’ll bet not.
Public schools don’t teach people how to read anymore.
After 45 years of hard work & devotion he will have to close his store sometime this year. He unlike this person, worries about his employees who have worked for him over twenty years. They both are undereducated, married and have young children.Both were young (16) school dropouts but willing to work hard and learn the trade. He paid them well and rewarded them with a good bonus at the end of the year.
What he worries about is who will pay them as much as they have become accustom to? Any other business will only see them as grunts. They will not see their devotion, their ability to solve any problems they're confronted with on the job in a timely manner. Worst yet, is they have worked most of their lives in a business which is fading away.
Today most children would rather sit in a chair and play video games than pick up a cue stick and play a game of pool.
Actually, the actual rate of taxation for EVERYONE should have been mentioned: it’s effectively 70% at all levels combined. (I think the data originated with the John Locke Foundation; someone else can look it up.) This 70% includes both employers and employees, and all under a Republican administration (W can veto any spending bill that originates with the Democratic Congress, so it is inevitably his responsibility).
Wow, that's what you came away with after reading this?
After the writer said he would have preferred to give raises and hire more people? Yeesh
I think the point the writer is making is that he is tired of the burden vs. return ratio, that the government is removing any incentive for him to stay in business.
Having unnecessary roadblocks put in front of you every time you try to succeed gets old very quick, after a while you just say it's not worth it anymore.
Over the last couple of weeks, I've recieved it a dozen times via email.
I guess its more directed toward some of the people in like situations that I have been exposed to.
Frankly, few here got upset when it was Wal Mart or some other big box store who put the small businessperson out of business.
Some here have to recognize that the threat to small business comes not only from taxation and big government, but big corporations as well.
And the dangerous thing is that now big business feels compelled to cooperate with big government.
Face it, most of you have been looking only at one side of the equation for way too long.
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