The Secret Weapon: All of Us (NY Times Columnist says "You Didn't Build That, We All Did")

New York Times ^ | 08/29/2012 | Nicholas Kristoff

[SeekAndFind]

The Republican National Convention opened by smacking President Obama with the theme “We Built it.”

To pound that message, Republicans turned to a Delaware businesswoman, Sher Valenzuela, who is also a candidate for lieutenant governor. Valenzuela and her husband built an upholstery business that now employs dozens of workers.

Valenzuela presumably was picked to speak so that she could thunder at Obama for disdaining capitalism.

Oops. It turns out that Valenzuela relied not only on her entrepreneurial skills but also on — yes, government help. Media Matters for America, a liberal watchdog group, documented $2 million in loans from the Small Business Administration for Valenzuela’s company, plus $15 million in government contracts (mostly noncompetitive ones).

In a presentation earlier this year, Valenzuela described government assistance as an entrepreneur’s “biggest ‘secret weapon.’ ”

Someone has set up a parody Web site, using the name of Valenzuela’s company, First State Manufacturing, to mock the Republican message. The site, FirstStateManufacturing.com, declares, “Thank God government was there for me.”

In short, the Republicans are inadvertently underscoring the point that President Obama was expressing in his “you didn’t build that” comment in July. Obama noted then that “if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own.” He pointed to public investments in roads and bridges that enable businesses to flourish, and then he inelegantly added, “If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that.”

[GeronL]

so they admit to being communists?

[MNDude]

so liberals deny that Obama meant what he said, yet they admit they agree with what he supposedly didn’t mean to say. Confusing.

[VanShuyten]

Just remember, MS-13 didn’t get there on their own either.

[Titus-Maximus]

If the government hands out millions for free any rational person is going to take it - this proves nothing.

The real hypocrisy is when these leftists say that wealthy Americans have a “moral duty” to pay higher taxes - and then none of them volunteer to pay a dime more than is legally required. If it is a “moral duty” than they are obviously ‘immoral’ for not paying it. They like to judge others but will not be judged.

[wac3rd]

The NYT and all Commies like them cannot understand the fact that the Government only exists with monies taken from the Private Sector. Every bureaucrat, every bridge, every tank needs a person to produce something to be taxed, then given to Government for them to redistribute.

The NYT and Media Matters are merely Stalinistic front groups for the DNC and Leftist ideals.

[Crucial]

It's always collectivism with Obama and the Dems.

It shouldn't be "Yes We Can" but "Yes You Can".

[VideoDoctor]

Yet another DIM-BULB explanation from the LIBERAL LOONS of MEDIA.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Maybe I didn’t personally build the roads and bridges, but my tax dollars sure as hell did!

[kenavi]

If you're a conservative, you shouldn't compete for government contracts, even legitimate ones.

You should follow the example of all the wealthy liberals who send extra money to the IRS because they think their tax rate is too low.

But seriously, the gov't does give preferences to female or "minority"-owned businesses like the Valenzuelas. Trouble is, these preferences are abused by local pols to award contracts to crony companies who are incompetent or outright frauds, or whose true management is not the one depicted on the gov't questionaire.

[LibWhacker]

Oops. It turns out that Valenzuela relied not only on her entrepreneurial skills but also on — yes, government help. Media Matters for America, a liberal watchdog group, documented $2 million in loans from the Small Business Administration for Valenzuela’s company, plus $15 million in government contracts (mostly noncompetitive ones).

Oops. A loan isn't a handout, Nicky, you dumb dip$hit. It has to be paid back. With interest.

[jwalsh07]

Screw you Kristoff. I built my company with no government loans, no government contracts and no government advice. I did have many thousands of dollars confiscated so left wing parasites could sit on their fat asses watching Oprah and munching chips though.

[adorno]

The real hypocrisy is when these leftists say that wealthy Americans have a “moral duty” to pay higher taxes

There is a real and easy remedy to that hypocrisy.

Whenever the liberals mention taxing the wealthy, it should be put into real terms which even the liberal wealthy would understand.

So, as an example, if one were to mention to Oprah that, when taxes are adjusted so that she pays her fair share, she would have to pay some $500-600 million to the government, in one fell-swoop, and afterwards, 55-60% of any future earnings, which to her would mean somewhere around $80-90 million per year. Same for Hollywood stars, who, if they were to make #10-20 million per film, would have to turn over some $5-10 million per film to the IRS. Let's see how much music stars like Madonna and Beyonce like it when the IRS takes $50-100 million per year for doing concerts and TV gigs and music sales and product endorsements. Most of them would still be millionaires, but, with very high resentment of having to pay their "fair share", and perhaps wishing for "more capitalism" in their lives.

Liberal businesspeople would also get a huge dose of reality once government start taking half their fortune, from their businesses and their "take-home pay".

Most liberals are so because, they haven't been hit with what the reality would be.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks SeekAndFind.

[Steven Tyler]

If it’s so easy, why do we have multi generational takers who have not taken advantage of selling stuff to the Government???