Mr. President - Stop Killing the Economy
With unemployment now having broken the 10% threshold, creating jobs is a hot topic. As an entrepreneur responsible for creating over 1000 jobs, I probably know more on this subject than your contemporaries like Barney Frank or Nancy Pelosi, neither of whom has created a single job in the private sector.
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What’s hurting this economy? First, small businesses are being attacked. Second, our political leadership has created uncertainty about the future. Third, when attacked or uncertain about the future, small business owners hunker down and minimize risk. This is why many experts predict that any recovery is likely to be a jobless recovery.
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Small businesses play a significant role in the creation of new jobs. As a small-business owner involved with leadership organizations representing over 20,000 Presidents and CEOs, I know that many of us believe that we are being attacked by you, Mr. President, and our political representatives. You vilify people who work hard, take risks and have achieved success.
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We started this business 25 years ago. We worked long hours, personally guaranteed loans (repaid on schedule), treated our associates respectfully, and paid our fair share in taxes; and by God’s grace, we have had some success.
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My response to you and others inciting class warfare to advance your own personal agenda is simple: We are not the enemy! We are not responsible for your failed social policies! We have had nothing to do with the irresponsible spending that has created record deficits.
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Nature and economies abhor any uncertainty that creates fear and doubt about the future! Why are small businesses reluctant to hire people? It is because right now and looking forward to 2010, we don’t know how our labor laws will change, what our taxes will be, what our health care situation will look like, and with Cap and Trade, how much we will pay for energy. Stop pontificating about the need to create jobs! Instead, take a look at the policies that you and the Congress and Senate have promoted; these policies are responsible for the elimination of jobs.
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Whether you know it or not, business owners are looking to survive. To that end, within my small circle, eight entrepreneurs have postponed hiring 100 people and 20 other entrepreneurs have eliminated over 1000 jobs. This scenario, played out on a national scale, is why the unemployment rate is over 10%.
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And things may get worse! With EFCA, health care legislation, or legislation which aggressively raises taxes, the U.S. economy can collapse. This so-called recovery is extraordinarily fragile. So for the sake of America: Stop attacking small businesses and please, please, please - Stop Killing the Economy!
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Tigger commented:
I find it refreshing that you frequently comment on the political climate of the U.S. which has a direct reflection on the transportation / logistics industry as a whole. Time to wake up and realize this affects us all.
Greg commented:
Great blog, Mike. You hit it out of the park again. I agree with dar... this blog should be published in every national newspaper for all to read. We are witnessing a socialist take over of America. When finished, Mr.Obama and his ilk will have robbed us of our greatness and strength, rendering us unable to recover. When I look back to what prompted our founders to revolt and create our great nation, it is clear to me that our current government has more than amply met the standard and should be labled "tyranical".
GJames commented:
"Fear tactics of the opposition" has American businesses afraid to get back to normal? Ya, right. No, it’s not the 'opposition' that small business are afraid of. It’s the reckless actions of this administration and the obsessive out-of-control spending by it's partner in crime, the majority party in congress. Truly there is no help in sight from these rouges for the small businessman's family and employees. I’ll call them Tyrants if I want, or how about despots if you like, and no we will not shut up.
dar commented:
This article needs to be printed on the front page of every newspaper and emailed to each and every government official in the country. They have only their own personal gain in mind and they all have their heads in the sand!
jbramlett commented:
Mike, you are right on and so correct. Our administration’s fix for unemployment is simply extend unemployment benefits while at the same time increasing regulations, laws and costs directly targeted at business. Thanks for a great blog.
Lawdog commented:
Supporting ignorance isn’t the answer, thats the problem TT.
matt b commented:
TT please take your own advice; both are equally welcome. If you choose to help please ask the current leaders you seem to have so much faith in to to take on the trial lawyers instead of protecting them. A huge part of the inflation in medical costs we have seen are due to high insurance premiums due to ridiculous damage awards and uneccesary procedures employed by dr.s as defensive medicine.
RMurphy commented:
We were told by President Obama that if the $787 Billion stimulus bill was not passed, the unemployment rate would reach 8%. He not only missed that projection, he wasn’t even playing in the same ballpark. To harken back to a great quote, “it’s the economy, stupid.” The more this administration messes with small business, the longer an “actual” recovery will take.
TT commented:
The fear tactics of the oposition to our current leaders has American businesses afraid to get back to normal. Until they want to support moves of progress away from political interest groups such as imsurance lobbiests, we will be stuck with double diget inflation of medical costs and no help to the small business man trying to protect his family and his employees. Help or shut up.
GJames commented:
When a political party and it’s leaders will do what they will with the people's liberties, their jobs, private businesses, the borders, the military, the heath care system, the deficits, taxes, fossil fuels, solely and exclusively as a means for a power grab we are truly and unequivocally witnessing repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these Great United States of America. Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.