- To All My Valued Employees,
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- 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.
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- What does threaten your job however, is the changing
political landscape in this country. Of course, as your employer, I am
forbidden to tell you whom to vote for -- it is against the law to discriminate
based on political affiliation, Race, creed, religion, etc.
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- Please vote who you think will serve your Interests the
best. However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might
help you decide what is in your best interest. 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.
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- 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.
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- I started this company 12 years ago. At that time, I
lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living
space was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into
building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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 me like a 1 day old baby.
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- 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.
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- 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:
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- 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.
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- 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?
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- 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.
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- 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
mud of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- While tax cuts to 95% of America sounds great on paper,
don't forget the backstory: If there is no job, there is no income to tax.
A tax cut on zero dollars is zero. So, when you make decision to vote,
ask yourself, who understands the economics of business ownership and who
doesn't? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions
and you should know who might be the one capable of saving your job. While
the media wants to tell you "It's the economy Stupid" I'm telling
you it isn't.
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- 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 in South Caribbean sitting on
a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about.
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- Signed, Your boss,
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- Michael A. Crowley,
- PE Crowley, Crisp & Associates, Inc.
- Professional Engineers 1
- 906 South Main Street, Suite 122
- Wake Forest, NC 27587
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- 919.562.8860 x22
- 919.562.8872 Fax
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