Former Small Business Owner Says “How Dare He!”

Dennis Vest a retired Pennsylvania business owner who is living in Sarasota, Florida sent out the following in an email. It is reprinted with his permission:

How dare someone, even if he is President of the United States, tell small business owners they did not get where they are on their own. What did he ever do to enhance our economy before he became President?

I worked 70-80 hours a week running my own business in an office complex I rented from another small business owner.

My 12 employees occupied the office. Each employee was paid above average salaries. When our client fees did not come in as scheduled the employees were paid first and I waited. I gave each employee three weeks vacation to start, set up a 401 k plan and paid their matching costs from my pocket, plus I paid each employee’s health insurance. I did this, not the government or Barrack Obama types. On top of this I paid very high taxes and had to match the social security and the workers comp costs for my employees. Unlike your Secretary of the Treasury I paid my taxes and so did my employees.

Except for $1,000, I paid for my daughter’s total college education. Her roommate, child of a single parent home, had her entire college paid for through needs-based grants. Some were state and federal needs based grants funded by the tax dollars from those fortunate enough to have a job—like my employees and me. The rest came from need-based grants from non-profit organizations like Rotary, Kiwanis and Jaycees. Those members are successful men and women who used their time and resources to raise money to help quality students who can not pay to attend college to obtain their higher education degrees. I often wonder where the students who get scholarships who funded their grant.. State and federal needs-based grants come from tax dollars and college funded scholarship grants from the institution’s general operating budget scholarship line item in the budget is partially funded from the funds parents who can pay all or something of the total cost and special scholarships from outside sources provided by alumni, friends, businesses, non-profit organizations and foundations. They are from tax dollars, tuition fees paid by those that do not qualify for scholarships (because they make too much money), and generous gifts from people who support the college with their donations.

I was away from my home and family two to four days a week working with clients. My clients were non-profit organizations. We raised money to help non-profits serve their clients and enhance and expand their programs. The money raised helped social service agencies expand their programs to serve more people in need. My also helped hospitals build new operating rooms, OBGYN birthing suites, expand emergency rooms areas and services and fund care for those who could not pay. Help to expand the work of local food banks, build new community libraries and to help colleges build new academic centers, dormitories and secure needed scholarship money to fund needs based scholarships and build and expand elementary and special needs schools set up to help single parent families and those on welfare was included in my fundraising.

The money we raised came from the generosity of individuals, businesses, corporations and foundations. Money was received from people who were fortunate to have jobs and earned their money. They were people who worked hard and helped others through their support. They earned it and shared it. This is the good old fashion American way—-remember that?

Now the Obama government wants to increase taxes on these people so they can spend it on foreign countries that do not like us, Chinese windmills, and electric cars from Findland. Companies that take government money and then declare bankruptcy, and federal judges who go on party retreats are all on the take. Other groups are government departments that go on annual fun retreats, and have retirement programs and healthcare plans of which the rest of us only dream about . The government wastes alot of our money and they are laughing behind our backs and calling us fools. We even pay for the President’s 160 trips across the nation and to fly his family to special vacations all on our funded tax dollars.

When the President has his way these hard working, tax paying and job creating people will be taxed at higher rates—–the non-profits will lose their donor base at the worst or at best face decreased giving. The President and his Senate “do nothings” will fund their projects and the people who get support from non-profit organizations will find themselves with less or nothing. The alleged”haves” will forced to increase their support of the government and those in need in the middle class or lower will get by on less. By the way Mr. President 50% of the people in the United States pay 90% of the taxes and 10% of the people pay over two thirds of the 90% (plus 46% of the people in the United States pay no taxes)—- so it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out who built most of the roads I used to get to work.

Don’t ever tell me that this small business owner did not get there through his own hard work and determination. If my business failed, it would have cost me my home and savings. I risked it all. If the companies you gave millions to failed they would just write it off and move on leaving us “bad citizens” holding the bag on your behalf. Also, do not tell us that small businesses do not impact our economy and the people in need in their communities and our country. We need to win back our amazing country and not strive to be like Europe. Mr. President you are polarizing this nation as it has never been polarized before by saying the rich and those who are comfortable are evil and have too much.

Now is the time for those of us who are working to keep America great and helping people have jobs (they pay taxes) to speak our with no apologies. We need to stand up right now and say enough is enough. Give us our country back and do not make it a European model.