A letter from the Boss:

A letter from the Boss:

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 an d 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 discount 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, someday, 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 bailout all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned an d 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 prov ided 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 ge t 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'll fire you and your coworkers. 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 m ore.

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.

So, 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, THE BOSS

"The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money."

Reply to
junkman
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A letter from the Boss:

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 an untold 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 discount 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, someday, 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.

Affirmative Action came into being, in order to right the wrongs of some previous generation. Forced me to go out and look for people based on their skin color. And, so I did. What did I find? I found a bunch of people who had no qualifications to work at my company. I hired them because the government made me to do it. What I got? Bunch of lazy whiners and complainers who stole everything including switch plates and light bulbs.

Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bailout 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'll fire you and your coworkers. 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.

So, 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, THE BOSS

"The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money."

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Nice Rant.

Of course I don't know who wrote that piece originally, but a few minor points of contention. Not an attack on your rant, just my opinion.

The name of the game is not the number of employees, it is productivity of the employees and the cost of machine tools they use. Productivity being defined here as the cost of labor, tools, public utilities, and raw materials compared to the selling price. Lower taxes (payroll or otherwise) will not automatically induce higher employee wages, or an increase number of employees. But it will most likely be first applied to lower selling price and higher management bonus pay. Neither of which will directly impact wages or number of employees. (This is based on across the economy tax relief, so no single company has economic advantage over competitors therefore relative market shares and volumes remain the same.)

Actually, if you do receive any tax reduction, it turns out your best choice to help out the overall economy is to invest in labor (man-hour) saving machine tools to increase the productivity of your remaining employees. Yes, there will be some jobs lost. But you stay in business by the difference in cost of production vs price of sales. Yes, today we are in an intense Wal-Mart consumer economy where price is everything, but that is just a current phenomenon. At some point, quality over cheap junk will return to market place. High Quality merchandise is already a selling point at high-end consumer goods.

Your greed (in the good sense, not in the sense of Mortal Sin) for higher compensation for yourself, regardless of how you justify your pay or income, is only part of the story. Trust me on this, getting and maintaining ISO 9000 quality control certification is damned expensive. But the cost of not having ISO 9000 could be even worse. It sometimes is knowing *exactly* what each employee is payed to do, why you hired that person do that job, and the productivity of that employee plus his / her competency to do that job. Raw employee numbers without specific knowledge of why each is there is bad for business, your business.

You as the business owner have more important things to do, that is why you hire employees to do their work. Your most important job is to insure your *paying* customers are going to buy the next time. And your suppliers are going to sell you the raw materials you need-- when you need the raw materials-- not when it is convenient to them to ship the raw material. Raw employee count will not a customer make, or keep, but quality product and a competitive price will.

And second, I didn't read in your rant the real thorn in so many small business today... The concept of "Stakeholders." Almost all business schools today preach that owners of business (stockholders, or direct owners) are not the only entities that have a stake in a business. Communities, school districts, medical industry, and on and on are now claiming a stake in your business. And as stakeholders, Business Schools are now teaching that stakeholders must have a voice in your business; environmental pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, water conservation, employee and neighboring health and safety regulation, rat & vermin control, public transportation and parking debate, and on and on. Most of these "stakeholder" issues end up as under the radar hidden taxation issues. Sorry, but it is cost of doing business; stakeholder concept will cost small business more than money...it will cost the small business owner his time. Lots of time.

As for your threat of closing shop and moving your business to another country... Well good luck with that. Sometimes it really is better the Devil you know than the Devil and evil you haven't yet been introduced to.

As far as shutting down, and retiring... Do enjoy your retirement. See, with small business, they go out of business all the time for many reasons with only small impact overall. Yes, employees do lose out, but in theory, another (start-up or otherwise) small business will hire them, if the economy is strong. But today the economy is not strong, and there are few other jobs when you close down. In fact, your money is tied up in your business. You cannot sell out for the same amount of money as when times are good. Thus that beach you are going to sit on may be the crowded public beach with the jerk of a lifeguard shouting at you through his bullhorn.

You don't live in a vacuum, your business doesn't exist solely on it's own, and your employees are only employees not serfs or indentured slaves to your private plantation. And that bigger world has taxes, laws, regulations, government inspectors, and court system(s). If you don't like the bigger world, then go out of business as you seem to want to do.

But it isn't really about taxes, regulations, or inspectors is it? Be honest, it is all about you being in control and being the Boss. and as the Boss, your get paid as the Boss. Now, isn't somebody else forcing you do what they want you to do, aren't they? And you resent your loss of being the Alpha Male. Almost a castration on your own turf, isn't it? Got news for you... Lord of the Fiefdom is a long past concept except in Hollywood movies about Organized Crime. Live with the card you are dealt, or go do something else.

I didn't mean this to be so long, sorry.

Reply to
Phil Again

Damn, you really read a lot into that. Some good, some not so much.

II think the point of the alleged letter is not so deep as you go. People often resent the business owner that makes a good living. When it comes to taxes, the think it is OK to push them off on business instead of individuals. The average citizen does not realize that business don't pay taxes at all. They add that to the cost of goods sold and pass it on to the consumer.

Or you have some deep seated resentment of "the boss"

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Edwin:

I agree with that criticism of our North American society 100%.

Business and corporations don't really pay taxes, people do.

I also contend that it is people (elected or otherwise) who have been given the power to raise, levy, assign, and spend taxes & government revenues.

And the current crop of people in charge of taxes and so forth have agreed that employee taxes shall be collected before wages are given to the worker, and corporation taxes are allowed to be hidden from the cost of goods. Been that way as long as I have been alive. Will be that way long after I am gone to my grave.

Reply to
Phil Again

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