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 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 and did eventually employ > > ; you. > > Initially, 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 Goodwill 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, some day, 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 ye ar 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 bail-out 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 > > stimula ting 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 i t. 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 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. 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. > > 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, xxxxxxx, Your boss