OT- signed, your boss

[Don Ferrette]

Just got this in an e-mail -

THIS GUY NAILS IT !*!*!*!

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 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, 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 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 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 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 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.

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, Your boss

 

[Tom Foley]

"CHANGE" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :angry:

 

[PAUL STIRTON]

Just got this in an e-mail -

THIS GUY NAILS IT !*!*!*!

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 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, 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 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 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 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 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.

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, Your boss

How true it that.

I own and run a very large family owned and operated business in the Automotive cooling industry here in Australia. Now when we send out the pay checks this week a copy of that letter is coing out with them. My staff and i'm sure some model boaters in Aus think that it all comes easy, but rest assured it dosn't. If I didn'y have to pay payroll tax alone I could employ at least anothe 10 staff but no the government is gready. I would love to know which country and beach this guy is going too and we can go sit on the beach watch the pretty girls and drink Margeritas.

 

[waltr]

Don,

Thanks for posting this.

I feel exactly the same way.

And on top of it all, our Governor Jennifer Granholm, may she bleed to death in hell, just raised our Michigan business tax 250%. Yup that's right, 250%. My accountant is now telling his clients they can no longer afford to own a business in Michigan. Just wonderful!! Now add this to all of the other taxes plus 75% of my employees are laid off because we have no work, which means no money for payroll and now I also have to pay the state back for the much deserved unemployment benefits paid out. HOW??

Now, If I made a bad business decision, manufactured poor quality parts, overpriced my items,gambled my business away, or put it up my nose, we would deserve this, but we did not!!! The government and lending institutions screwed up, they should pay it, not us!! They're the reason lending dried up for boat loans as well as financing for everything else.

Just like the RV business, boat companies are closing the doors left and right. More lost jobs. Very poor, if we make it through this it'll be a miracle. I'd probably be better off throwing in the towel now, but I'm not a quitter (yet), but stress levels are through the roof and Margaritas sound better every day.

Now this Granholm B. is the same woman that's always standing behind our new president elect (read my signature) during his speeches.

And she claims to know all about the auto industry and business also. She's a lawyer, she don't know Jack !!

She single handed ruined this state and in 2 years she'll be working by Obamas side.

You all better start worrying now, she's coming.

Also, all that you hear about now is creating new jobs, how about the jobs we're loosing now, the old ones, screw the new jobs and repair all of the small business' and the jobs will come.

We're loosing our manufacturing base in this country and it WILL be lethal.

 

[Ron Olson]

Walt, why do you think that they're sinking all of that money into rebuilding I-94? That's easy, they want nice roads to haul all of our jobs down across the border to Mexico with!

They should only have to do the westbound lanes though as there isn't that much heading east.

The worst part though is the guy that owns most of the company that I work for is one of the people behind all of this throwing in big money. By the time that I retire from where I work if I'm so lucky the place will be down the toilet and we have already seen it coming. There won't be any real positions in the company as it will be manned by those in a labor pool. You do what they want you to do wherever they decide to throw you that week with minimal benefits and pay. Those people could be doing the same job as the person next to them at $5.00 an hour less.

Can we totally blame the government because of the financial mess that we're now in? Did they force us to buy new, overpriced cars and trucks? Did they run up our credit card debt?

Face it, people have put themselves into this hole and you won't be seeing the economy recovering for another 5-6 years until we pay off what we already owe for.