Posted on 03/07/2009 4:44:07 PM PST by MosesKnows
Memo: Job Security
Distribution: To All My Valued Employees
There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company. More specifically, your job. As you know, the changing economy 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 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. 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 year's 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. I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. I converted my entire apartment into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building my company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.
My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I saved 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, made a modest $50K a year, and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars, 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 fashion from 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.
You physically arrive at the office at 9 AM, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5 PM, 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. I attach this business to my hip every day like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of my labor -- 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 who overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed more than 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:
The government taxes me to death and thinks I don't pay enough. I have State taxes, Federal taxes, Property taxes, Sales and use taxes, Payroll taxes, Workers compensation taxes, and 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 regulates all the accounting that goes with it, which now occupies much 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 real economic stimulus of this country.
The fact is, if I deducted 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants only 50% of their hard work rewarded? 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. Guess what would happen if the government mandated I didn't need to pay taxes. 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. 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? No, 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.
So where am I going with all this? It's quite simple. My reaction will be swift and simple when the governments impose new taxes on me, or my company. I'll fire you and I'll 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 anymore. 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. That destroys my motivation to work and to provide jobs and it will cost me 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, steam-rolled 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
I take it the 'notable exception' keeps his piehole shut these days, eh?
I would love to shrug but I don’t know where Galt’s Gulch is.
Ha! Thought the same thing....
I thought you were in some kind of emergency services - county or something. Do I have the wrong person?
Pretty much.
L
I agree with your assessment. The tedious thing about these self-righteous, cliched, screeds is they always present some mom or pop that sweat blood to build their business.
Frankly, the “boss” is usually a fellow employee of the company, and just as conceited as this imaginary writer, albeit without any solid accomplishments to justify it.
I saw this one a while back. Excellent.
I agree there's a bit of the wrong tone here. I spent many years making a number of people and their companies richer as I worked my butt off for them. I got the better end of the deal. I learned, all they got was money.
My employees, like my customers are people I care very much about. This wouldn't work without them. Of course I haven't "made it" like the guy in the story. I'm working way harder than anyone I pay by the hour could ever be expected to. I'm using the talents I've been given along with the drive I've mustered to hopefully make a better future for myself, my employees, and my customers.
Isn't that the way it works?
I imagine most employers were once employees themselves. And as I can remember my basic mindset as a junior high school student, I'm fully aware that employees don't focus as sharply as I do, being the employer. I'm willing to accept the old 'hazard of the trade' also applies when the trade is being the employer. Some people never learn, some have talents that overshadow their deficiencies, others just bug me, and some I wish I could make cloned copies of. Customers come in a variety of sizes and flavors too. That's how it is.
Not one of my employees or my customers thinks I'm some kind of a fat cat because they know I'm not. If anything, they probably hope we can keep whatever we're doing, going.
And at this point, that's the master plan.
Gross sales for 1st 1/4 2009 up in record territory.
Here’s an “I am WAAAAAAy behind in checking out my My Comments
page and so I will BUMP this to come back to it later” BUMP !!!
:)
A man owned a small farm in the south west of Western Australia. The Department of Consumer & Employment Protection heard that he was not paying proper wages to his employees and sent an agent down to interview him.
"I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them," demanded the agent.
"Well," replied the farmer, "there's my farm hand who's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $400 a week plus free room and board. The cook has been here for 18 months, and I pay her $450 per week plus free room and board. Then there's the half-wit who works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week, pays his own room and board, and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night. He also sleeps with my wife occasionally."
“That's the guy I want to talk to --- the half-wit." says the agent.
"Well then, that would be me." replied the farmer.
Check post 53 LOL!!!
LOL!
I wager you are a liberal.
Why am I sure you are a liberal? You take something out of context to make a point not in evidence.
A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."
The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.
She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Republican."
"I am," replied the man. "How did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost! Frankly, you've not been much help to me."
The man smiled and responded, "You must be a Democrat."
"I am," replied the balloonist. "How did you know?"
"Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are or where you're going. You've risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but, somehow, now it's my fault."
You lost your bet.
You take something out of context to make a point not in evidence.
Out of context my ass. The letter is full of contempt for his employees from beginning to end. He built the company, not them. He works hard, they all phone it it. They did nothing for the success of the company, he just carried them along and now they aren't his problem. So he's going to close the company down and live on God knows what since he sank every red cent into a business that he's throwing away. When you get right down to it the guy writing the story is an idiot. As are people who believe it might be true.
That’s about the truth in farming.
I’m sure your very proud of of your father.A rare breed.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.