[DeTomaso] unions and govenrment

[GW]

*Subject:* This is the best letter I have read on what's wrong with this 
country
If you doubt, Google the company and man who wrote this…….
*

Michael A. Crowley, PE* is the owner of Crowley & Associates, Inc. And 
was President and an owner of Crowley, Crisp & Associates, Inc. And 
Michael A. Crowley, PC. As President of Crowley & Associates, Inc., Mike 
is a lead designer of water supply, treatment and storage projects, 
regional sewage lift station design, and residential and commercial site 
development projects and is responsible for the management of the firm. 
Mike’s industry background includes over 20 years experience in the 
civil engineering field inclusive of executive level responsibilities in 
Marketing and Project Management. Prior to founding Michael A. Crowley, 
PC, Mike held positions with several engineering firms in North Carolina 
and Maine. Mike holds a B.S. Degree in Civil Engineering from University 
of Maine and a Master of Business Administration from Boston College. 
Mike is a member of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and 
holds professional registrations in North Carolina, South Carolina, 
Virginia, Maryland, Arkansas, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Indiana, 
Maine, Tennessee, Australia, and Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies. Mike is 
a native of Norridgewock, Maine. The Crowley family resides in Wake Forest.
/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. Of course, as your employer, I am forbidden to tell you 
whom to vote for - it is against the law to discriminate based on 
political affiliation, race, creed, religion, etc.

Please vote for who you think will serve your interests the best. 
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 saw 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 12 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 
square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living space 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 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 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. Every day this business is 
attached to me like a 1 day old baby.

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 its 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 
mud 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.

While tax cuts to 95% of America sounds great on paper, don't forget the 
back story: If there is no job, there is no income to tax. A tax cut on 
zero dollars is zero. So, when you make decision to vote, ask yourself, 
who understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn't? 
Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you 
should know who might be the one capable of saving your job. While the 
media wants to tell you "It's the economy Stupid" I'm telling you it isn't.

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 in the South 
Caribbeansitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about.

Signed, Your boss,/
/Michael A. Crowley, PE
Crowley, Crisp & Associates, Inc.
Professional Engineers
1906 South Main Street, Suite 122
Wake Forest, NC 27587
Phone: 919.562.8860 x22
Fax: 919.562.8872/
/Location: This is a real letter/