Vote for Freedom in 2010

I love perusing reader comments about articles or opinion pieces. To me, they provide a good snapshot of what the broad cross-section of Americans are thinking. In a recent Wall Street Journal piece “Gloomy School Season Looms for Small Retailers” one reader, Rich Schaler, comments on the current state of the economy and how Washington is botching things up for small business. He implores his fellow Americans to take it to the ballot box this November, as the elections are our last “good hope.”

Here are Schaler’s comments in their entirety:

“I grew up proud and happy under the roof of a Union Democrat. That's when they were truckers, miners, auto workers and mostly regular working stiffs. Going to college changed many things for me, ultimately making it possible to have opportunities that my Dad never had. Majoring in Economics was an epiphany, lighting up parts of the world that I'd never imagined. Jimmy Carter came along about then and my thinking went as far from the Democrat's Keynesian thinking as was possible. Going on to medical school took me a bit further from my roots; dealing with Medicare and Medicaid was a real eye opener as to why government involvement should be kept to a minimum. Interestingly, my Dad has joined me in my conservative tilt. To the point where he thinks that Reagan was the best President of his lifetime.

I've seen a quantum leap in government over-involvement and intrusiveness. Perhaps there has been some good come from these massive changes. I see very little.

The small businesses have been ignored and trampled by this administration, with the big boot of Obamacare yet to come. Some of this might be understandable, the banks, auto-workers, teacher's unions, and many other organized Democratic captives, got their fixes first. If you are not a potential big donor, bloated union, or failing industry, you do not only get ignored, you are the target. My conclusion as to why the little businesses have been trampled; they are the most difficult group to force into a socialist pigeon-hole, and thus are regarded as opponents of the administration's agenda. Typically, we would be seeing a rebound in employment by this time in a recession. Not this time; there are so many new obstacles that a large percentage of the job creating small businesses are down for the count. The coming elections are their last good hope.

Vote for freedom in the 2010 elections.”

Indeed, vote for freedom!

Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO, SBE Council