Why the GOP is bad for small business...

[detlef]

As many of you know, I run a small restaurant. I would say, on average, I get approached about 2X per week for donations to charity auctions. I kid you not, this is not an exaggeration. My manager even remarked that she thinks there are more fundraisers than people in Chapel Hill.

 

Someone in my position is really in a tough position when it comes to these things. To a restaurant like mine, middle aged women with disposable income are my bread and butter. The men who eat here on their own do because they're really into interesting food and, frankly, that's a minority even among those who've got the money to spend on it. My guess is, were it not for their wives, most would put us down the roation behind the steak and seafood joints.

 

So, who are the people going around asking for donations? Middle aged women with disposable income and most of them are pretty blunt about the fact that they and their friends eat at my place all the time, blah, blah. I even had one give me crap about the fact that last year I gave more. I was quick to explain that, since I am now approached by about 2 charities per week, we've put a cap on how much we give because it adds up pretty freaking quick. Start turning enough of these ladies down and you get cut out of the rotation. Sure, it's just a gift certificate, so you're technically only paying the marginal cost. However, chances are, it's being bought by a regular, so 1) you're not getting a new customer and 2) if they were going to come anyway, you actually lose out on the entire amount of the gift. Now, I'm not saying I only give to grease the wheels, but it is certainly a consideration.

 

So, what does this have to do with the GOP? I mean, besides giving me an excuse to use a provocative title to my thread? Well, maybe if social programs weren't slashed by them, they wouldn't need to send people out to extort money from local businesses. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of pretty random causes out there, but why for instance, does UNC Children's Hospital or Cancer research have to hold a fundraiser? Isn't that something that the public at large, rather than small businesses should be supporting?

 

It reminds me of the classic hippie bumper sticker about how nice it would be if the schools had enough money to buy books and the army had to hold bake sales so they could buy bombs. Think about it, part of why the model works is that most of these fundraisers benefit really good causes. They come in and tell you about funding research to save kids with cancer, etc. and you've got to either be broke or cruel not to pony up. If they sent Generals around to ask people to kick in so we could go invade some country based on faulty intelligence, it appears that well over half would tell them to piss off. Does it seem strange that causes that pretty much everyone would have a hard time arguing against are subject to living off handouts from the oft-celebrated "Backbone of the America Way" and ill-advised costly endeavors are paid for by essentially garnishing our wages?

[polksalet]

Wait til chunky monkey raises your taxes. That should help you a lot.

[Ursa Majoris]

Oh, this one should be good.

[detlef]

Wait til chunky monkey raises your taxes. That should help you a lot.

Easy there skippy, this was little more than a thinly veiled rant about how many freaking people I get looking for handouts. The GOP connection was simply an odd little angle that popped into my head this afternoon and one I thought might create a stir.

 

That said, the fact that my profession makes me a pretty easy mark for people looking to raise money, I do have a rather intimate connection to the reality that the marketplace reacts with it's own brand of "taxes" when the government fails to allocate enough money in it's budget to cover some programs.

 

So when they tout how much they help the little guy by cutting taxes, they help create an environment where that same little guy is pressured into shouldering the costs of supporting the underfunded programs.

Edited September 29, 2007 by detlef

[polksalet]

[detlef]

You're right, it's much easier to pretend that things don't have unintended consequences.

[Skilly]

Aluminum sign, No Soliciting. Problem solved.

[Big John]

Aluminum sign, No Soliciting. Problem solved.

Muck is known for ignoring those signs.

[Chief Dick]

Aluminum sign, No Soliciting. Problem solved.

 

Someone should start a business going door to door selling no soliciting signs.

[darin3]

Someone should start a business going door to door selling no soliciting signs.

The GOP hates signs. Especially aluminum ones.

[Big John]

The GOP hates signs. Especially aluminum ones.

 

V1

And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply

So I tucked my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why

He said you look like a fine upstanding young man, I think you'll do

So I took off my hat I said imagine that, huh, me working for you

 

woah!

 

Chorus:

 

Sign Sign everywhere a sign

Blocking out the scenery breaking my mind

Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign

 

V2

And the sign said anybody caught trespassing would be shot on sight

So I jumped on the fence and yelled at the house, Hey! what gives you the right

To put up a fence to keep me out or to keep mother nature in

If God was here, he'd tell you to your face, man you're some kinda sinner

 

Repeat Chorus:

 

Bridge:

 

Now, hey you Mister! can't you read, you got to have a shirt and tie to get a seat

You can't even watch, no you can't eat, you ain't suppose to be here

Sign said you got to have a membership card to get inside Uh!

 

V3

And the sign said everybody welcome, come in, kneel down and pray

But when they passed around the plate at the end of it all,

I didn't have a penny to pay, so I got me a pen and a paper and I made up my own little sign

I said thank you Lord for thinking about me, I'm alive and doing fine

 

Repeat Chorus

Repeat Chorus

 

© 1970, 2002 Five Man Electrical Band

[Dr. Love]

I fail to see the logic here. You don't like being brow-beaten when you choose to not give to charity or give less than they'd like you to, so your solution is to have the government force you into giving that higher amount plus the "inefficiency fee" that goes with having a governmental agency handle the dough.