Small Business Owners Matter

I run a small business - my law firm. There's me, plus two other full-time lawyers, a part-time lawyer, a full-time assistant and a part-time assistant. What a tremendous learning experience it has been.

One thing I think most people don't realize is that small business owners work very long hours. I don't really have set hours. I'm essentially on-call 24/7. I might stroll into the office today at 11 am, but that's hardly the whole story. Last night I worked at home until sometime after 1 am. This morning I was up checking e-mails around 7 am.

When you're the owner, you can't stop working because it's yours. We get a lot of calls from prospective clients. Ideally you return those calls quickly. Check out the distribution of when our calls come in:


These calls are money. That's how we pay the mortgage, the car payment, and how we will eventually pay for the kids' college tuition and our retirement (if lawyers really do retire). As you can see, my day isn't 9 am to 5 pm. We get calls on weekends too, though it's not too bad:


It's not just money. It's people looking for help. For all the anti-lawyer hatred out there, the fundamental truth is that we do something important. We help people. That's what most businesses (large and small) do. If we didn't help, they wouldn't pay us.

But my point is that small business owners work long hours. For myself, there's two reasons. Of course I do it to make money. But I also do it because helping people is very rewarding. I suspect a lot of small business owners feel the same.

It can be as simple as running a restaurant, and the satisfaction of providing customers with a good meal and a pleasant experience. Now think about how many hours a restaurant owner works. Lunch starts at 11:30 and dinner wraps up after 9 pm. You start prepping for lunch around 9 am and you finish cleaning up after 10. After lunch maybe you get a small break, but you have to get ready for dinner too. Most restaurants are open 6 days a week, and some are open every day.

Politicians don't create jobs - small business owners do. These idiots in Washington and our state capitals just don't get it. Right now they're revving up to raise taxes and small business owners are sure to get hit hard.

That takes away our incentive to do what we do. I hear concerns from owners of all kinds of businesses - lawyers, doctors, restaurants, retail stores, etc. Why would we keep working this hard if the government is going to take the money out of it?

If we don't work as hard as we do, that means fewer jobs are created.

The truth is that many of us will continue working because we still like helping people. But as you take the money out of the equation, you're reducing our incentive to do so.

US Use of Torture: An Opposing View

I believe it is wrong for the US to torture prisoners. But I don't claim to know the answer to whether torture is effective or not. Happily I have no experience with it.

Here's a perspective from someone who does seem to know, Matthew Alexander:


He also wrote an article about it in the Washington Post.

Rand Paul on Health Care

Rand Paul is, for now, better known as the son of Ron Paul. But he's stepping out and deserves attention for who he is. Below is a video where he talks about health care.

This is a bit of preaching to the converted. Libertarians already get it. The challenge for Rand Paul and others is finding a way to explain these issues in soundbites. Sad but that's politics.
His reference to water distribution after Katrina is pretty good.

The Times Union and Tom Golisano

The Times Union sneers at Tom Golisano for moving to Florida to reduce his taxes. Some quotes from the TU:

to get out of paying his fair share of taxes

I'm pretty sure Golisano has paid more taxes than anyone at the Times Union, and probably more than the entire operation.

That what it all comes down to is, he just doesn't like paying taxes, and would rather keep his money?

Soon to follow in the paper is the list of people who like paying taxes and don't want to keep their money.

he might remember ... where he came from. New York was where he made all that money. Here ... was an environment that nurtured this entrepreneur: The businesses and work force on which to build his payroll enterprise

He could have built his business anywhere. He chose to do it in NY and in doing so he created thousands of jobs - more jobs than any of the TU's beloved politicians. His efforts generated huge benefits for our state.

Tom Golisano deserves thanks for all he's done for New York. Instead he gets the TU's "version of the Bronx cheer".

The practical reality of governing: Your policies influence people's choices. Does the TU blame city residents who move to the suburbs for better schools? How about all the NY seniors who move to Florida which has better policies for them?

The State decided on a "soak the rich" tax plan. Why would you expect the rich to stick around for that?

Meanwhile, budding entrepreneurs see the writing on the wall, and start their businesses elsewhere. New York will continue its long slide.

Lindsey Graham - Consistency ...

I believe the quote from my Contracts professor (Professor Dubroff) was: Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds. Lindsey Graham must have a big mind.

Save Tigers - By Eating Them

At this point I'm pretty much a John Stossel fan:

A Republican Who Likes Obama

I'm an elected Republican and I'm happy with Barack Obama ... sort of.

Of course I'm unhappy with him monkeying around with the economy, but he's not doing any worse than Bush on that stuff.

Here's why I'm happy:

1. Obama stepped up to the plate on medical marijuana. Under Bush (and Clinton), the feds would arrest people involved with medical marijuana even where it was legal under the laws of those states. For those who think Republicans are supposed to hate marijuana, that's missing the important principle. Republicans believe (or used to believe) in federalism and states' rights. If a state wants to allow medical marijuana, the feds should respect that. Obama does.

2. Obama is pushing to end the crack/powder disparity. Long ago the feds made the same stiff penalties apply to 5 grams of crack cocaine and 500 grams of powder cocaine. Many felt this was unfair since the drugs are essentially the same and since crack is used more heavily by poor blacks vs. wealthy whites using powder. Of course Obama should go farther, but he's done more than Clinton did on it.

3. Obama is right on the torture issue. I've been sickened by reading how some of our nation's top officials justify torturing people because 9/11 changed things. Baloney. Torture is wrong. We're better than that. I'm waiting to hear Bush answer the question: Who would Jesus torture?
Same on this point for Gitmo. Time to close it down.

4. Obama is right on opening up dialogue with other countries. Yes, I do think governments in places like Iran, Cuba and Venezuela stink. But we work with plenty of other countries that stink too. The talks probably won't lead anywhere meaningful - those leaders will stay rotten. But not talking is worse.

5. Obama understood that belt-tightening starts at the top - a view not shared by the Democrat leadership in Guilderland. On his first day in office he instituted a pay freeze for top officials in the White House. Grandstanding? Maybe, but good policy anyway.

There's more, but I give Obama credit for doing the right thing on some tough issues. Now if only he could get past that whole socialist mentality and start to recognize that capitalism is better ...

Swine Flu: Ron Paul Talking Straight

Dr. Paul (he's really a doctor) talks about how government (and perhaps the media) is overreacting to the swine flu outbreak. Great perspective.

Universal Health Care and the Doctors

I saw this great op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal: When Doctors Opt Out. Not sure if the article will stay online. It's by a Dr. Marc Siegel, and he talks at length about doctors refusing to accept Medicaid and Medicare patients. This does not bode well for a government-run universal health care system.

For some of my past posts on this topic, see:

Sept. 2006: Universal Health Care - Looming Catastrophe

Dec. 2006: Universal Health Care Again - Do Doctors Make Too Much Money?

March 2007: Socialized Medicine

Yes They Can

Inspired by the Tea Parties of April 15, 2009.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, we now know the answer.

It's the answer told by unemployment lines that stretch around Walmarts and gas stations in numbers this nation has never seen; by people waiting hours upon hours, because they believe that this time must be different; that their call really is important to the corporation or government agency they've called, and that an American (or at least a Canadian) will pick up the phone, listen to them, and actually address their concerns.

It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve, that they are correct, and that government will do everything in its power to protect itself at our expense.

It's been a long time coming, but now, because of what we have done these last days, at this defining moment, government has grown even more in America.

We did this to ourselves because we did not understand. For even as we suffer now, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, maybe a third or fourth, the worst financial crisis in a century, and we're making it worse by the day.

There are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us, wondering if they'll return home, and if they do, whether they will still own their home or be able to find a job.

There will be setbacks and false starts. We know that government can't cause every problem, but they will try. And above all, they will ask you to join in the work of destroying this nation the way it's been done in America for hundreds of years - bribe by bribe, bankruptcy by bankruptcy, foreclosure by foreclosure.

So let us acknowledge the true spirit of big government, where each of them resolves to work less and take more from us. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot thrive while Congress rules Main Street and Wall Street.

On my mind tonight is a woman. She's a lot like the millions of others standing in line except for one thing - She is 106 years old.

I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - Prohibition and the War on Drugs; the New Deal and the Great Society; the times we were told that they can't do such things, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes they can.

You thought the government couldn't take your house so someone could build a shopping mall: Yes they can.

You thought the police couldn't arrest you without probable cause: Yes they can.

You thought they couldn't take your hard-earned money and then use it to bail out large corporations, which then gave the money as bonuses to the executives who tanked our economy: Yes they can.

You thought they couldn't hold you in jail or take your car, home and drivers license away until you were proven guilty in a court of law: Yes they can.

You thought they couldn't eavesdrop on your phone calls and spy inside your home: Yes they can.

You thought they couldn't just print money to pay the bills: Yes they can.

You thought they couldn't take away your guns: Yes they can.

You thought they couldn't interrogate you in an airport just because you have some cash and you work for a non-mainstream campaign: Yes they can.

A congressman was arrested for DUI, another was caught being naughty in a bathroom, still another caught hitting on young boys, and all the while Presidents, congressmen and other government officials keep lying to the People. Yes they can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there are so many more ways they can screw us. So let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; what change will they see? How much worse will we have made it?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to let our people go back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity by getting government out of the way; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that the Constitution limits the powers of government and protects the rights of individuals; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that they can, we must stop that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a corrupt government:

No They Can't!



A riff on Obama's "Yes We Can" acceptance speech after the 2009 election. This was also inspired by all the parents who have called me about how their kids were abused by the police in one way or another, and they always ask: "Can they do that?" Yes they can! And they do. And they'll keep doing it until we make them stop.