Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 12:59 PM
To: rep.******@state.or.us
Subject: 66/67 forum at WOU
Brian-
I heard you used me as an example in a debate or forum on 66/67 at WOU last week. Fair enough- I put myself out there as an example and am open to criticism.
Just two points for clarity- I have in my hand my 2009 W-2 which shows $76,100 in wages. The corporation that paid me this nice salary today is $50,000 further in debt today than it was 12 months ago, and it will take years for me to climb out of this debt hole. The reality of the situation, in case you elect to cite it again, is with $5 million in sales, the most the corporation could pay me without going into debt is about $25,000 (half of one percent). Measure 67 would take $4,000 of that.And the second point is really a thank you. As the comments were told to me, you said people shouldn’t feel sorry for me because I could just fire someone and just go work at my gas station myself, or since I made $84,000 per year, I could just reduce my salary by $4,000. So- thanks are due for proving our case, pointing out that the options facing this small business are:
1) to make someone unemployed, or2) to charge thousands to someone making a third of the $250,000, thereby exposing the “no one making less than $250,000 will have to pay” as the complete b*!#%t that it is.
I wish I had been there to expound for clarity about how you summed up the NO campaign’s point.
Being successful enough to hire someone to do a job you no longer want to do is a good thing, Brian. It allowed me to volunteer at Salem-Keizer Schools, for Marion County Public Safety, for the Parks Board, for the City Council, the Master Chorus, my church, and for Little League. I took what would be MY income and gave it to someone else, and used my time to better the community without pay. In doing so, I created an income-tax paying job for an individual who needed it. I am proud of that, and it is a shame you don’t see how our community and state are the better off for it.
Sincerely,
Brent
…and sorry for the cuss word. I tried, but couldn’t really think of a better word to use.
Brent DeHart, Proprietor
Salem Aviation Fueling and Mission Street Shell
Tell ’em where you saw it. Http://www.victoriataft.com