Dec 17, 2017 2 min read

As a restaurant owner with a highly visible location, Michael Passalacqua amplifies what being a small business owner entails. Commitment, risk, determination. Since when does hard work and long-term wealth building become the deeds of a villain?

Like Michael stated, the overwhelming majority of business owners are going to reinvest in facilities, equipment and manpower. It is ridiculous for someone to propose that successful business owners hoard money, when in fact what they really do is support community through charitable giving and provide competitive earnings for working families.

We business owners prove daily that we are far better stewards with our money than the government ever will be. For a business like ours to spend 51 cents on the profit dollar paying taxes when we can better spend it on staff, goods and services is reprehensible.

This implied argument that we are partners as business owners with government is deflated when we consider that the government doesn’t insure or participate in our risk. I agree we should pay a reasonable share of taxes, but what most people don’t understand is that quite often we pay taxes to the government on money we haven’t even received yet. Simply stated, a fair tax code will go a long way to improve wages and stimulate growth, and any academician who thinks otherwise hasn’t walked in my or Michael’s shoes.

Bill Wilson

Canonsburg

President of Specified Systems Inc.