It is nice for Mr. Crowley that he never had to stand in an unemployment line while he came back from his resort house when the crisis began to work in the office while letting hired help collect unemployment.
Mr. Crowley pays nearly a quarter of a million in taxes each quarter to the federal government and still maintains a high quality of life for himself. He maintains a healthy company and yet he bemoans his ability to expand. IF ONLY is his cry and he sees no reason to pay taxes at all as he could become wealthier and pub at least 12 more people to work.
I am glad Mr. Crowley is successful. When a person assumes his choices in life make him an exception to the rule he is wrong. Hopefully he has made good choices in his investments with the money he has made and will be secure the rest of his days regardless of the economy or his involvement with the company when he retires.
Mr. Crowley is exactly the millionaire I am used to hearing speak about their plight when it comes to paying taxes. They bemoan their wealth slipping through their hands. I guarantee when he was an employee he didn't feel a thing when his taxes were withheld from his pay check. Paying the taxes as an employer is a responsibility that pays him more than any employee he had.
As to building the economy by employing twelve more people at the cost of future generations when a million slips through their fingers as the GOP provides MORE tax deductions to business. He doesn't care, his wealth and well being is secure as will be his family.
As to the idea he CAN expand his business the answer is obvious; If the market share was there he would not be asking for a government handout in the way of paying no taxes. If the demand for his services were that high he could charge more money for the scarcity of service his company provides. If he was charging more money he would have the capital he needed to increase the size and scope of his business.
While Mr. Crowley is welcome to his success in the choices he made and deserves to be congratulated; the fact of the matter is he and his peers are still paying the Bush Tax Rates and still complaining about the same old crap.
It is my understanding that he is holding a fair share of trade for his company and probably would put others out of business if given half a chance to increase his business and wealth. See, the Bush Tax Cuts don't work and Mr. Crowley is a prime example of it.
The USA has provided more than enough time for people to build businesses with lower tax rates. Now, it is time to pay back the invisible government subsidies they received by adding to the deficit.
Bitch, bitch, bitch, that is all they do. His BACK STORY does not make him a better person than his employees and was completely HIS CHOICE. His memory is short to realize it was President Obama that provided the Small Business Administration with a cash flow for loans to stabilize businesses like him after the banks were bailed out and refused loans afterwards. They love biting the hand that feeds them.
Michael A. Crowley, PE is the owner of Crowley & Associates, Inc. and
was President and an owner of Crowley, Crisp & Associates, Inc. and
Michael A. Crowley, PC. As President of Crowley & Associates, Inc.,
Mike is a lead designer of water supply, treatment and storage projects,
regional sewage lift station design, and residential and commercial site
development projects and is responsible for the management of the firm.
Mike’s industry background includes over 20 years experience in the
civil engineering field inclusive of executive level responsibilities in
Marketing and Project Management. Prior to founding Michael A. Crowley,
PC, Mike held positions with several engineering firms in North Carolina
and Maine . Mike holds a B.S. Degree in Civil Engineering from
University of Maine and a Master of Business Administration from Boston
College . Mike is a member of the American Water Works Association
(AWWA) and holds professional registrations in North Carolina, South
Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Arkansas, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico,
Indiana, Maine, Tennessee, Australia, and Trinidad & Tobago, West
Indies. Mike is a native of Norridgewock , Maine . The Crowley family
resides in Wake Forest .
To All My Valued Employees,
There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of
this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy
has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the
good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job.
What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape
in this country. Of course, as your employer, I am forbidden to tell you
whom to vote for - it is against the law to discriminate based on
political affiliation, race, creed, religion, etc.
Please vote for who you think will serve your interests the best.
However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help
you decide what is in your best interest. First, while it is easy to
spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to
understand that for every business owner there is a back story.
This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and
hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You saw my big home
at last year’s Christmas party. I'm sure all these flashy icons of
luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life. However, what
you don't see is the back story.
I started this company 12 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300
square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living space was
converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building
a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.
My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent
went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a
defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I
stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and
partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work,
discipline, and sacrifice.
Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a
modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy
cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes.
Instead of hitting Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was
trolling through the Goodwill store extracting any clothing item that
didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's.
My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I,
however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business
--- with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to
afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.
So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9 am, mentally check in
at about noon, and then leave at 5 pm, I don't. There is no "off" button
for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend
all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, ****,
and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest.
There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is
attached to me like a 1 day old baby.
You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house,
the Mercedes, the vacations... You never realize the back story and the
sacrifices I've made. Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy
that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail out
all the people who didn't.
The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the
same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.
Yes, business ownership has its benefits but the price I've paid is
steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the cost of running this
business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of
marginal benefit and let me tell you why:
I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough.
I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes.
Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on
taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess
what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and
regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of
my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000
for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero. Nada.
Zilch.
The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy
who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000
people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother
sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next
welfare check?
Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this
country. The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck
you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's
nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I
agree which is why your job is in jeopardy. Here is what many of you
don't understand .. to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what
runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't
need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000
into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more
employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would
have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and
better salaries. But you can forget it now.
When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't
defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to
life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the
heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate
it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the
mud of America are the essential drivers of the American economic
engine.
Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change
you can keep. So where am I going with all this? It's quite simple. If
any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift
and simple. I fire you. I fire your co-workers. You can then plead
with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's
future. Frankly, it isn't my problem anymore. Then, I will close this
company down, move to another country, and retire.
You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive
and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs
will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.
While tax cuts to 95% of America sounds great on paper, don't forget the
back story: If there is no job, there is no income to tax. A tax cut on
zero dollars is zero. So, when you make decision to vote, ask yourself,
who understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn't?
Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you
should know who might be the one capable of saving your job. While the
media wants to tell you "It's the economy Stupid" I'm telling you it
isn't.
If you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will
be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this
country, steamrolled the Constitution, and will have changed its
landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me in the South
Caribbean sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry
about.
Signed, Your boss,
Michael A. Crowley, PE
Crowley, Crisp & Associates, Inc.
Professional Engineers
1906 South Main Street, Suite 122
Wake Forest , NC 27587
Phone: 919.562.8860 x22
Fax: 919.562.8872
