GOP’s ‘We Built It’ Speaker Didn’t Build It

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


First they spelled her last name wrong... Read??

In fact, you can thank the "left" for the existence of such agencies as the SBA, which has helped plenty of business owner's acquire the loans they needed to get their business off the ground.

Actually, NO! I can thank Republican President Dwight Eisenhower for the SBA back in 1953.

Everything else?? Just talking points and distractions. How's Obama's deficit growing these days??

reply to post by jibeho


Dwight Eisenhower would be branded a radical leftist by today's politics. That doesn't change the fact that the SBA exists thanks largely to "leftist" politics even if he (Eisenhower) was a Republican. That shows how much the GOP has shifted to the right.

Cheryl/Shar Valenzuala required nearly two million in SBA government-backed loans to launch her business. How does that fit in with her (and the GOP's) sentiment that they alone are responsible for building their business. They seem to desire closing down the availability of these government programs, like the SBA, so that others might succeed just as they did - with government help. (Or in Valenzuala's case - MAJOR government help).

Originally posted by Blackmarketeer
reply to post by jibeho

 

Dwight Eisenhower would be branded a radical leftist by today's politics. That doesn't change the fact that the SBA exists thanks largely to "leftist" politics even if he (Eisenhower) was a Republican. That shows how much the GOP has shifted to the right.

Sounds like more wild twisting and turning.

A bit of a reach to compare Eisenhower to today's (or yesterday's) radical leftists !!

I doubt you can list the policies of Eisenhower that you think would qualify as "radical left".

For now I will assume you are simply exaggerating to satisfy the "radical leftists"

Radical Leftists have always had the same 10 planks in mind ever since Grampaw Karl wrote the book.

True conservatives will not fall for the gag.

Originally posted by jibeho

Originally posted by buster2010

Originally posted by navy_vet_stg3
The ONLY thing the government has done "for me" is to take 40% of my funds while trying to build my business. If that's help, I don't need/want it.

Romney only paid 13%. You need a more crooked tax attorney.

You do realize that investment income is taxed at a lower rate than standard earned income. Just ask Warren Buffet. Who only pays himself a salary of $100,000 a year and yet had a an AGI of $62,855,038 in 2010. HIs taxable income was $39,814,784, and had a federal income tax bill of $6,923,494. That made his effective tax rate, as a percentage of AGI, just 11.06%,

Its all within the law of the current tax code. You want it changed?? run for office or support a candidate who will push for a change. Soaking the rich won't change a damn thing. They will just find other ways to protect their wealth while the govt. seeks more ways to take and spend their wealth.

I guess you missed the little part where Warren asked how is fair that his Secretary pays more in taxes than he does?

Originally posted by navy_vet_stg3
reply to post by buster2010

 

I'm paying about 15%, because the government already took 35% when the business took in funds. That's 45% on every dollar...similar to Romney. How much should a business owner be allowed to keep? Apparently 55% is way too much. How much to YOU keep? Tell me, exactly, how much money should everyone be taxed? 10%, 50%, 100%? How much is enough for the Communist machine?

Your company is not a real person so you only paid 15% and your crying about it? Soldiers in combat pay more than you. Everyone should pay the same percentage no matter where their income comes from.

reply to post by buster2010


You and I will NEVER see eye to eye on it. You see the 35% as just magic money and that it has NO effect. So, let's do this. Cut the corporate tax to zero, then I'll pay 25%. Sound good? I'll even give "the soldiers in Iraq" a break and have them only pay 15%. Surely, you'd get behind that, right?

Just so you know, I was an E-4 and didn't make enough to actually pay taxes. Yeah, I had it taken out, but always got a check back for more than I put in. Most people actually pay zero or negative tax.

reply to post by xuenchen


"If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive....The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together."

Please explain to me what is wrong with this sentiment. I'm not seeing it.
As i've said before, there are plenty of legitimate reasons to criticize Obama. This is not one of them.

Originally posted by Blackmarketeer
reply to post by jibeho

 

Dwight Eisenhower would be branded a radical leftist by today's politics. That doesn't change the fact that the SBA exists thanks largely to "leftist" politics even if he (Eisenhower) was a Republican. That shows how much the GOP has shifted to the right.

Nice spin!! I'm getting dizzy. Just admit that you were wrong and move on!! Glad you're so proud of "leftist" politics. So the leftists took over the SBA??? Probably during the Johnson years....

reply to post by jibeho


The SBA is a government agency. The SBA provided nearly $2 million in loan guarantees to this woman's company to help launch it - in addition to $15 million in government contracts. In spite of her and Romney's campaign rhetoric, she did not "build it" alone - she had valuable help from the government.

But according to you, such help is "leftist politics". The very idea of paying taxes to maintain the "American system", as Obama stated, is somehow "leftist". That is why the GOP shills have been attacking him for it after taking the quote out of context. You and Shar Valenzuela would have us believe you "built it" entirely on your own, an island unto yourselves, and no thanks to the government or the taxpayer-funded society in which your businesses operate. To admit that, would be "leftist".

But I love how quick you are to point out that the government agency at the center of Shar Valenzuela's success story was created by a Republican president. Hmm. The SBA - providing government loan guarantees to enable people to "build it". If Obama points that out - it's "leftist". You can't have it both ways - you can't accuse one side of being leftist but then rush in to defend the agency at the center of the storm of being a Republican creation, without acknowledging it's leftist intent.

As far as Shar Valenzuela is concerned, I would love to see her go up on stage during the "We Built It" event, and say, "Yes, I built it, but I had help from a government agency called the SBA...".

Key RNC Speaker Received Millions Of Dollars In Federal Loans And Contracts

Speaker's Company Profited Enormously From Government Funds. Delaware Lt. Gov. candidate and small business owner Sher Valenzuela is slated to deliver a speech about small business issues on the day that "We Built It" is the convention's primary theme. Valenzuela's company, First State Manufacturing, has received more than $2 million in federal loans and more than $15 million in federal contracts. [Media Matters, 8/23/12]

Valenzuela Urged Others To Seek Government Contracts. Valenzuela has stated that government assistance was a vital factor in the success of her company and even gave a presentation on her small business success, crediting the use of "millions of dollars in secure government contracts." The presentation notes that small business owners should start with a "secret weapon" -- the "no-cost/low-cost resources that you, the taxpayer, have already paid for."

(source)

The level of hypocrisy coming from the GOP "We Built It" event is staggering, even more so from GOP candidate Sher Valenzuela - who once boasted government assistance was a vital factor in the success of her company.

Media Matters uncovered the presentation Sher Valenzuela gave on how the government helped her succeed - in fact she called it her "secret weapon":

How She "Built It": Fox's RNC Theme Undercut By Key Speaker's Business Success

Meet and Greet with Sher Valenzuela, 2012 SBA Person of the Year!

Powerpoint Presentation - 6.0 MB File

Some images from her presentation - and to think! She has no gratitude to the very government that almost single-highhandedly made her a success?









Based on that presentation alone, I'd say she owes a HUGE apology to Obama, because she is precisely the type of success story Obama referred to when he made his comment - she didn't build it alone, she had help.

Ahhhhhhh!, this "you didn't build that" argument is so petty and infuriating. Here's the entire context of his talk:

Obama, July 13: There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me — because they want to give something back. They know they didn’t — look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. (Applause.)

If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn’t get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet.

The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together. There are some things, just like fighting fires, we don’t do on our own. I mean, imagine if everybody had their own fire service. That would be a hard way to organize fighting fires.

So we say to ourselves, ever since the founding of this country, you know what, there are some things we do better together. That’s how we funded the GI Bill. That’s how we created the middle class. That’s how we built the Golden Gate Bridge or the Hoover Dam. That’s how we invented the Internet. That’s how we sent a man to the moon. We rise or fall together as one nation and as one people, and that’s the reason I’m running for President — because I still believe in that idea. You’re not on your own, we’re in this together.

You and I both know that he didn't mean that anyone who owns a business had nothing to do with building that business. Were his words a bit awkward - yes. Was his message truthful and well-intentioned - absolutely. No one can argue with the core of his message from that speech. If only the GOP could move along to other things that really matter. As one poster said - there's plenty to criticize Obama on, but this ain't one of them.

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


Ok Ok Ok . You think she should apologize to Obama?? She should thank the govt?? The govt get's a pat on the back for her success. It has nothing to do with her individual effort. Alrighty.... Who gets the kudos when businesses fail? Will the govt take that hit ? Or will they just blame the dumb business owner for not trying hard enough? or blame them for not following the proper govt. plan for success....

I see a trend with only wanting to take credit for the success of individuals simply based on the fantasy that govt. made them a success. Classic collectivism. Screw the failures, just add them to the rolls of those on the govt. tit... Is that how it works? No credit for individual efforts... That's the root of this whole damn debate. The great govt. will provide for all as you provide for the govt...

Enough of the head pounding... J.A.C.

Originally posted by Blackmarketeer
GOP’s ‘We Built It’ Speaker Didn’t Build It

Cheryl Valenzuala is a scheduled speaker at the Republican National Convention. She’s also the proud owner of a business that started in her garage. She, and her husband Eli, started their upholstery company in order to pay for their child’s autism treatments, and it has grown into a company that makes baseball umpires’ vests and vests for the Israeli military. The company currently employs at least forty workers and brings in about 4.5 million dollars yearly in revenue.

Their story is, no doubt, an incredible and heartfelt story of human achievement. Doubtless, based on the Republican stance, they built their business completely on their own. We’ll leave out the normal tax benefits such as roads, for now. Yet, starting out in a garage, no doubt they were able to achieve greatness on their own.

Getting tired of seeing the GOP continue to claim how business owner's owe no credit whatsoever to the government for the success of their business, only to learn that these businesses wouldn't exist if not for extensive government programs designed to aid and assist business - especially fledgling businesses.

According to the SBO, Cheryl Valenzuala business (First State Manufacturing) received a sizable amount of government assistance, as touted by her PR flacks, in the SBA-published National Small Business Week (page 24, PDF file):

For First State Manufacturing, Inc., the dream began in 1998 with a man, a woman, and a sewing machine in yes, you guessed it, a garage in Milford, Del. Today, that dream has become First State Manufacturing (FSM), a thriving business employing more than 40 technicians working in a new 66,000 square-foot facility funded by a $1.8 million U.S. Small Business Administration 504 loan .

Eli Valenzuela learned the upholstery trade from a correspondence course he took in the Army; he applied what he learned while working at Dover Air Force Base upholstering enormous C-5 Galaxy airlifters. With help from SCORE and the Delaware Small Business Development Center , Eli and his wife Cheryl composed a business plan, and opened FSM in their garage. With an initial $20,000 SBA-guaranteed loan they secured larger contracts and also became certified in SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program .

In 2001 FSM was ready to grow again, with a $96,500 SBA-guaranteed loan to modernize and expand inventory. After the 9/11 tragedy and its economic fallout, FSM obtained a $65,800 SBA disaster loan to maintain their business and employees until revenues returned . FSM revenue doubled from 2007 to 2010, increasing from $2.2 million annual revenue to $4.5 million.

The only reason Cheryl Valenzuala HAS a business, is due to the government assistance she received form the Smalll Business Administration (SBA.gov) I'm not suggesting she couldn't have done it completely on her own - only that she hadn't, and clearly she "didn't built that, she had help". Now apparently, she wants to deprive others of this same sort of help?

For all of you out there that don't understand how it works, loans are just that, loans. They must be paid back with interest whether it is a bank or the government giving you the loan. Loan companies do not build businesses, people with vision do. Individuals and group of people who take the risk to try to succeed. Government cannot build business, and it's not the job of the government to do so.

As for the roads, the teachers, the police, etc. etc. etc. It is the tax payer who enabled all that and so therefore built that too, not the government. So you see, we built everything, not the government. The government exists to protect the borders from invasion, to oversee a common judicial system, and to make laws to the benefit of all it's citizens, not to rule over and abuse them.

Yes, Obama, we did build it, all of it, except for the bloated and excessive oppressive government that is.

Originally posted by jibeho
reply to post by Blackmarketeer

 

Ok Ok Ok . You think she should apologize to Obama?? She should thank the govt?? The govt get's a pat on the back for her success. It has nothing to do with her individual effort.

Don't think I've heard anybody claim that "it has nothing to do with her individual effort."

Only that it was not just due to her "individual effort."