Business owners should teach Obama a lesson
Re: “Team Obama tries to change Obama’s own words to business owners,” July 24
President Obama made the statement that the entrepreneurs who started businesses and made them work stand on the shoulders of government and other people.Any business developer has certainly been nurtured by parents, teachers, friends and others, but to discredit the entrepreneur as the driving force behind a successful business is arrogant and condescending.
It is apparent from his comments that the president doesn’t really understand that first you have to come up with an idea good enough to attract customers and funds.He doesn’t understand you must then spend late nights working on the payroll and meet sudden demands to keep customers happy to preserve the business’ reputation.
He doesn’t understand the problems associated with hiring, and — God forbid — firing, with all of its Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complications. He doesn’t understand that there is a constant stream of fees and taxes that must be paid to the federal, state and local governments — or that even going out of business is complicated and often ridiculous.
I would also point out that the government didn’t build the first roads. Native Americans and colonists did.And the first schools and colleges were built by churches and private individuals, not government.
The president needs a lesson. Thus the idea of “Small Business Appreciation Day” to honor the importance of the free enterprise system. I suggest that small-business owners display “I built this business” on signs, T-shirts, Internet sites and wherever the president and his administration might see them by November 1st.
Dr. Robert A. Warren
Williamsburg, Va.
Not a snub, just a friendly reminder
Re: “Administration’s snub of Israel is outrageous,” From Readers, July 23
In his letter to the editor, Nelson Marans picks up on Diana West’s Islamophobiaand asks: “Is there any doubt this administration is the most anti-Israel one in our nation’s history?”He makes a common error by assuming that opposing the government policies of an allied nation is opposition to that country itself.
President Obama has made it crystal clear that the continued existence of Israel is of the highest priority to the United States. At the same time, his efforts to restrain the current right-wing government there in its dangerous, Bush-like view of the world are in the best interests of the Israeli people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has antagonized most of the former friends of Israel and much of its population. Israel’s remaining friends need to do what they can to ensure that it modifies its current belligerent policies and once again looks for avenues toward lasting peace.
Friends don’t let friends go off half-cocked.
Gilbert Adams
Washington
Rockville is replacing perfectly good sidewalks
Drive to Pinneberg Avenue, Gruenther Avenue and Farragut Avenue to see the City of Rockville digging up corners and sidewalks that do not need replacement as part of its “ongoing efforts to maintain and improve the community’s infrastructure.”
Unless you come and look at the actual sidewalks to see the “before” and “after,” you cannotunderstand thewaste that is taking place.This has nothing to do with road projects. Sidewalks with cosmetic issues are being dug up and replaced, but at what cost?
We would prefer that the city take the taxes we pay and flush the money down a toilet. After the contractor’s workers have dug up your sidewalks, you will understand.
Larry & Helen Groves
Rockville
