EDITOR:
As a small business owner for almost 30 years (16 of those in Minden), I was stunned at the naivete displayed in the July 27 Reno Gazette-Journal fact checker article. The author believes Harry Reid has nothing to do with Nevada's unemployment situation.
To support this contention, a Reid campaign spokesman was quoted who listed a series of earmarks and grants given to Nevada to create jobs.
One problem; money for one-time projects does not permanently help the economy grow or give a person a permanent job. Additionally, grants may provide employment for awhile, but eventually the money runs out and people are once again unemployed. Also, any government jobs created, do not produce anything, they do not increase the GNP, they only suck money away from those who do produce and invest.
Harry Reid has everything to do with Nevada's dismal employment picture, and here's why ...
People who run businesses, both large and small, hate uncertainly. They want to know what rules to play by and that the rules won't change in mid course.
Will "cap and trade" pass thus raising our energy costs? Will "card check" become a reality thus raising our labor costs? Will my taxes go up at the end of the year? Will we experience hyper inflation due to out of control government spending? Will banking regulations be tightened to the point where monies for capital improvements or working capital are almost impossible to obtain? Will the recession take a double dip? Will universal health care really come to pass thus fundamentally changing long-time employer/ employee relations and how will these relations actually change? How far will the government continue to go to control business? Will the government demonize my business, or a business I trade with, because President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, or Harry Reid don't like the way business is conducted?
Harry Reid is the leader of the U.S. Senate, and as such, has the sole authority to determine which issues are addressed by the Senate.
Because of the unknowns expressed above, which are mostly anti-business in nature, small business owners and large business boards are, quite rightly, fearful of the future.
Reid, because of his obvious lack of business knowledge, radical nature and position within the government, has a direct effect on sewing the seeds of uncertainty. It is the nature of most business executives to withdraw and act conservatively when faced with the unknown.
Businesses terminate employees, conserve cash, and do not rehire until stability is perceived and uncertainty wains. Harry Reid exudes instability and recklessness, e.g. "This war is lost," "Tourists stink," etc. thus keeping business owners and executives ill at ease and wondering when he will promote another misguided stimulus.
Therefore, Harry Reid has a direct effect, and bears a large amount of the responsibility, for the high unemployment in both Nevada and throughout the country.
R.E. Honer
CEO, Perma-Cal Industries, Inc.
Minden
