Small business owner for Obama.

The trickle down economic policies of George W. Bush and John McCain are killing my small business.

My company, Singers and Stompers LLC, provides music education and live music entertainment for children. I market to daycare facilities and perform live shows at venues like the Portland Children’s Museum and at private parties.

Few would argue that music education for children is extremely important. But it’s cut from household budgets pretty quickly when people fear they’re about to lose their house or their car, or if they’re worried about paying down credit card debt, or if they’re worried about how they’ll pay for their next meal.

A tax cut for oil companies, John McCain? Really? A $700,000 tax cut for millionaire CEOs? That’s what you think is going to help small businesses and stimulate the economy?

Mr. McCain, let me tell you how it looks from where I stand. In order for my small business to be successful, I need customers. I need to keep existing customers and bring new ones on board. The only way existing and potential customers can afford services like mine, services that aren’t necessary for survival, is if they have a little money to spare after the groceries and bills have been bought and paid for.

That’s why Barack Obama is focusing his tax cuts where they’ll do the most good: on the middle class. Under the leadership of Barack Obama, millions of American households will see $1,000 or more in tax cuts.

Putting that $1,000 back into the hands of as many hard working, middle class families as possible is the best thing that can happen for my business. For many families that $1,000 might just mean the difference between being able to afford music classes or not – between being able to hire me to play at their child’s birthday party, or not.

But the good news for me doesn’t stop there. Not only will Obama stimulate the economy by getting money back in the hands of the middle class, where it belongs, he will also cut or freeze taxes for 99% of small business owners, including me. This will allow me to reinvest in my own company, create jobs, and do my part to help jumpstart this economy.

I just moved to Oregon from Arizona a few months ago. While in AZ, John McCain was my Senator, and by and large I respected him and his policies. I don’t recognize the man who is currently running for president under that name. His values are not my values and his economic and tax policies help the rich disproportionately. That’s wealth redistribution the wrong way.

I want to be financially stable. I want to provide for my family. I want to create jobs that pay a living wage and offer income and stability to hardworking Americans. The only way I can do those things is if we end the catastrophic economic failure that has been the last eight years.

Sincerely,
Ben Thompson
Owner and Co-Director, Singers and Stompers LLC
www.singersandstompers.com

(I just sent the preceding letter to over a dozen newspapers in Oregon as well as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, LA Times, and the Washington Post. You can send your own letter, quickly and easily here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/speakout/smallbusinesslet)