OCCUPY MY STREET

Until the Next Big Thing, the media is swamped with stories about "Occupy Wall Street". Even the big guns, such as the Wall Street Journal's reporter, Douglas Schoen, who states that OWT "... comprises an unrepresentative segment of the electorate that believes in radical redistribution of wealth, civil disobedience and, in some instances, violence. Half (52%) have participated in a political movement before, virtually all (98%) say they would support civil disobedience to achieve their goals, and nearly one-third (31%) would support violence to advance their agenda..." (See Wall Street Journal for complete text.), to those who would refute these findings as false and misleading (See Doug Schoen misrepresents poll result to smear OWS).

As the owner of a mid-size business, far from Wall Street, I've got a problem with both sides of this argument. This perception that corruption exists between big business, banking and the government disappoints me because I don't think the majority of businesses fall into this category. Most businesses in this country fall into the mid-size range. They provide the vast majority of jobs. But, our hands have been tied by special interest groups, and so, much of the hiring in this country has been stalled by the politics practiced today.

Our country was founded, and flourished under the flag of free enterprise, largely known as Capitalism. If you're not sure what Capitalism stands for, ask your grandfather. If he's not around, look it up, or "Google It!"  Capitalism is floundering now, because many people don't take the time to fact check the opinions of others.

How many people today realize that mid-size businesses are driven by entrepreneurs who don't have the advantages and tax breaks of big business?  But, nevertheless, it is the mid-size business that drives our economy, hires people within our community and on our streets, and who, in reality, can, with government help, make our country strong again.

FINAL THOUGHT...

My biggest complaint with government, and the media ,today, is that you ignore our country's biggest opportunity for growth, which is the middle market. Entrepreneurs create 60 percent of the jobs in this country, yet our government gives most of its funding to the small majority of big businesses. So, hey, all you reporters out there, Occupy My Street... a mid-size business in mid-America that supplies the majority of jobs to the neighborhoods where it does business!

Final, final thought... Like me, you have every right to agree/disagree and voice your opinion. I'd like to hear from you.