"If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, as
our current President plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of
this company," he wrote. "Rather than grow this company I will be
forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less
opportunity for everyone."
In a version of Romney's "47 percent" remarks,
Siegel added that "people like me who made all the right decisions and
invested in themselves are being forced to bail out all the people who didn't.
The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same
luxuries that I earned and sacrificed 42 years of my life for."
The points are ones that have often been made during this
election. But what makes the letter surprising is the source.
Below is the
full email that Siegel sent to his employees Monday.
Subject:
Message from David Siegel
Date:Mon,
08 Oct 2012 13:58:05 -0400 (EDT)
From:
[David Siegel]
To: [All
employees]
To All My
Valued Employees,
As most of
you know our company, Westgate Resorts, has continued to succeed in spite of a
very dismal economy. There is no question that the economy has changed for the
worse and we have not seen any improvement over the past four years. In spite
of all of the challenges we have faced, the good news is this: The economy
doesn't currently pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job
however, is another 4 years of the same Presidential administration. Of course,
as your employer, I can't tell you whom to vote for, and I certainly wouldn't
interfere with your right to vote for whomever you choose. In fact, I encourage
you to vote for whomever you think will serve your interests the best.
However, let me share a few facts
that might help you decide what is in your best interest.The current
administration and members of the press have perpetuated an environment that
casts employers against employees. They want you to believe that we live in a
class system where the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. They label us the
"1%" and imply that we are somehow immune to the challenges that face
our country. This could not be further from the truth. Sure, you may have heard
about the big home that I'm building. I'm sure many people think that I live a
privileged life. However, what you don't see or hear is the true story behind
any success that I have achieved.
I started
this company over 42 years ago. At that time, I lived in a very modest home. I
converted my garage into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into
building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you. We didn't
eat in fancy restaurants or take expensive vacations because every dollar I
made went back into this company. I drove an old used car, and often times, I
stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In
fact, I was married to my business - hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.
Meanwhile, many of my friends got regular jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and
made a nice income, and they spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy
cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. My friends
refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I
put my time, my money, and my life into this business --with a vision that
eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford to buy whatever I wanted.
Even to this day, every dime I earn goes back into this company. Over the past
four years I have had to stop building my dream house, cut back on all of my
expenses, and take my kids out of private schools simply to keep this company
strong and to keep you employed.
Just think
about this - most of you arrive at work in the morning and leave that afternoon
and the rest of your time is yours to do as you please. But not me- there is no
"off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you
have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have that freedom. I
eat, live, and breathe this company every minute of the day, every day of the
week. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. I know
many of you work hard and do a great job, but I'm the one who has to sign every
check, pay every expense, and make sure that this company continues to succeed.
Unfortunately, what most people see is the nice house and the lavish lifestyle.
What the press certainly does not want you to see, is the true story of the
hard work and sacrifices I've made.
Now, the
economy is falling apart and people like me who made all the right decisions
and invested in themselves are being forced to bail out all the people who
didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the
same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed 42 years of my life for. Yes,
business ownership has its benefits, but the price I've paid is steep and not
without wounds. Unfortunately, the costs of running a business have gotten out
of control, and let me tell you why: We are being taxed to death and the
government thinks we don't pay enough. We pay state taxes, federal taxes,
property taxes, sales and use taxes, payroll taxes, workers compensation taxes
and unemployment taxes. I even have to hire an entire department to manage all
these taxes. The question I have is this: Who is really stimulating the
economy? Is it the Government that wants to take money from those who have
earned it and give it to those who have not, or is it people like me who built
a company out of his garage and directly employs over 7000 people and hosts
over 3 million people per year with a great vacation?
Obviously,
our present government believes that taking my money is the right economic
stimulus for this country. The fact is, if I deducted 50 percent of your
paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? Who
wants to get rewarded only 50 percent of their hard work? Well, that's what
happens to me.
Here is
what most people don't understand and the press and our Government has chosen
to ignore - to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the
economy. Instead of raising my taxes and depositing that money into the
Washington black-hole, let me spend it on growing the company, hire more
employees, and generate substantial economic growth. My employees will enjoy
the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But
that is not what our current Government wants you to believe. They want you to
believe that it somehow makes sense to take more from those who create wealth
and give it to those who do not, and somehow our economy will improve. They
don't want you to know that the "1%", as they like to label us, pay
more than 31% of all the taxes in this country. Thomas Jefferson, the author of
our great Constitution, once said, "democracy" will cease to exist
when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who
would not."
Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate business, not kill it. However, the power brokers in Washington believe redistributing wealth is the essential driver of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change they want.
So where
am I going with all this? It's quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me,
or my company, as our current President plans, I will have no choice but to
reduce the size of this company. Rather than grow this company I will be forced
to cut back. This means fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less
opportunity for everyone.
So, when
you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which candidate understands the
economics of business ownership and who doesn't? Whose policies will endanger
your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable
of protecting and saving your job. While the media wants to tell you to believe
the "1 percenters" are bad, I'm telling you they are not. They create
most of the jobs. If you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the
"1%"; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept
through this country.
You see, I
can no longer support a system that penalizes the productive and gives to the
unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and
with it, so will your opportunities. If that happens, you can find me in the
Caribbean sitting on the beach, under a palm tree, retired, and with no
employees to worry about.
Signed,
your boss,
David
Siegel
Source: CNBC
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