One Woman’s Opinion…

Viva la dreams! 

Mary Wakefield Buxton

 Urbanna, VA. That marvelous man known as “Joe, the Plumber” rose up from the teeming masses several weeks ago for his 15 minutes of fame. Joe works hard as a plumber installing showers, toilets and sinks all day long. He said he puts in 12-16 hours days. He dreams of buying out his boss one day and owning his own business.

Joe rose to meteoric fame because he was caught on film asking Senator Obama if having to pay extra taxes should he ever hit the magic cap of $250,000 one day, if that wasn’t government punishing him for his hard work. The Senator answered that he was concerned about helping the people “under Joe” and that he wanted to “spread the wealth.”

On several televised interviews after this encounter, Joe shared his concerns about Senator Obama’s new tax proposals. But while Joe was talking about his big dreams of making money, the good Senator was ridiculing the notion that anyone could possible make so much money as a plumber. “Whoever heard of a plumber who makes a quarter of a million dollars a year?” he asked a partisan audience that was howling in laughter.

Well, I know a successful plumber who does quite well in an occasional good year. He owns his own company, a fleet of trucks and hires others to work for him. His secret to big success is that he works night and day and he is always available in an emergency whenever you call him. He doesn’t always have a banner year, but when business is good, and mainly when there are lots of new homes being built and contractors are vying for his work, he can’t complain about how much money he earns.

This plumber provides jobs in our area, but he doesn’t expect any special reward for what he does so well. But like so many small business owners in America, it is good to remember that he is a very important part of the backbone of this nation's economy.

Some people laughed at Joe for his dream of owning his own business one day and making big bucks; the classic American dream that many millions of citizens have realized since the founding of this great country.   It sets a new record that is not especially pretty in America; that we have now started laughing at another man’s dreams.

But who wants to live in a world without dreams? I don’t. I have seen countries where people live without dreams. Russia is still such a country. I have seen the brown uniformed workers who never smile. Do they not smile because Russia is still a nation with a big government where no dreams are allowed?  

Should government put a tax cap on one man’s dreams in order to help another? Should it arbitrarily decide just how much someone should be “allowed “to earn before the profits are skimmed off in order to spread the wealth? Would such a tax program eventually kill off the goose that lays all the golden eggs?

America was built by millions of Joe the plumbers. Not government built America, but the private sector built America; men and women like Joe in every generation that were willing to give up earning a salary, start their own business and work night and day to fulfill their dreams while at the same time creating jobs for others.

They did monumental things that maybe others never knew about or appreciated. They thought of great new ideas as to new inventions or services along with innovative plans on how to market and serve their products. They borrowed capital for education or equipment, hired people to help with their new business, paid unemployment benefits, social security taxes and heath plans. They contributed to retirement plans, paid taxes, supported community charities and made payroll every Friday. If they didn’t have the money to meet payroll that week, well, guess what? They borrowed money to cover the payroll and hoped for a better next week.

When business was down, they went without their own paycheck in order to pay their employees first. They covered for their employees when they were sick, out on family leave or other emergencies. Maybe they weren’t perfect bosses, but they worked hard and tried with all their heart and soul to do a good job for their customers and employees and make the business a success.

I once started a telephone answering service in Williamsburg.  I started out with a simple call director in my home and built up my business to a switchboard in an off site office. I eventually opened a branch office in Denbigh and employed others to help me run my business.

It was fun having my own business but it was also hard work. There was a lot of stress seeing to it that both offices were manned 24/7 and making sure every one of my customers was receiving the very best service. Meeting payroll, finding and keeping good employees, and paying taxes posed constant challenges.  

I finally sold my business. But the experience taught me to respect those who own and operate small businesses. Thus, I hear Joe the Plumber and really relate to his message. I share his concerns that an over- zealot government that shoulders too much tax responsibly on small businesses might actually discourage what America is in great need of today: business growth, work productivity and expansion of jobs.

The pursuit of dreams is a very important ingredient to individual happiness and freedom. I hope America will always encourage such. I also hope Joe the Plumber makes it. Yes, I hope one day he buys his boss out, expands the business, hires many more workers, makes a fortune in plumbing and pays his fair share of taxes.  

Viva la dreams! C2008