St. Louis Post-Dispatch Attacks Missouri Small Businesses

The Source finds it interesting that the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has decided to attack the Missouri small business community by suggesting House Speaker Ron Richard (R-Joplin) doesn’t have the mental fortitude or stamina to be House Speaker because he is a small business owner.

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/the-platform/published-editorials/2009/02/legislature-fiddling-as-missouri-staggers/

The article not only blasts the small business community, but also takes a stab at the Missouri electorate, “In November, the people of Missouri, in their ineffable wisdom, chose to leave the legislature in Republican hands, and House Republicans voted to put a small businessman who runs a bowling lanes in charge.” You can hardly finish reading that sentence without being slapped in the face by the sarcasm of the Post-Dispatch Editorial Board. I guess small business owners are not good enough to legislate in the eyes of the Post-Dispatch?

The truth that lies beneath this “Huffington Post-Like” editorial is the Post-Dispatch’s craving for a legislature not for the people, but ABOVE the people. It is now in black and white that the Post-Dispatch wants a legislature full of country-club, intellectually snobbish type people who are so gifted they should not bother with running their own business or even mixing amongst the common folks of Missouri. In fact, they need to be in Jefferson City to make laws, because they surely know what is best for the state.

This editorial also brings up the question of the business savvy of the Post-Dispatch. The Post, like many newspapers across this country are in trouble, so much so that Time Magazine penned an article that questioned the long-term stability of the newspaper industry. The Post and other major newspapers across the state are laying off people because of the slump in their industry. Seems that newspapers have forgotten how to run turn a profit with the changing economic landscape, unfortunately small businesses don’t have the cushion to run in the red like newspapers. Instead of taking luxurious vacations and pocketing huge bonuses, Missouri small business owners invested in capital, expanded, and provided thousands more jobs in Missouri during the economic boom of the 2000’s. Now, when times are tough, instead of laying off people, small business are cutting back, owners are taking less pay, and most importantly, Missouri small businesses are finding a way to make it without massive layoffs.

Maybe the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial board should take a lesson from Ron Richard and the thousands of other Missouri small business owners and start signing the front of paychecks instead of the back….maybe they would feel differently about small business?

Comments

[PCR]

Buddy of mine is a marketing / advertising guy. He was telling me about stats. More people bowl every week than attend football, baseball, NASCAR events.

[Hibore]

We need more small Business Owners and fewer Lawyers in Jefferson City. Lawyers have never had to run or manage anything.

[Kurt]

Running a bowling alley is greater free market experience than our President has.

[Rayan]

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