If you don't like government, don't take its money.
For years I worked for a friend and gentleman that had weekly, if not daily, tirades against the government. He railed against taxes, government regulations, over spending, government pensions and salaries. He felt the public educational system was a mess, the roads were left to decay and government meddling in health care was a failure. In short, there was very little that the government did right or benefited him as a small business owner.
When I looked at the receivables and cash sales for the business, it was not uncommon to have months where 80% of the income came from park districts, schools district, special districts, cities, counties and state purchases. In addition, some of the most loyal customers were people who worked for these very same government institutions that made purchases for side jobs or their own property. My first thought was, “Should we be biting the hand that feeds us?”
My friend and employer had built a very comfortable lifestyle financed largely in part from sales to government agencies. So far, he has been able to weather the storm of massive government budget cuts that have reduced his sales to these public agencies. The shrinkage of government spending, employees and furloughs, the very essence of what small government advocates want, has put many small businesses out of business.
The somewhat rhetorical question is if your philosophy maintains that virtually all government is anathema to business, should you do business with the government? Are not your sales aiding and abetting the very institutions you feel are the root cause for America’s decline?
For those businesses, large and small, who vehemently dislike the role governments have played in the local economy, don’t do business with the government. Not only should you not sell your goods or services to government institutions, don’t sell to people who work for the government. Don’t sell to people who generate income from selling their goods and services to the government.
In addition, make sure you don’t patronize any business that sells to the government. Don’t purchase any goods or services from a company or manufacturer (Chrysler or GM products) that the government has helped either through loans or tax incentives. And for heavens sake, when you turn 65, don’t accept government subsidized Medicare. It is time to be intellectually honest and make sure your philosophical beliefs parallel your business actions.
This whole situation was brought into clear focus with the recent up roar over the Clint Eastwood Super Bowl Sunday advertisement professing America is at its half time. The underlying offense, for many small government advocates, was that Chrysler, the beneficiary of a government bailout, was now creating wealth for the employees and shareholders. If you don’t like that Chrysler bought commercial time from NBC to air the Super Bowl, don’t watch the Super Bowl. Don’t buy Chrysler products, don’t invest in the company and don’t support any company that sells to Chrysler.
Is any of this realistic? No. America runs on business and money. Money trumps all philosophical beliefs when it comes to most personal and business decisions. But my former employer, along with Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, have verified one of my key beliefs, “Successful people learn to work in the system to create wealth.” However, if you don’t like government, don’t take its money.