We need to have Medicare for all not another band aid law.

[MichMary]

23. We are not a business

We are a non-profit no-kill animal shelter. We provide for the health and safety of up to 20 dogs and (sometimes, like during "kitten season&quot as many as 100 cats and kittens. Every animal is spayed/neutered and vaccinated prior to adoption, and no animal is ever euthanized due to reasons of time or space.

In addition, we have met extraordinary veterinary needs, including diabetes and surgeries. We have paid for vet care for animals who have been hit by cars, and when one cat gets an upper respiratory infection, it flies through the cat rooms before we get a chance to isolate and treat, and we can end up with dozens of sick cats, requiring isolation, antibiotics, and the associated additional labor expense.

We get no state or federal funding. When we are lucky we get grants for specific purposes, usually related to the health and safety of the animals. Other than that, every nickel we spend on payroll, building maintenance, heat, electricity, vet expenses, and food comes from donations and fundraisers.

Due to the nature of the work, we have high turnover among our kennel/cat room cleaners. We have seven employees at this time, but we sent out probably 12 or 15 W-2s. Under the scenario described in the OP, that would be $132,000--$165,000, which would more than double our payroll expense.

Our first priority is the animals. That is our mission. I have no idea where our employees get their health insurance, or if they even have it. Some are married, and probably have coverage through their spouses. The rest may be on Medicaid, or have the ACA.

In any case, such an onerous, punitive tax would most likely cause us to shut down. We are not alone in this. There are thousands of non-profits, and small businesses that could not afford this.