I will be interviewed today by the local paper re: Joe the Plumber issues

[featherman]

As a Democratic business owner and strong Obama supporter, the local newspaper has scheduled an interview with me to discuss how these issues affect me and my business.
As I understand it, I just need to make it clear that I know Obama's plan does not tax my business gross (well above 250,000) but only my personal income or business profits(well below same).

The second issue it the "fine" I may have to pay if I don't provide health insurance for my employees. This is a non-issue for me since I DO provide fully paid health insurance for all employees and their dependents.

Should be fun.

[GardeningGal]

1. Good - let us know how it goes. n/t

[MANative]

2. Can I work for you?!

:hi:

Good luck on the interview - I'm sure you'll do a great job representing Barack.

[Buzz Clik]

3. Local papers take great pleasure in misquoting sources to make them look foolish.

Measure you words very carefully and request to see a draft of the story.

[Kalyke]

8. First, that is simply not true.

Most reporters, particularly for local papers, want to get the information correct. They don't hold vendettas against average citizens (it's quite possible they might against certain local politicos, but not, excuse me, the Average Joe).

Secondly, no newspaper worth the paper it's written on is going to give the subject a draft of the story. The story is the sole propriety of the reporter and the newspaper. It is not 'releasable' until the time of publication.

I worked for local papers for 12 years and, while I will certainly admit that the national media's gone to hell in a handbasket, I never knew any local reporter working for $18,000 a year (that's probably up to a whopping $25,000 now) who wanted to make people look foolish. Local papers are still the backbone of a community - whether they're thrown on your lawn or read online at work.

[rvablue]

9. Amen to that.

Former local reporter here, too, and I took the utmost care and pride in quoting my sources and interviews exactly as they had spoke.

And, yes, no reporter with any kind of journalistic ethics is going to show you a copy of their story before it goes to print.

That kind of behavior is reserved for people like Hannity, et. al.

[Buzz Clik]

14. You have much to be proud of.

Many of your colleagues don't hold such high standards.

[Kalyke]

15. I agree with you on the national level...

But local reporters actually care about the profession. They have to live and work in a close community. It's quite a bit different than being on national television.

[Buzz Clik]

13. Ok, let me rephrase this:

In my experience with two local papers, both went out of their way to misquote me and ALL of my colleagues to present their subjects in the worst possible light. It happened over and over.

I'm sure that many papers are beyond such pettiness.

[Sheltiemama]

25. Thank you.

I've worked for a regional paper for 18 years. There's a huge difference between what so many criticize as "the media" and rank-and-file journalists.

[Sheltiemama]

24. I'm a journalist.

Subjects of interviews are not allowed to see "drafts" of stories before they are printed. Nor do we intentionally misquote sources. If we mess up, we run a correction.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. Yes, one of the Republicanites' advantages in the tax discussion

is that your average voter, who has never been self-employed, doesn't realize that businesses are taxed ONLY on profits, not on gross earnings.

This point needs to be hammered home--that taxes don't PREVENT businesses from hiring, since they can actually lower their taxes by hiring people.

Furthermore, those health insurance benefits you provide are also included in legitimate business expenses, yes? And as I recall, they wouldn't be under John McCain's plan.

[NotThisTime]

5. If business profit is less than 250 you aren't required to provide insurance, correct? Even though

you do

[featherman]

6. Not sure how that part works. I do know that providing fully paid health insurance

for all my employees and myself and their dependents only came to about 2% of the business gross income in 2007 as a deductible expense.
Just another cost of doing business so I don't see what all the whining is about by other small business owners.
Having a group plan actually saves me personally about $6000 from what it would have cost me to get individual insurance just for myself.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

18. If you get a chance to point out the gap between McSame's

tax credit and the cost of a good (not "Cadillac") health insurance policy at group rates, that would be awesome. Until they get the COBRA notice, most people have no clue what health insurance costs.

I think I heard on NPR this AM unless you have more than 500 employees, you won't have to contribute to the pool if you don't provide health insurance.

Good luck ! let us know when it is published.

[Clio the Leo]

7. Represent! NT

[Roland99]

10. Here are a couple of snippets from the Obama/Biden site...

Lower Health Care Costs with a New Small Business Health Tax Credit: Barack Obama and Joe Biden
understand that the skyrocketing cost of healthcare poses a serious competitive threat to America’s small
businesses. Small businesses are the drivers of job growth in our economy, creating, on average, more than two-
thirds of net new jobs each year. Yet small business owners face unique challenges in providing health care to
their employees, including higher administrative costs, lower bargaining power, greater price volatility and
fewer pooling options. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will reduce the burden on small businesses in our
economy by offering a new Small Business Health Tax Credit to help small businesses provide quality health
care to their employees. The Obama Small Business Health Tax Credit will provide a refundable credit of up to
50 percent on premiums paid by small businesses on behalf of their employees.

...

Provide Zero Capital Gains and Other Tax Relief for Small Businesses and Start Ups: Barack Obama
believes that we need to reduce burdens on small business owners, many of whom are struggling to succeed as
health care and energy costs continue to skyrocket. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will eliminate all capital
gains taxes on small and start-up businesses to encourage innovation and job creation. Obama and Biden will
support small business owners by providing a $500 “Making Work Pay” tax credit to almost every worker in
America. Self-employed small business owners pay both the employee and the employer side of the payroll
tax, and this measure will reduce the burdens of this double taxation.

[featherman]

12. Thanks. Good stuff.

[psychmommy]

11. do a good job and put it up when it comes out.

what an honor to rep our candidate like that. no pressure but when you speak you represent us all. (that's a black people thing, ie: jesse talking crap about israel and 0bama-embarrassing us all-blacks and dems, don't forget the fox appearance) so don't pull a jesse jackson-make us all proud.

[FrenchieCat]

16. Remind them that the Plumbers and Pipefitter Union endorsed Barack Obama

bank in January...... http://www.ua.org/ua_endorses.asp

It appears that they liked Barack's plans very early.

So Sam "joe" the Plumber doesn't speak for Plumbers accross America.

[nichomachus]

17. Make sure you mention that Joe is a total fraud

and make sure to use the words "pathetic," "desperate," and "unAmerican" a lot.

You can find more at Newt Gingrich's list of words you can use to control people

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4443.htm

[kath]

19. Also, you may want to look at that graphic about the Obama vs McCain tax cuts, but IIRC, taxes will

remain about the same under Obama for those with a taxable income between $250K and $600K. There is no significant tax increase until taxable income goes above $600,000.
(whereas with McCain, people at those upper income levels get huge tax CUTS.)

[Onlooker]

20. Just a thought: Try to think of a soundbite

Try to come up with a clever little phrase or statement. If it's really short it might make it into the headline. If it's a little longer, it might make it into the lead paragraph. Maybe you can say something like, "Republican economics destroys small businesses."

Good luck.

[sohndrsmith]

21. I'd like to know how McCain would affect your employee healthcare

since you provide it. I don't understand McCain's argument that his $5,000 subsidy for "families" (not clear on what that means - same amount for family with 1 kid or 6, etc.?) helps business owners somehow. I don't understand what it is, really, because, according to his website, this subsidy does not go to the employer or the employee but goes directly to the insurance company. Maybe that's how it helps the business owner.

He is also adding a tax to health care, which I don't get either. Particularly since McCain's $2,500 subsidy per individual ($5,000 for families means - what - the child doesn't count, each parent is an 'individual' - usually) is not based on income.

If not based on income, then wouldn't that mean that those with no income, or volunteers, etc. would qualify?

I'm confused. But I'd be really interested in your perspective since these things my be very significant to you and your employees in very real ways.

What would the nationalized portability of McCain's plan do to your health coverage?

Good thing I'm not a cat... my curiosity would be fatal. : )

[Roland99]

22. How did this go?

[Matariki]

23. Re: 'Joe the Plumber' - be armed with the facts

As repeated in many posts here, the man only makes $40k a year and has been duped into voting against his own interests.

And he owes back taxes.