THE FORGOTTEN MAN

My father was a business owner who took risks. He paced the floor at night when the money didn’t come in and his suppliers wanted their tenth-of-the-month payment. He understood the risks and the cold fact that there was no agency prepared to give him a pay check if he failed. He contributed to community causes and drove a flatbed truck in the Fourth of July parade loaded with Girl Scouts tossing candy he bought for them. He paid a fair wage and was a respected member of his community. He maintained an Open shop.

I am person C in Dr. Sumner’s tautology. I am a small business owner. I take risks with my retirement investments that could be wiped out in a moment of lax attention. We must reserve funds to replace the roof and appliances that will fail.

I understand that without profit there is no reason to take the risks. We walk a defined profit line and weep because we cannot afford to take “Margaret and Robert” and pay a good wage to our caregivers. We hire certified care givers who have received training and continue to earn education units. Without us they might be unemployed.

As I see literacy programs, millions of dollars for developmentally disabled and needy older seniors being cut, and government bureaucracies being built, I know Margaret and Robert and Mandy and Cindy are not being forgotten. They are being kept in their place.

If you live in the State of Washington, please educate yourself concerning Proposal 1163. It is a repeat of 1029 which passed two years ago because the verbiage was misleading. We and our caregivers renew our background checks every two years. We must have a list of training plus continued education every year to keep our license. Such has been the law for many years (WAC). We always need more education, but not at the prejudiced hand of the SEIU. We turn to the WSRCC which is working hand-in-hand with the DSHS.

Vote No on Initiative 1163. It has the wrong priorities, is misleading, has no funding source and will cost $80 million. Every major newspaper has come out against 1163. WA congressional leaders and our Governor have also rejected 1163.

Greed is universal. Jesus said, “The poor you will have with you always.” Reasons for the poor include financial loss, misguided or no mentorship, disabilities, self-inflicted feelings of entitlement, sloth, usury, among many others. And, the greed that grumbles in each of our hearts.