Post by heyclammy on Feb 28, 2007 14:35:46 GMT -5
Dear Senator Sullivan:
Hello. My name is Chris Speyrer. I am a small business owner and I will be celebrating my first year in business at the end of March. I am writing to address two issues up for your consideration that, if passed, would have a negative impact on my business: A state wide smoking ban and the gross receipts tax soon to be proposed by the Governor.
Please allow me to give some background information. I was a life long resident of Dayton, Ohio before I moved to Illinois. I bought a run down building in Mason City in June of 2004. Thanks to the help of many friends, and after nearly two years of my own blood, sweat and tears, we were able to bring a structure built in 1874 back to life. A former eyesore is now a restored historic building that houses Mason City Limits Comedy Club. This process demanded that I tap into my retirement savings and go into a good deal of debt as well.
Mason City Limits Comedy Club is an adult establishment that does not serve food. My customers travel from up to an hour away as Mason City has become destination for fine dining (next door) and entertainment. A good portion of my customers are choosing to drive up to an hour because they can’t smoke in their own communities while enjoying quality entertainment.
Advocates for the smoking ban ignore the fact that bars and taverns are not only competing against other businesses and a myriad of entertainment options, but also the comforts smokers find in their own home. As a pro-choice individual, I want more choices not less. The restaurants next door chose to go smoke free; as they decided it was what their customers wanted. There are other restaurants in town that permit smoking. I offer my customers a nonsmoking show on the early Friday night show; otherwise smokers are welcome in the back of the room in our well ventilated showroom. If somebody wants to be entertained in a strictly nonsmoking venue, they can choose to go to a movie at the Arlee Theater around the corner or patronize a comedy club in Bloomington and Springfield.
I support the idea of local communities making their own rules and then sleeping in the beds they make. I find it ironic that the same people who insisted that the local smoking bans would have no negative effects on bars and taverns are the same ones that now insist we have to ‘level the playing field’ after people choose to spend their hard earned money elsewhere. Now these advocates want to ‘level the playing field’ by spreading the misery of over regulation to communities that would never pass such a law locally.
Let me explain how a gross receipts tax would hurt my business. Mason City Limits does not make a profit every week. At times we will go several weeks in a row losing money before a special event enables us to get our head above water. During these special events, my comedians earn their money by taking a large portion of the cover charge, while I make money on the bar. A gross receipts tax doesn’t take this into consideration. It’s a tax I would have to pay even during the weeks I lose money and on money that does not go into my pocket. It would not be a tax on profits, which are already taxed, but on any transaction that would occur in my business. It would also increase the cost of doing business on all my suppliers, thus making my inventory more expensive. It would also reduce the profit margins of any corporate customers who may consider having a Christmas party at Mason City Limits. Any revenue the state may gain comes at the cost of less business activity, the closing or moving of businesses already operating on a thin profit margin, the loss of jobs or growth and the fact that many future entrepreneurs will choose to locate in a state that is more pro-business.
I wonder how many senators and representatives who would support this measure have ever owned a small business or realize the challenges that small business owners face. Besides winning over the public with a quality product, business owners must meet a payroll, pay payroll, sales, income and unemployment taxes, licensing fees, liability and building insurance, lawyers, utilities, advertising, inventory, the cost of compliance with a very complicated tax code not to mention the large start up costs such as buying and maintaining equipment and building improvements and repairs. This while dealing with other things out of your control like bad weather and the price of gas.
Too many politicians demonize business owners when we are the people they should be encouraging and that government should be finding a way to help. Sometimes the best way for governments to help entrepreneurs is to get out of their way and trust that creative, energetic and productive individuals will have a positive impact on the communities they invest in.
I’ve enclosed a schedule of our upcoming shows. One comedian that may be of interest is political comedian Will Durst. Durst makes fun of both sides. Please consider this opportunity to bring somebody from the other side of the aisle and laugh together instead of arguing against each other.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Chris Speyrer
Owner, Mason City Limits Comedy Club
www.mclimits.com
Hello. My name is Chris Speyrer. I am a small business owner and I will be celebrating my first year in business at the end of March. I am writing to address two issues up for your consideration that, if passed, would have a negative impact on my business: A state wide smoking ban and the gross receipts tax soon to be proposed by the Governor.
Please allow me to give some background information. I was a life long resident of Dayton, Ohio before I moved to Illinois. I bought a run down building in Mason City in June of 2004. Thanks to the help of many friends, and after nearly two years of my own blood, sweat and tears, we were able to bring a structure built in 1874 back to life. A former eyesore is now a restored historic building that houses Mason City Limits Comedy Club. This process demanded that I tap into my retirement savings and go into a good deal of debt as well.
Mason City Limits Comedy Club is an adult establishment that does not serve food. My customers travel from up to an hour away as Mason City has become destination for fine dining (next door) and entertainment. A good portion of my customers are choosing to drive up to an hour because they can’t smoke in their own communities while enjoying quality entertainment.
Advocates for the smoking ban ignore the fact that bars and taverns are not only competing against other businesses and a myriad of entertainment options, but also the comforts smokers find in their own home. As a pro-choice individual, I want more choices not less. The restaurants next door chose to go smoke free; as they decided it was what their customers wanted. There are other restaurants in town that permit smoking. I offer my customers a nonsmoking show on the early Friday night show; otherwise smokers are welcome in the back of the room in our well ventilated showroom. If somebody wants to be entertained in a strictly nonsmoking venue, they can choose to go to a movie at the Arlee Theater around the corner or patronize a comedy club in Bloomington and Springfield.
I support the idea of local communities making their own rules and then sleeping in the beds they make. I find it ironic that the same people who insisted that the local smoking bans would have no negative effects on bars and taverns are the same ones that now insist we have to ‘level the playing field’ after people choose to spend their hard earned money elsewhere. Now these advocates want to ‘level the playing field’ by spreading the misery of over regulation to communities that would never pass such a law locally.
Let me explain how a gross receipts tax would hurt my business. Mason City Limits does not make a profit every week. At times we will go several weeks in a row losing money before a special event enables us to get our head above water. During these special events, my comedians earn their money by taking a large portion of the cover charge, while I make money on the bar. A gross receipts tax doesn’t take this into consideration. It’s a tax I would have to pay even during the weeks I lose money and on money that does not go into my pocket. It would not be a tax on profits, which are already taxed, but on any transaction that would occur in my business. It would also increase the cost of doing business on all my suppliers, thus making my inventory more expensive. It would also reduce the profit margins of any corporate customers who may consider having a Christmas party at Mason City Limits. Any revenue the state may gain comes at the cost of less business activity, the closing or moving of businesses already operating on a thin profit margin, the loss of jobs or growth and the fact that many future entrepreneurs will choose to locate in a state that is more pro-business.
I wonder how many senators and representatives who would support this measure have ever owned a small business or realize the challenges that small business owners face. Besides winning over the public with a quality product, business owners must meet a payroll, pay payroll, sales, income and unemployment taxes, licensing fees, liability and building insurance, lawyers, utilities, advertising, inventory, the cost of compliance with a very complicated tax code not to mention the large start up costs such as buying and maintaining equipment and building improvements and repairs. This while dealing with other things out of your control like bad weather and the price of gas.
Too many politicians demonize business owners when we are the people they should be encouraging and that government should be finding a way to help. Sometimes the best way for governments to help entrepreneurs is to get out of their way and trust that creative, energetic and productive individuals will have a positive impact on the communities they invest in.
I’ve enclosed a schedule of our upcoming shows. One comedian that may be of interest is political comedian Will Durst. Durst makes fun of both sides. Please consider this opportunity to bring somebody from the other side of the aisle and laugh together instead of arguing against each other.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Chris Speyrer
Owner, Mason City Limits Comedy Club
www.mclimits.com