. . . the vineyard tasting room quickly abandoned by the large group of young, professional-types and their limo driver (our 'tour guide', if you will). . .
. . . who predominantly occupies the lion's share of the tasting bar geography while inundating the atmosphere with boisterous, jocular, superficial chatter during our intended, peaceful, rejuvenating lunch break, the musician readily and sincerely empathizes. This for both the obliviousness and the indifference demonstrated by the general public in response to the honest, sincere, creative efforts put forth by individuals such as creators of fine, fermented beverages as well as the authors of those creative, original, eclectic musical endeavors with which they are confronted on a regular basis. . .
(Note: OHO was much appreciated by the audience at Elk Run Vineyard on this particular warm August night.)
My latest solo offering, No Frills, is now available at - No Frills
(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)
David A. Siegel and his wife are resuming construction of a 90,000-square-foot home, called Versailles in Florida, the
largest private home in the country. It will have13 bedrooms, 23 full bathrooms, a 6,000-square-foot master suite, with a bed on a rotating platform, a banquet
kitchen plus 10 satellite kitchens, a 20-car garage, three pools, a
two-story wine cellar and a grand hall with a 30-foot stained glass
dome.
Mr. Siegel recently sent this to his employees. . .
Subject: Message from David Siegel
Date:Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:58:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: [David Siegel]
To: [All employees]
To All My Valued Employees,
As most of you know our company, Westgate Resorts, has continued to
succeed in spite of a very dismal economy. There is no question that the
economy has changed for the worse and we have not seen any improvement
over the past four years. In spite of all of the challenges we have
faced, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t currently pose a
threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is another 4
years of the same presidential administration. Of course, as your
employer, I can’t tell you whom to vote for, and I certainly wouldn’t
interfere with your right to vote for whomever you choose. In fact, I
encourage you to vote for whomever you think will serve your interests
the best.
However, let me share a few facts that might help you decide what is
in your best interest. The current administration and members of the
press have perpetuated an environment that casts employers against
employees. They want you to believe that we live in a class system where
the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. They label us the “1%” and
imply that we are somehow immune to the challenges that face our
country. This could not be further from the truth. Sure, you may have
heard about the big home that I’m building. I’m sure many people think
that I live a privileged life. However, what you don’t see or hear is
the true story behind any success that I have achieved.
I started this company over 42 years ago. At that time, I lived in a
very modest home. I converted my garage into an office so I could put
forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would
eventually employ you. We didn’t eat in fancy restaurants or take
expensive vacations because every dollar I made went back into this
company. I drove an old used car, and often times, I stayed home on
weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I
was married to my business — hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.
Meanwhile, many of my friends got regular jobs. They worked 40 hours a
week and made a nice income, and they spent every dime they earned. They
drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer
clothes. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of
luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into
this business —-with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be
able to afford to buy whatever I wanted. Even to this day, every dime I
earn goes back into this company. Over the past four years I have had to
stop building my dream house, cut back on all of my expenses, and take
my kids out of private schools simply to keep this company strong and to
keep you employed.
Just think about this – most of you arrive at work in the morning and
leave that afternoon and the rest of your time is yours to do as you
please. But not me- there is no “off” button for me. When you leave the
office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I
unfortunately do not have that freedom. I eat, live, and breathe this
company every minute of the day, every day of the week. There is no
rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. I know many of you
work hard and do a great job, but I’m the one who has to sign every
check, pay every expense, and make sure that this company continues to
succeed. Unfortunately, what most people see is the nice house and the
lavish lifestyle. What the press certainly does not want you to see, is
the true story of the hard work and sacrifices I’ve made.
Now, the economy is falling apart and people like me who made all the
right decisions and invested in themselves are being forced to bail out
all the people who didn’t. The people that overspent their paychecks
suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed
42 years of my life for. Yes, business ownership has its benefits, but
the price I’ve paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the
costs of running a business have gotten out of control, and let me tell
you why: We are being taxed to death and the government thinks we don’t
pay enough. We pay state taxes, federal taxes, property taxes, sales and
use taxes, payroll taxes, workers compensation taxes and unemployment
taxes. I even have to hire an entire department to manage all these
taxes. The question I have is this: Who is really stimulating the
economy? Is it the Government that wants to take money from those who
have earned it and give it to those who have not, or is it people like
me who built a company out of his garage and directly employs over 7000
people and hosts over 3 million people per year with a great vacation?
Obviously, our present government believes that taking my money is
the right economic stimulus for this country. The fact is, if I deducted
50% of your paycheck you’d quit and you wouldn’t work here. I mean, why
should you? Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work?
Well, that’s what happens to me.
Here is what most people don’t understand and the press and our
Government has chosen to ignore – to stimulate the economy you need to
stimulate what runs the economy. Instead of raising my taxes and
depositing that money into the Washington black-hole, let me spend it on
growing the company, hire more employees, and generate substantial
economic growth. My employees will enjoy the wealth of that tax cut in
the form of promotions and better salaries. But that is not what our
current Government wants you to believe. They want you to believe that
it somehow makes sense to take more from those who create wealth and
give it to those who do not, and somehow our economy will improve. They
don’t want you to know that the “1%”, as they like to label us, pay more
than 31% of all the taxes in this country. Thomas Jefferson, the author
of our great Constitution, once said, “democracy” will cease to exist
when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those
who would not.”
Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart
it, you must stimulate business, not kill it. However, the power brokers
in Washington believe redistributing wealth is the essential driver of
the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth
and this is the type of change they want.
So where am I going with all this? It’s quite simple. If any new
taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current President plans, I
will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company. Rather than
grow this company I will be forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs,
less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.
So, when you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which
candidate understands the economics of business ownership and who
doesn’t? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions
and you should know who might be the one capable of protecting and
saving your job. While the media wants to tell you to believe the “1
percenters” are bad, I’m telling you they are not. They create most of
the jobs. If you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the “1%”; it
will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this
country.
You see, I can no longer support a system that penalizes the
productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to
provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, so will your opportunities.
If that happens, you can find me in the Caribbean sitting on the beach,
under a palm tree, retired, and with no employees to worry about.
Signed, your boss,
David Siegel
Mr. Siegel has said that every dime he earns goes back into his
company but where did all the money for the house come from? How did such an astute businessman come so close to bankruptcy? Is the government to blame for his having to pull his eight
kids out of private school? I said EIGHT kids?
Eight. . . well that's enough. . .
What
do YOU think?
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AMBIENCE & WINE
Had to post the violin version of IMPRESSIONS on yesterday's blog based upon the last quote from John Coltrane that I listed on the page. But if you're a Coltrane fan, once you hear the tune played by anyone anywhere, you like to go back and hear it done by its creator. At least I do.
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