[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: GEORGE W. BUSH (2001, Book I)]
[May 8, 2001]
[Pages 496-498]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks Honoring the Small Business Person of the Year
May 8, 2001
Thank you very much. Be seated, please. Welcome to the people's
house for the Small Business Person of the Year Award ceremony. It's an
honor for me to be here. Can't wait to find out who won. [Laughter]
John, thank you very much for
hosting this event. It's good to see Members of the United States Senate
here, Senator Bond and Senator
Shelby, strong advocates of small-business
growth in America. Welcome, Senators.
It's good to have Don Manzullo here,
as well as Frank Mascara. Thank you all for
coming. Congressman, thank you for being here, as well. It's an honor to
have Members of the United States Congress
[[Page 497]]
who care deeply about making sure that the environment for small-
business growth is strong and positive in America. These Members
understand what I know: The role of Government is not to create wealth;
the role of Government is to create an environment in which people who
have a dream of owning their own business are able to do so if they've
got the good idea and are willing to work hard for it.
We've had some pretty negative news recently about employment
figures. But one thing Congress must always remember is that to make
sure that the employment figures improve, we must remember that small
businesses create most of the new jobs in America, and therefore, we've
got to put forth good policy that encourages the entrepreneurial spirit
to flourish. And I can't think of better policy than to reduce all the
marginal rates of income tax.
We're getting a budget about done. And then we're going to have to
figure out the details of the tax policy, and you can help. You can help
by reminding Members of the United States Congress, both in the Senate
and the House--you don't have to remind these, because they already know
what I'm about to say--but that all rates need to be cut. We don't need
any targeted tax cuts. That means Congress gets to pick. Some people get
tax cuts; some people don't. That's not fair; that's not the American
way. If you pay taxes, you ought to get relief.
And the Congress needs to hear this, as well, that many small
businesses in America are unincorporated. They are sole proprietorships.
They pay rates on the personal scale. And by cutting that top rate from
39.6 to 33 percent, we encourage entrepreneurial growth in America; we
encourage small-business formation. We're saying that we understand the
power of small business in America, the importance to the future of this
country, and by letting small-business owners keep more of their own
money, it's good for America.
Congress needs to hear that message, that this tax cut is good for
small-business growth, and you can help. I found out voices make a
difference up here in Washington, particularly when they're calling on
the phone saying, ``Let's get something good done on the tax cut. Let's
make sure you understand growth--a pro-growth environment.''
And there's another place you can help, too. And that's on getting
rid of one part of the Tax Code that's incredibly unfair to small-
business people, and that's the death tax. The death tax is unfair.
People need to hear from you. They need to hear it's unfair to tax a
person's assets twice, once when they're building the asset up and then
when you try to pass it on to your heirs. People work in the small-
business sector--you know this as well as I do--to build something up to
leave it to maybe a son or a daughter. Nothing more prideful for people
than to work their life and to be able to say to a son or a daughter,
``Here's the business. You go run it now. You take it to new heights.''
But that's not the way our--that's not the way this Tax Code works.
It says, when you pass on, your heirs are going to have to pay an
incredibly high tax. It's especially onerous--this death tax is
especially onerous on small-business entrepreneurs in America, and we
need to get rid of it. And we need to get rid of it right now.
One thing I know, and you know, that a small business is built on
values. And good, strong values are what distinguish all four of the
finalists who are here today.
Cindy McEntee* is an active member of
her community, a selfless volunteer, a devoted employer. I was struck
about the story about one--a longtime employee had to be airlifted for
emergency hospital care in the middle of the night, one of her fellow
employees. She woke up the next morning to drive 120 miles, from Newport
[[Page 498]]
to Portland, Oregon, to make sure that that person was getting the care
she needed. That's the sign of a good boss. That's the sign of a good
small-business owner. I bet morale is high in her company.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
*White House correction.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thornton Stanley is a deacon in his
church, a good dad, a loyal alumnus of Alabama A&M, a fine family man.
He built his business on quality, on what he calls ``playing it
straight.'' It's a pretty good motto.
Frank Sarris shows what drive and
determination and frugality can build. He's a dreamer who worked hard to
achieve his dream.
Brindley Pieters is a man who took
risk, never lost hope.
All four of these fine Americans represent the best of small
businesses. I can't wait to find out who won. [Laughter] I want to thank
you for what you all do for America. I want to thank you for being good
employers. I want to thank you for expanding the job base. I also want
to thank you for being good stewards in your community. You recognize
what I know, that our communities are only as strong as the willingness
of people to put time and effort and love into our neighborhoods. Small-
business people do that every day.
Thank you all for coming to the White House, and God bless.
Note: The President spoke at 3:37 p.m. in the East Room at the White
House. In his remarks, he referred to John D. Whitmore, Jr., Acting
Administrator, Small Business Administration; Cindy M. McEntee, owner
and president, Mo's Enterprises, Inc., Newport, OR; Thornton Stanley,
president, Stanley Construction Co., Inc., Huntsville, AL; Frank Sarris,
president, Sarris Candies, Inc., Canonsburg, PA; and Brindley B.
Pieters, president, Brindley Pieters & Associates, Inc., Altamonte
Springs, FL. The Small Business Week proclamation of May 4 is listed in
Appendix D at the end of this volume.