[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 19 (Monday, May 14, 2001)]
[Pages 717-718]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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 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

[[Page 718]]

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 
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; Brindley B. Pieters, 
president, Brindley Pieters & Associates, Inc., Altamonte Springs, FL; 
Frank Sarris, president, Sarris Candies, Inc., Canonsburg, PA; and 
Thornton Stanley, president, Stanley Construction Co., Inc., Huntsville, 
AL.