Let me make this perfectly clear.....

Those of you who know me - even if you don't know me well - know I do not pull my punches.  I say what I mean and mean what I say.  I did not hide behind some made up, politically correct reason for closing the shop, I told it like it is.  On Monday 25 November I received the following anonymous email:

I’m sorry you are closing your business.  It would have been a lot classier had you just said you were closing due to the economy or other circumstances beyond your control instead of trying to make a political statement by blaming your failure on the government and imagined new taxes.  If your taxes go up next year, blame the obstructionist Republicans who don’t give a crap about you as a small business person.  They would much rather let your taxes go up than those of the millionaire and billionaire investment bankers and corporate CEOs who contribute millions to keep them in office and keep their loopholes in place.  If you only watch Fox News, you have a very distorted view of the real world.

Good luck.

I have a few things to say in response to this individual.

1. I did not fail, nor did my business.  It is called common sense.  I am getting out before the economy goes back to the Carter years, which is where it is headed.  When you see a train heading directly for you,  you can hope it misses you, but if you're smart you get off the tracks.
2. Obamacare defines a full-time employee as one who works 30 hours or more per week.  For that reason many employers are cutting people back to 28 hours per week, and/or laying people off so they do not have >50 employees.  This means people will have less money to spend at the shop, which means I will be taking in less but paying more in taxes.
3. I did not imagine the 20 new taxes imposed by Obamacare, nine of which are already effective, and they will affect every single citizen of this country, regardless of economic  standing. 
4. You have no idea what news sources I watch/read.  
5.  You, on the other hand, are obviously watching too much MSNBC, speaking of distorted views.
6. If you are going to write critical missives and call someone a failure, have the stones to use your name and real email address.  It is not your criticism of me I object to - it is the cowardice of doing it anonymously that is so obnoxious.  You apparently do not have the courage of your "convictions".

I stand by my reasons for closing the shop, and if my reasons offend anyone, bear in mind that there is no Constitutional right to never be offended.  "Saying you are offended is the same as saying you cannot control your own emotions, so someone else should do it for you"