I Won't Let You Down

Our Welfare System

Here's a small example of how our welfare system works in our state - sometimes.  My two servers Sue and Mary both ordered a taco salad at the same time.  Sue came in and got her salsa and plates ready while Mary did not.  Mary took advantage of Sue's extra work and took her plate and salsa to serve her customers.  This was not fair.  I think it is our duty to help our fellow citizens but when an able bodied person does not help themselves then I ask when does it stop?  When politicians talk about helping the poor it is usually not with their own money.  Caring about people should be universal - rich - middle class and poor.

We should not discriminate who we care about as a State!  No more class warfare.  If you want to call me a big shot greedy businessman bring it on.  I know who I am and what I care about and what I have done and will continue doing and that is all that matters to me.

Moore or Less this Country Needs Us

I wrote a letter to Michael Moore awhile back about doing a film on small business.  Follow us around and see what we go through.  Watch us compete in the free enterprise system and when we have a slow day see how it tears us apart.  See when we disappoint a customer how it hurts us not because of the money they won't spend at our business but rather that we let them down.  See how on a hot summer day we have to call a $65.00 an hour person to fix our air conditioner while we try to pay our other bills.  It is part of capitalism and I accept it and I never have thrown in the towel.  If you own a business you keep persevering.  The biggest frustration is the lack of respect you get from the government.  You are their answer for job creation which is a compassionate part of capitalism.  You are the government's answer for so much more.  Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, personal property taxes, city taxes, school taxes, Friend of the Court payments and garnishment.  There is a saying at my gym when we are lifting weights to man up and I will accept that in the weight room and free enterprise.  I just want our government to smarten up when they make decisions about business.  Moore or less this country needs us.

Ms. Jamie

Sue and I went out to eat and were talking to our waitress (yes, I do eat at other places but Branns is my Favorite).  It was more than serving us an appetizer that impressed us; it was her dedication to getting ahead and her work ethic that impressed us.  She has four different jobs and she is working to support her young son and make the house payment.  I just admire that.  She said that she misses her son but tells him that she is doing it for him and I think he will take her work ethic traits that she is teaching him and this will lead her young son to a successful life.  She is teaching him something that few others could:  hard work and that having goals is important.  She's also teaching him that love is important and can be measured in different ways:  the time you spend with your child and also the time you spend working for your child.  TGFJ.  Thank God for Ms. Jamie.

Setting the Record Straight

I want to set the record straight on accolades.  Sue and I do not have any kids, so we have come to the window when needed on helping out our fellow citizens and it has been our honor.  Even though donating money involves hard work in earning it, and I do mean hard work, when you do donate money you get the pats on the back, and I have an ego and love them.

To set the record straight, I want you to hear the rest of the story.  Donations to Wyoming veterans park for their wall, I did.  It took me 60 seconds to write the check, but Jack Magnuson and Bob Nelson were the ones who served and got the park going.

To set the record straight, it took me 60 seconds to write the check to Metropolitan Foundation for assisted breathing center to provide dental equipment to be the first in the nation for the assisted breathing patients to get dental care; but Susan Watson, the head of the department puts her heart into the patients' care and Dr. Norman, the Ada dentist, in his first day of free dental care did ten patients and continues to donate his skills free every month.

To set the record straight, it took me 60 seconds to write the check for the helmets to the Wyoming Police Department for every cruiser, but the officers have to face dangerous situations every day.

To set the record straight, it took me 60 seconds to write the check to the Wyoming food pantry, but Gary Lemke deals with it every day, trying to help needy families in Wyoming.

I appreciate the pats on the back, but to set the record straight, I am writing this at my restaurant, having a glass of wine.  I raise my glass of wine to the people I have just mentioned, to set the record straight.

Grand Rapids Beer

You want a beer in a downtown Grand Rapids bar?  John Galt would stop this.  Who is John Galt?  That is for you to find out, but the real question is who is the head of the Grand Rapids Parking Division?  We have job creators who own their own beer distributorships that are getting parking tickets downtown because the big semis cannot fit into 3 parking meters on the downtown streets.  This is anti-business when we give the big beer semis tickets.  All they are trying to do is their job.  My John Deere lawn mower has a trailer on it and I have to get off my John Deere and lift the trailer up to get it parked.  How do we expect a beer driver to parallel park a big semi?  Work this out Grand Rapids or maybe Atlas will shrug.  This opinion is my own not the beer distributors'.  I just hate it when job creators are not respected for what they do.  Remember the election when it was jobs, jobs, jobs?  Don't ticket jobs.  Solution:  7AM to 11AM leniency.  Who is John Galt?

Child Work Bill

  The bill I would sponsor if I was a Congressman would be the Child Work Bill.  This idea of mine is work and mentorship together with a pay check as a reward.  My Mom died when I was 13 and the way my Dad kept me out of trouble was putting me to work at an early age.  In high school my friends were doing drugs and drinking.  I was not perfect and heading down that path.  Football at East Grand Rapids High School kept me straight but what really shaped my life and future was working with my Dad.  He was my mentor and I worked harder than anyone at his place so I would not be labeled the spoiled kid.  My idea for kids that are heading down the wrong path is this:  kids get in gangs at 11 and 12 years old and it is hard to get them out once they are in.  If a counselor at a school saw a kid that was giving up and heading down the wrong path he would assign this kid to a business.  There are a lot of great mentors that own or run businesses like Home Depot or Meijer.  This kid would get paid $4 an hour or so, social security and Medicare would be taken out.  The business would get a tax deduction for this because of what they are doing to save a kid.  Yes businesses do have hearts.  The kid would work about 10 to 12 hours a week and the job he would do would not take anyone else's job.  The mentor would have him do homework at the job on his break.  When the kid got his or her first check it will be addicting like the drug pushers would like but it would be the legal addiction called free enterprise and if the pupil wanted to keep his job he would have to keep his grades up.  We are short of mentors for our kids.  This would solve that and could you see it in Los Angeles:  the gangs wondering where their recruits are?  This is my idea.  Agriculture has an age limit waved and golf caddies can also work 11 or 12, why not let troubled kids work with a business mentor?  Let free enterprise save them.  It will work.

Tommy Brann

My Idea on the Budget Now & in the Future

Once you become a politician you are labeled right or wrong.  You are expected to bring home the bacon for your district right or wrong.  Ideology gets involved in your spending decisions right or wrong.

I would have a Citizens Patriot Panel that has to approve expenditures in bills.  It would be like the Congressional Budget Office but with more power. This panel would be composed of regular citizens that meet a budget everyday and that, after reviewing the bills, would go back to running their small restaurant, working at the dollar store, teaching students or working in a factory, etc.  They would go back to Meijer and buy milk and to the gas station and buy gas. They would not have the perks of Congress and would have to stay in touch with reality.

The panel would be called the CPP which is the Citizens Patriot Panel .  We would chose them with the simple test of how they manage their finance.  Do they have a rainy day fund?  Do they provide for their family?   The panel would not have fancy offices or big budgets but would have impact.  I would predict after the panel shot down some stupid spending that the legislators, knowing that their requests would go in front of the panel, would be more focused and better stewards of our money.

The panel would not get paid and not be up for election.  The panel could be overturned by the Congress with a special vote that would have to put on C-SPAN so the everyday citizens could see the everyday politicians being turned down.  I would predict that the Medicare and Social Security deficit would be straightened out by this panel.  I really think our citizen's love our country and if they understood the code red deficit we have they would make sacrifices on Medicare and Social Security.  The citizens panel would give backbone to our elected officials.  They seem to need it.

American Dream

I was invited to a party awhile back.  I got an extra supervisor in and worked until 4:30 P.M. and left my restaurant to get ready for the party.  Sue had my suit dry cleaned, and it was a humdinger.  I didn't wear it though; I wore my black suit coat and my $10 pants and showed up to the party at 7:20 P.M.  Valet parking took my car and I walked into a 15,000 square foot house that was built like a hotel.  It was an amazing house.  I loved it and you know what, I was not jealous of the people who owned it.  I didn't think, "Tax them more, this isn't fair."  I looked at this house and said, "This is part of the American dream and that dream can make other dreams come true."  It made the heating and cooling business' dream come true by providing five furnaces and five air conditioners for this house.  It made the furniture company's dream come true by providing furniture to this 15,000 square foot house.  It made the caterer's dream come true by having a nice job that night (by the way, it wasn't Brann's catering, so my dream is still pending on that one).  It made the valet company's dream come true by working that night, and by me tipping $5 to the valet who retrieved my car.  So Congress, quit dreaming up ways to tax good, and yes, rich people and stop the class warfare.  My dream is for Congress to spend less or maybe the valet service can drive some of our legislators out of office.  That's my dream.

I Didn't Build That

I have to admit that I didn't build the motor I bought from Hobart for my dishwasher after it broke down Monday afternoon.  I did pay $1100 and in doing that I helped out Hobart, the worker that built the motor, and the repair man that installed it.  I didn't build the motor but the motor in my heart and my soul built my restaurant.  After 41 years at my 7000 sq. ft. restaurant I've only been away about 100 days.  Ask Sue, my wife; she will verify this.  Show her the picture from this post and see if she recognizes me.

Debt and Dishes

When I have a slow day at my restaurant I do a fast calculation of my assets:  dishes, booths, kitchen equipment and other paid-up assets.  It just makes me feel better after a slow business day that I am going to be OK.  I look at our country's debt and want to add up the assets our country has.  The American worker and family that is honest and puts in a hard day's work to support their family, that is worth a lot for our country, but what about our country's debits?  15 trillion in debt, leadership on both sides at a standstill, spending more money than we are taking in.  It is hard to see a future for our country unless we get this under control and I mean to the point of national legislators watching every penny.  I tell my servers one straw per drink, not two, but one.  In Washington DC we can not even afford one straw for our politicians' milk cartons during their nap break.  About 3 years ago I asked Vern Elhers' aid about having a balanced budget amendment.  Some people say that this is not the compassionate thing to do but I think that we have no choice.  A friend of mine told me about his family member who could not budget money and was always behind on bills.  He would help her with money but finally said, "I will help you out by giving you a budget and financial advise."  This was one family member caring about another.  I picture the balanced budget amendment as the same thing:  us caring about our country and getting things in order.  I am still waiting for Vern Ehlers' aid to call me back about the balanced budget amendment.  Maybe his aid could not afford the minutes on his government cell phone.  I can understand that.  Remember one straw per drink when you come in my place and if you're at Chilli's ask for three.

Howie for Congress

Being a small businessman I go to business meetings.  Everyone in these meetings has an ego (some bigger than others).  We all have an ego and there's nothing wrong with this if you keep it in check.  I also notice the participants doing the "Howie."  Let me explain... Howie is my dog and when I take Howie for his morning walk he marks his territory by peeing in the field.  Some mornings he marks his territory about 10 times.  I have seen my business associates mark their territory and I see politicians mark their territory.  We all do the "Howie" but what sets Howie apart from others is that once Howie finishes marking his territory he moves on to a final conclusion.  We can learn from Howie the dog.  He is focused, listens well, has his ego in check, and he moves on to another task.  All I can say is Howie for Congress.  The milk bone PAC would be his biggest donor.

The Buffet Tax

The Buffet Tax has had quite the media play for Warren Buffet.  Buffet inserted himself in the national political landscape with his tax idea.  Where was he when President George W. Bush had the idea about putting 1.5 percent of each individuals' social security into the stock market?  The 1.5 percent would not be risky for the individual social security investment and it would show a belief in America.  The 1.5 percent also would be a great boost in our social security payoff especially for the young people at 18 working an thus investing every week into their stock portfolio.  Buffet got rich through investing in the stock market.  So, the new Buffet Rule is to tax the rich but make sure that the average person does not get richer.  Mr. Buffet, give me a call I want to give you some advice.

You Deserve A Break Today!

McDonald's had the slogan, "You deserve a break today."  I would like to adopt that slogan for an initiative to help our fellow citizens who are down on their luck.  Submit to me a name and a reason why your recommended family needs a break and I will buy that family dinner at my place and take care of the tip also.  Submit a family that has been out of work, or a family who has barely enough money to make ends meet, let alone go out for dinner.  I need your help.  Submit to me names and phone numbers and let's give these people a small break in life.  I am not trying to embarrass anyone or make a fellow citizen feel bad, I just want to make them feel happy.  I will do the best that I can.  This offer will take place at my restaurant only:  Tommy Brann's 4157 South Division Avenue Wyoming, MI.

Please submit to:
You Deserve a Break Today
Attn:  Tommy Brann
25 Commerce Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

10 to Defend

1.      Creating a job is a compassionate thing to do.

2.      Billions of dollars are paid by Free Enterprise when an entrepreneur owns a commercial building and pays property tax.  (This helps local schools, police and Fire.)

3.      The employer and employee are the backbone of Free Enterprise.  Three’s a crowd so Government can sometimes get in the way.

4.      Anyone with good work ethic and makes an honest effort can participate in Free Enterprise.

5.      Free enterprise even provides for the unemployed.  Businesses pay 100% of unemployment insurance.

6.      Michael Jordon, the best basketball player ever, is often applauded because of his skills, Successful business people should be applauded too.  We don’t take away from Jordon’s accomplishments; please don’t take away our successful accomplishments.

7.      Free Enterprise is not free==Participants work hard to create jobs and pay by spending long hours away from their families working to be sure they can meet a payroll.

8.      For every hour a person works in a Free Enterprise business a portion of their Social Security and Medicare taxes are paid by the business owner.

9.       When Steve Jobs was 24 years old he told his girlfriend he was going to become a millionaire someday.  Free Enterprise is for dreamers—don’t take that dream   away or America’s future will be a nightmare.

10.  After Steve Jobs died admirers laid flowers at his home.  They respected him as a businessman and a participant in Free Enterprise.

 

THAT IS THE AMERICA I LOVE

 

Please join me to support Free Enterprise at my TEN to DEFEND Rally on Wednesday, December 7 from Noon until 1:00 pm at the Calder Plaza, downtown Grand Rapids.

Strange World

Superman comic books were my favorite back in the day. Superman would sometimes end up in a different world which was opposite of his normal world. We are living in that world now. Movie stars are idolized while job creators are not. Free enterprise has made this country great yet free enterprise is looked down upon. I get a credit if I hire a felon but if I hire person who stays out of trouble, no tax break. You throw out garbage from your car - a fine, but throw out a lit cigarette - nothing. We have had a dying state for the last 10 years, but try to change it and people wish you were dead. We have a day honoring small business. It is so small of a day that I don't even know when it is. The word business is looked upon as cold brick buildings, yet everyone wants more jobs from these cold brick buildings. Farmers who buy expensive equipment to feed us have to pay tax on that equipment every year, yet with my John Deere lawnmower I pay no taxes to cut my weed infested yard. I am Tommy Brann and I eat at Applebees. This is a strange world.

Name Calling in Politics

Name calling in politics is alive and well.  I walked in a parade with Dave Hildenbrand who I supported for Senate; it was raining heavily that day.  After the parade I went up to Dave's opponent David LeGrand, stuck my hand out and said I'm supporting David Hildenbrand but just wanted to say hi.  LaGrand said, "You must be tea party."  I told him "I sell tea at my restaurant, I drink hot tea but I am Tommy Brann."  We shook hands.  LaGrand really doesn't know me, that's not his fault, so here it is, this is me.  I like Social Security and Medicare so does that make me far left since it was FDR's idea?  Or does that make me a moderate because FDR got support from Republicans on this?  I like life and am pro life so does that make me far right?  I like lower taxes and less government so does that make me far right again or tea party?  I don't think all government is bad; government employees are American citizens and good people, so does that make me far left or a moderate?  I don't really care what people call me; I think that makes me an independent republican with my own views.  Like I said, it was a rainy day at the parade and I know one thing:  the person that I was supporting, Dave Hildenbrand, did not use an umbrella while he was meeting citizens, but his opponent did.  Dave Hildenbrand and I might be all wet at times, but I would not have it any other way.

Discipline in Spending

You have to believe in your product.  My Dad believed in the sizzler steak he invented and he stood by it.  Our Congress should believe in capitalism and the free enterprise system and stand by it.  In my opinion, the $787 billion stimulus package should not have happened.  Our Country can't afford it, let free enterprise prevail, it will if we don't strangle it.  When Bin Laden took down the Twin Towers he did it to hurt our Country's economy.  The Taliban can retire now because they have our own politicians hurting our economy with their over spending.  They are taking over Bin Laden's job.  Does this sound strong?  I know, it does to me, too, but am I wrong?  No.

As a small businessman I have to make spending choices everyday, one of my choices is to sweep my parking lot myself to save money.  Everyday my spending decisions are about the survival of "my baby," my small business.  I don't think Congress has the same feeling about our money.  Maybe while I'm sweeping my parking lot I should throw my broom into my truck and drive to Washington D.C. and sweep out all of the free spending congressmen who don't treat it like their own money.  Congress needs more Tommy Brann's in D.C.  If I were there I would sign a contract saying Washington D.C. would not change me and if any of my constituents saw a change in me I would welcome a kick in the butt from them.  Our Country deserves discipline in spending and people who go there to serve our Country and not themselves.

We don't just need common "sense" from a politician; we need to save "cents" from politicians.

Wearing an apron and likes to serve.
Tommy Brann
http://twitter.com/tommy_brann

Running for Congress Anyone?

It will help solve your financial problems, if you serve just 5 years, you can get a pension.  5 years, is that fair?  I own my own business and have worked 40 years and still have to work.  This is not fair and no wonder Congress sometimes can not relate to what you and I go through in everyday battles of life.  Benjamin Franklin did not want elected officials to get paid for their service and I am not saying that is right, for they do have families to support.  I am just asking to change the 5 year pension because after 5 years how can they relate to us little people when they have it made, in a sense.  At least Congress knows we have social security, and I have a suggestion for a new law I would write if I was a Congressman.  Anytime Congress uses Social Security money to try to balance our nation's budget, we the citizens can go in their pensions and screw around with their money.  How about that?