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To the Editor: Business in Michigan like losing the lotto
Friday, September 12, 2008 2:07 PM EDT
To the Editor:
I read with interest Jim Grisso’s editorial entitled “Michigan Unfriendly to Business” in the Sept. 10 issue of the Gaylord Herald Times. Allow me to add my own experience as the owner of a small convenience store in Gaylord.
About three weeks ago I was informed by the State Lottery Commission that I would no longer have the option of selling instant tickets if I did not also sell Lotto tickets. In order to sell Lotto, I would have to buy a machine costing $500. Retailers make 2 cents for every ticket sold so I would have to sell 25,000 tickets to pay for the machine. The geniuses at the Lottery Commission must have realized this is a losing proposition for the little guy so their solution to this problem is to revoke the Lottery License of every small retailer like me in the state.
Apparently this makes their life easier. Every aspect of the lottery after administrative and delivery costs is handled electronically. Computers don’t care if there are 10,000 or 80,000 retailers. Apparently the bureaucrats at the Lottery Commission don’t care either. Lottery revenues are supposed to go directly to funding our schools. Is there a school district in the state that can get by with less funding? State Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer told me he was appalled at this attack on the small businessmen of the State and has responded forcefully to the Lottery Commission. State Sen. Tony Stamas (no friend of small business e.g. minimum wage legislation) has yet to respond.
Here’s my second warm and fuzzy experience with a state agency. On Sept. 3 I received a four page letter in the form of a court order from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission stating that my liquor license would “be summarily suspended on Sept. 15 and remain suspended until the licensee provides the commission acceptable proof of financial responsibility ... What they could have said in one paragraph is “Your annual liquor liability insurance is due to expire on Sept. 15. Please forward your new policy information by Sept. 14.”
I read with interest Jim Grisso’s editorial entitled “Michigan Unfriendly to Business” in the Sept. 10 issue of the Gaylord Herald Times. Allow me to add my own experience as the owner of a small convenience store in Gaylord.
About three weeks ago I was informed by the State Lottery Commission that I would no longer have the option of selling instant tickets if I did not also sell Lotto tickets. In order to sell Lotto, I would have to buy a machine costing $500. Retailers make 2 cents for every ticket sold so I would have to sell 25,000 tickets to pay for the machine. The geniuses at the Lottery Commission must have realized this is a losing proposition for the little guy so their solution to this problem is to revoke the Lottery License of every small retailer like me in the state.
Apparently this makes their life easier. Every aspect of the lottery after administrative and delivery costs is handled electronically. Computers don’t care if there are 10,000 or 80,000 retailers. Apparently the bureaucrats at the Lottery Commission don’t care either. Lottery revenues are supposed to go directly to funding our schools. Is there a school district in the state that can get by with less funding? State Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer told me he was appalled at this attack on the small businessmen of the State and has responded forcefully to the Lottery Commission. State Sen. Tony Stamas (no friend of small business e.g. minimum wage legislation) has yet to respond.
Here’s my second warm and fuzzy experience with a state agency. On Sept. 3 I received a four page letter in the form of a court order from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission stating that my liquor license would “be summarily suspended on Sept. 15 and remain suspended until the licensee provides the commission acceptable proof of financial responsibility ... What they could have said in one paragraph is “Your annual liquor liability insurance is due to expire on Sept. 15. Please forward your new policy information by Sept. 14.”
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I would love to send those pencil pushers, who add nothing to the Michigan economy, a similar message. “Your ability to earn a living will be suspended on the second Tuesday of November unless you shape up.”
Jim Rutkowski
Al’s Market
Bagley Lake Twp.
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rookie wrote on Sep 12, 2008 8:53 PM: