Entrepreneur Finds Hope

This is a great article about American Society. One should read it unaltered here. However, I have some questions about the article; it seems to not be entirely believable (i.e. it seems written throug a liberal reporter's lense). So here go:

Entrepreneur show comes to rescue of veteran of Iraq war
BY CAROL CAIN
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

December 27, 2004

Whoever said entrepreneurs are too busy for much else other than worrying about their own affairs should spend a few minutes listening to Matthew McMurray. [THIS SHOULD READ THAT ENTREPRENEURS ARE TOO BUSY THINKING ABOUT MONEY--THE GREEDY BASTARDS THAT THEY ARE]

They'd come away with a different perspective.

First, some background.

Just over a year ago, the 29-year-old Rochester Hills native was serving in Iraq, driving a truck for the Army. One of 16 million self-employed business owners in the United States, McMurray was a one-man business that provided construction and home repairs for clients mostly in Macomb and Oakland counties.

He'd been in the Army 11 years and was called to active duty in Iraq in February 2003. [GOD BLESS THIS HERO]

Unlike some soldiers who left behind jobs with big companies that provided assurances of employment upon their return, as a one-man operation, he didn't have that luxury. When he was gone, so went his business. [SO A GUY WITH A THRIVING SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS THROUGH SELF-EMPLOYMENT IS WORSE THAN SOMEONE IN A MENIAL JOB REPRESENTED BY A UNION]

By the time he returned home in September 2003 most of his customers had hired other contractors to do their work.

It became a recurrent theme as the economy softened. [THE ECONOMY SOFTENED? I AM SORRY, BUT THROUGH THE "SECOND GREAT DEPRESSION" AS THE DEMOCRATS WOULD LIKE US TO BELIEVE WE ARE IN, HOME SALES AND CONSTRUCTION HAVE BEEN GOING THROUG THE ROOF--EVEN IN 2002 AND 2003. SO WHILE THIS GENTLEMAN AND HIS FAMILY MIGHT HAVE SUFFERED FROM THE SOLDIER'S RE-ENTRY BACK INTO SELF-EMPLOYMENT, THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO BLAME BUSH A SECOND TIME FOR FIRST SENDING HIM TO IRAQ THEN FOR THE STAGNANT ECONOMY THAT CLINTON LEFT HIM] Despite repeated efforts, he couldn't find much business.

Complicating matters, he used his personal credit to take out loans to buy products and items for his company, and those loans were coming due. [AGAIN, THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO DRAW SYMPATHY THROUGH PHRASING (LYING). A SELF-EMPLOYED PERSON, OR EVEN THE MAIN SIGNOR ON AN INCOPORATION, ALWAYS (REPEAT ALWAYS!!!) USE THEIR PERSONAL CREDIT FOR BUSINESS LOANS. WHO IS THIS AUTHOR TRYING TO FOOL? LIBERALS]

McMurray, who is married with two daughters, ages 5 and 7, had little money coming in. [REDUNDANT, WE KNOW HE HAS LITTLE MONEY COMING IN]

His wife, Marilou McMurray, 35, had a particularly difficult time adjusting to his absence. She suffered major depression and left her job as a medical technologist. [AH HA! MAJOR DEPRESSION. THEREFORE, SHE HAD EVERY RIGHT TO LEAVE HER JOB. HER SADNESS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FEEDING HER CHILDREN. THIS IS SO SELFISH AND THE EPITOME OF LIBERAL THOUGHT. MY MOTHER FACED A POSSIBLE LUPUS DIAGNOSIS AND WOULD CRAWL INTO MY BED CRYING AT NIGHT BECAUSE MY FATHER WAS IN DESERT STORM AND SHE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO DIE AND SHE WOULD BE LEFT ALONE, BUT SHE GOT HER ASS OUT O BED EVERY MORNING AND WENT TO WORK!] Her father, Rufino Cruz, who lived in the Philippines, had been ill for some time and died in October. [EVERYONE'S PARENTS DIE AND USUALLY DO SO AT THE "MOST INCONVENIENT TIME". THAT'S A TOTALLY HORRIBLE WAY TO PHRASE THE LOSS OF SOMEONE SO IMPORTANT TO HER, BUT THAT'S WHAT THIS AUTHOR WANTS US TO BELIEVE...THAT ONLY IF HER FATHER DIED WHILE THE HUSBAND WAS EMPLOYED. BOTH MY PARENTS ARE ALIVE AND I PRAY THEY LIVE FOR DECADES MORE, BUT THE AUTHOR IS IMPLYING THAT, GOD DAMMIT, HER FATHER DIED AT THE WRONG TIME].

Enter the Sloan brothers, Jeff and Rich.

The two brothers host a weekly radio show devoted to entrepreneurs called "StartupNation'' (www.startupnation.com). It airs on WJR-AM (760) Saturdays 7-8 p.m. Their program, which includes segments on how to help people grow their businesses, also features a "Save the Day" feature, in which people with particularly difficult situations talk about their issue in hopes of getting ideas [UM, CAPITALISM???]

"Rich, I am at the end of my rope," McMurray wrote Rich Sloan in an e-mail. "My options are grim at this point. We don't have any money for Christmas, and we haven't been grocery shopping since September with the exception of milk, eggs, bread and fresh vegetables. Our food supply is getting low and we have no money or credit to purchase any. [WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE LOANS YOU HAD TO TAKE OUT ON YOUR PERSONAL CREDIT???]

"I did manage to get myself a road-kill deer, though. The deployment in '03 had devastated us. My wife's Dad died Oct. 17 in the Philippines [HIS DEPLOYMENT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS FATHER-IN-LAW'S DEATH], and we had to use the rest of our cash and credit to go. I have no other options. Please advise me. What would you do? I know that you don't know me, but I'm lost here."

The brothers immediately invited McMurray to appear on their Dec. 4 radio program to talk about his dilemma.

"The focus of our show is to talk about opportunities and improving your life by starting your business," Rich Sloan says. "It's a fundamental we enjoy here in the U.S.A. Those freedoms are protected by people who put their lives on the line, people like Matt who are putting their lives on the line for the people in Iraq." [AMEN, AMEN, AMEN. THIS IS A PERFECT STORY WITHOUT THIS REPORTING USING SELECTIVE QUOTING AND WRITING IT THROUGH HER LITTLE PRISM OF WORLD VIEW]

The outpouring from listeners was overwhelming.

"I was a little choked up," McMurray says. "People were reaching out to lend their word of praise for serving in the military and to give me ideas on what to do, and even job offers."

Off the air, McMurray was contacted by a former employer, Don Lukemire, who had heard him on the program. Coincidentally, both men had served in the same 4th Infantry Division, though 30 years apart (Lukemire served in Vietnam).

Lukemire offered him a job, complete with benefits and security that his 30-year-old company, Anytime Inc., (www.anytimeinc.com) would provide. McMurray will concentrate on helping build up the company's new division, which officially launches Jan. 1 and will focus on residential and commercial contracting projects. [WHY DIDN'T HE CONTACT THIS GUY BEFORE??? THE ARTICLE SAID THAT EVERYONE HE WORKED FOR FILLED THE POSITION. WHY DID HE NOT PLEAD WITH THIS PERSON??? ANYTIME SOMEONE COMES BACK FROM BATTLE UNEMPLOYED, HE/SHE GOES BACK TO EVERY EMPLOYER TO SEE IF THEY HAVE WORK. WHILE I DON'T FAULT THE GUY FOR THINKING EVERYTHING THROUGH, THIS SHOULD BE THE LESSON OF THE RADIO PROGRAM--DON'T BE TOO PROUD TO BEG TO OLD EMPLOYERS IF YOU'RE OUT OF WORK. IF YOU DID A GOOD JOB, THEY WILL HAVE YOU BACK.]

The Sloans say McMurray isn't alone and that the impact of the Iraqi war on businesses - big and small - has been far-reaching. Another show they aired last summer on extended tours of duty definitely hit a chord. [AGREED]

"From businesses waiting for reservists to return, to people like Matt whose businesses are destroyed due to atrophy. It's a reality we have to deal with," says Jeff Sloan.

Though he's given up on the idea of running his own company for now, McMurray feels things will work out.

"I feel secure that I will be successful and at least be able to restructure my life and manage what I have," says McMurray. "I've never been one to throw in the towel." [ALTHOUGH THIS REPORTER MAKES YOU LOOK PATHETIC, I HOPE YOUR BUSINESS THRIVES AND THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY BECOME MEGA RICH, SERIOUSLY]