Tax system favors business owner
In his Friday letter “Tax cuts benefit small businesses,” Jeff Albrecht patted himself on the back for owning two Holiday Inn hotels while being “crushed by the current tax system.” What he failed to mention is that his state income taxes have been slashed to nearly nothing in the past several years. The taxes for his employees have not been slashed and although he claims he is “supporting his employees to be able to support their families and live a quality of life,” the facts are quite different.
According to glassdoor. com, an hourly front-desk employee of a Holiday Inn makes $10.27 an hour. Oyster.com has the average hourly wage for a hotel worker at $10.48 per hour. Neither of those salaries will support a family.
Investopedia.com has Holiday Inn listed as part of the Intercontinental Hotel Group, which is a British hotel group that is one of the top five most profitable hotel companies. Credibly. com has the average revenue of a Holiday Inn Express at $2,431,289. Most of the expenses Albrecht incurs can be written off his income for tax purposes. The front-desk worker is still paying state taxes that Albrecht has been excused from paying by Gov. John Kasich.
The Dispatch reported that Grover Norquist is coming to Ohio to start an anti-tax group. I suggest he and Albrecht look at what has happened in Kansas, where the state legislators have rolled back a series of Sam Brownback’s tax cuts because, as reported on NPR, the tax cuts didn’t deliver prosperity and growth and Kansas was left crumbling with debt. Similarly, the tax cuts in Ohio have left the state without the funds it desperately needs to provide basic needs to its residents.
I suggest Albrecht roll up his sleeves and be grateful for the opportunity to make hefty profits from his hotels. Credibly.com has the owner of a Holiday Inn with 10 years experience making $105,757. Since he has two hotels, that sum can be doubled. It is unlikely he is being crushed by taxes. Maybe he could give his employees a raise; they are being crushed by trying to make ends meet.
Penny Winkle Columbus Canal Winchester