Leftist business owner and employer here (35 years to boot). Quite frankly, business people like you are dragging this country down.

Forget labor costs for a moment and turn your attention to your company's skyrocketing costs for FIRE - insurance, finance (capital and credit) and real estate (whether its rent or mortgage doesn't matter).

FIRE has been eating your profits - not labor, not regulation and not government red tape. Personally, I can barely get through a day's worth of accounting without screaming my head off about FIRE.

You've been paying your increasing costs for FIRE by paying your employees less and less and less.

When a customer uses a credit card to pay you, you have to pay 1.9% - 4% of the total invoice to get the money processed and deposited in your account - and you don't think anything is wrong?

Why should I have to buy three insurance policies for the same damn thing? Your health insurance policy, workman's comp policy and car insurance policy - all cover healthcare. And yet, you call me a socialist because I want to create one health insurance plan that covers everyone who needs medical care regardless of the circumstances.

Taxpayer costs for courts and judges who decide litigation between insurance companies is insane.

Talking to conservatives about business is like talking to a rock.