By Pat Orr
For the Apple Valley Review

I routinely complain about how tough it is to do business in California without ever using many specific examples.

I have owned a business in California since 1980. The first was tiny (my wife and I and a few part-timers); the second one has grown into a 200-employee operation.

My biggest concern is for the smaller retailer and service companies who survive payroll to payroll and wait by the mailbox for customer payments to come in to see if they can pay the rent.

Unfortunately, California’s leaders have no clue how small businesses operate, nor do they seem to care. For years this state has been a great place to be unemployed. It is so much easier to qualify for worker’s compensation or unemployment benefits today that it was 30 years ago. So easy, in fact, that the state has often run out of money for these programs that payroll taxes can’t cover. Such was the case when California “borrowed” millions from the feds. to prop up our own state unemployment fund which was out of money.

Did California make any reasonable plan to pay this money back? No. Did they slowly raise the Federal Unemployment Tax Rate (FUTA) to make up the loan? No. Have they used any of the massive budget surplus we have this year or any of the “train to nowhere” bond money to repay this debt? No. Instead, they noticed all California employers that a one-time payment of about $105 per employee in extra FUTA must be made with your fourth quarter 2015 taxes (due in January) as a “catch-up” loan payment for the feds.

You can do the math yourself. If you have 20 employees at your struggling shop, you owe an extra $2,100 Jan. 20. You can expect shocked and surprised small businesses who are on the edge to be pushed over a financial cliff by this move.

Not paying your payroll taxes is a death knell for any business with employees. So when you read that California is not a business friendly state — believe it. The people are here, the money is here but they have no clue in Sacramento of how to create an environment of sustainability for business success which could, in turn, lead to a stable and stronger state economy.

We are blessed

One of the reasons many folks prefer a small close-knit community to the big, mega-metropolitan city is the folks who live, work and volunteer here. Recently we lost one of those “special” people when Mike Martin passed too early suddenly on New Year’s Eve.

There has been a lot written about Mike and his contributions to Apple Valley. I can’t add much except to echo what long-time resident Don Allen said at Martin’s funeral service: “We knew we could dump our kids at the gym and 'Big Mike' would take care of ‘em.”

Like hundreds of other “gym rats,” my son got his first job refereeing peewee basketball games from Big Mike. The experience of learning, interpreting and exercising judgement over the rules of a game held life lessons for many of the boys and girls that passed through the gym and “Big Mike’s” training.

Touching lives is what people like Martin, Don Ferrarese, the Apple Valley Police Activities League and countless teachers, coaches and volunteers do throughout the Victor Valley to shape kids' lives and gives those on the wrong path a new direction.

Our small town may not be unique in the pantheon of great small towns, but it is the continuing efforts of people like Big Mike that make it a better way of life right here.

Heroes for our times

Last Friday, the movie, “13 Hours — The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” hit movie theaters. Coincidentally, one of the real life members of the soldiers featured in the movie, Kris “Tanto” Paronto has agreed to be the guest speaker at a fundraiser sponsored jointly by the Don Ferrarese Charitable Foundation and Hi-Desert Republican Women, Federated in May at the Hilton Garden Inn in Victorville.

Paronto was one of the credited sources who helped write the book on which the movie is based and was a consultant to the film production. By all accounts of those who have seen this decorated former Navy Seal speak, his story is riveting and inspirational.

Go see the movie first and then see one of the “real life” participants next May. It should be enlightening.

— Pat Orr is a local business owner, community volunteer and political junkie.