WASHINGTON, D.C.- Main Street Alliance, a national network of state-based small business coalitions, is committed to representing the diversity of the business owners and customers in local Main Street communities. Women, people of color, and immigrants own businesses, frequent local businesses, and are the economic drivers lifting us out of the Great Recession. These are the hardworking small business owners that Donald Trump insulted on a national stage during the third and final presidential debate.
“As a Mexican immigrant and the owner of an architecture firm I make my living building walls. My walls are to house families and keep people safe, not to keep good people out. I’ve been in business for a decade and I see the contributions of fellow immigrants, documented and undocumented, on our local communities. Turning voters against them, and supporting a policy that locks them out of our economy would be a disaster for our country,” said Francisco Garcia, the owner of The Building Workshop in San Diego.
Francisco is a leader with the recently launched Main Street Alliance project in San Diego and has advocated social responsibility and economy-boosting investments, such as increased wages and access to paid sick days.
“My parents, who immigrated from Mexico, have been working, paying taxes and building a family here in the US for over 40 years. They have suffered because of people like Donald Trump. To them, and to many of us, he is the “bad hombre,” said Jose Gonzalez, President and Principal Broker of Tu Casa Real Estate in Salem, Oregon. “I am blessed to have been born here in the U.S., but I look like my parents and I could just as easily be an immigrant. When Mr. Trump talks about immigrants the way he does he creates an image of people like me in the minds of his supporters. To them, I am a criminal, and frankly, I’ve had enough of Mr. Trump and I look forward to defeating him on election day.”
In addition to serving on the National Steering Committee of Main Street Alliance, Jose is Board President of the Latino Business Alliance and Vice-Chair of FHDC, the Farmworker Housing Development Corporation. He is a dedicated community servant, working to develop strong local economies and communities.
“Donald Trump calling Hillary Clinton a “nasty woman” is an affront to women everywhere. Insulting his rivals and taking to Twitter to disparage women has become more important to him than the issues impacting Main Street,” said Megan Baker, co-owner of Orange Blossom Jamboree in Brooksville, Florida. “He formed a small business advisory council just four days ago and it’s obvious we haven’t been a priority for him. His tax policy skews towards large corporations and the rich, his immigration policy is a mass deportation of members of my customer base. On women’s issues, and on issues impacting small business owners, Donald Trump is just WRONG.”
Megan and her business partners cultivate artists and musicians from across the southeastern states, many of whom are new immigrants and first-generation. Their marquee annual music and arts festival played host to over 3,000 attendees and over 150 food and merchandise vendors. Megan is a leader with the Main Street Alliance of Florida.
“What’s nasty is Donald Trump’s treatment of women and his proposals on immigration. If his policies were put in place it would tear our communities apart and threaten our businesses. It’s time we put our foot down on immigration and the issues important to real job creators,” said ReShonda Young, the owner of Popcorn Heaven in Waterloo, Iowa and Main Street Alliance Executive Committee Member. “Had Mr. Trump formed a small business advisory council before this past weekend I’m sure he would have heard the same concerns from his advisers. On taxes, on immigration, and on the issues important to small business owners, Mr. Trump gets it WRONG.”
ReShonda opened Popcorn Heaven in Waterloo, Iowa in 2014 after years of experience helping her father run his small business. She was recently awarded the White House Champions of Change Award for her work on pay equity, health care reform, and minimum wage. ReShonda is a leader with the Main Street Alliance in Iowa and nationally. She is a member of the Main Street Alliance National Executive Committee.
Donald Trump’s self-proclaimed “business genius” is lost on Main Street small business owners. Had Mr. Trump formed a small business advisory council sooner he would likely have heard the concerns our members are expressing. Instead, his policy is written, and his misses the mark on immigration, taxes, issues impacting women, and policy that fuels local economic growth.
