Opinion: Detroit business owner: Kamala Harris is my presidential pickNews Sports Autos Entertainment Advertise Obituaries eNewspaper Legals  COMMENTARYOpinion: I'm a Black business owner. I want a president who will work as hard as I do.Greg Sims IIOp-ed contributorLet me tell you why I’m voting for Kamala Harris in this year’s presidential election. As proprietor of Smokey G’s Smokehouse on the Detroit riverfront, I’m proud of my Black-owned Detroit business, where we recently celebrated our 10-year anniversary.We need a leader that stands up for Black business owners, not leaders who stoke hate, separation and fear. The growth of Smokey G’s Smokehouse could not have happened without our incredible staff, and of course our customers, who come down to our restaurant to enjoy the best smoked meats in Michigan.But it hasn’t been easy.Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.During these 10 years, we encountered former President Donald Trump’s chaotic handling of a global pandemic and his so-called “achievement” of giving huge tax cuts to big corporations and billionaires. He never looked out for small businesses like mine, and I don’t expect that to change if he is given another opportunity to return to the White House. Now, I don’t believe the president of the United States is supposed to prop us up, but rather to enact policies that encourage small-business growth. Harris’ economic policy aims to do just that.Opinion:Trump takes a shot at Detroit, in Detroit. The joke's on him.A hand up for small business ownersBeing a Black business owner is hard. It’s been proven that Black business owners find it harder to obtain loans and other lines of credit than their white counterparts. This can create cash flow obstacles that can sink Black businesses. For someone like me, who is responsible for the livelihood of seven to 10 staff members at any given time, there is no room for cashflow challenges. It was refreshing to hear that Harris recently unveiled an “Opportunity Agenda,” which includes a proposal of forgivable loans of up to $20,000 to Black entrepreneurs.Look, we feel the same burden of inflation and higher costs of goods as other food service businesses. For example, my supply costs are up 10% since the pandemic. But I’m smart enough to know that the global supply chain grinding to a halt during the pandemic is one of the biggest reasons for these costs. This is why inflation has occurred around the world — not just here at home. So, I’m not buying the idea that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris caused this inflation. Harris aims to make it easier for first time homeowners to purchase a home. She also wants to help small businesses grow by expanding the start-up expense tax deduction for new businesses from $5,000 to $50,000, and reducing barriers that can make it harder to grow a small business. These policies help Black business owners like me.Opinion:Trump is no conservative. We’re Republican men and we’re voting for Kamala HarrisA president who will work as hard as I doAfter six years of festivals and pop-ups, Smokey G’s Smokehouse moved into our storefront nearly a week before the first recorded case of COVID-19 in Michigan. When the pandemic hit, the uncertainty of those times was palpable. I didn’t know if I would have a business after COVID, as Trump appeared on TV saying things like we should look at injecting bleach to stop COVID.  But we did survive, thanks in part to the steady and dedicated leadership of the Biden-Harris administration. The next 10 years of my business deserves a leader who works as hard as I do. It’s clear to me that Harris' leadership is needed as we embark on a new chapter in our country. Greg Sims II is the owner of Smokey G’s Smokehouse in Detroit. Submit a letter to the editor atfreep.com/letters and we may publish it online and in print. Opinion: We're Republican men. We cannot go back to the chaos of Donald Trump. Opinion: I'm a Black business owner. I want a president who will work as hard as I do. Opinion: I'm an Arab American activist. We have no choice but to vote for Kamala Harris. Opinion: I'm undergoing IVF treatment to have a child, and I'm voting for Kamala Harris Opinion: I'm the mayor of Flint. Kamala Harris is fighting for us. Opinion: I study nuclear war. Kamala Harris must be our next president. 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I agree. I’m on a completely different scale than this guy since I only have myself to worry about not employees but The last 4ish years beginning with the pandemic have been very hard on me. I make video game YouTube videos, I’m 3k from 100,000 subscribers and have been paying bills with YouTube money since around 2018. The cost of everything has gone up, reviewing games are hardly even worth it anymore, they’ve inflated the price to $70 where they used to be $60 which sounds like nothing but take into consideration I will need about 30,000 views to break even and about 50,000 to make a profit off $70 games, I break even but rarely profit in most videos. Equipment have gone up like crazy, my og M1 MacBook Pro all maxed out came to about $1600 which I use as my main editing machine, SEO research, thumbnails, business deals, etc but now as I am needing a new computer(that fuckin Touch Bar died) I am so not interested in the new MacBook fully maxed out for the spec I want being nearly $3,000. I refuse to buy new equipment with my actual money just my YouTube money. If Kamala wins, her targeted loan program would make things easier for me, if I was given $10,000 and 3 years to pay it back I would be able to replace my MacBook, and use the rest to focus on buying stuff for reviews and traveling to conventions which in turn will make me more money and make it easy to pay back. 



I am at work and don’t have time to go super detailed sadly, but as it stands Kamala’s small business plan isn’t just going to benefit small business people but it’s going to benefit everyone, your favorite content creators who aren’t mega giants like Spawn Wave, Metal Jesus Rocks, Mr. Beast, etc will be able to provide you the content you love even longer and in better quality. A vote for Kamala is a vote to continue Americas new prime time entertainment replacement, YouTubers and streamers.