Dear Friends,

I'm thinking of forming a new advocacy group called “Small-Business Owners United for Public Handouts.” The group's purpose would be to get government officials to lavish tax breaks and subsidies on us little guys, instead of wasting them on big corporations.

Every entrepreneur I know is struggling to keep his or her business afloat the old fashioned way: hard work, limited capital and lots of creativity. I say “Enough is enough!” We're fed-up with working hard, and our brains ache from the exertion of so much creative effort. It's time we little guys took a page from EMC, Wellmark, Wells Fargo, Google, Aviva and their ilk, who extol the virtues of the free-market system while sucking down millions in public subsidies – subsidies that often pan-out to tens of thousands of dollars per job.

So, on behalf of my small business – The Fallon Forum, LLC – I do hereby submit my request for public assistance to the tune of $200,000. I promise to retain one job (mine) and create three others. I promise not to ship any of these jobs overseas, and I will pay my workers a living wage. Furthermore, through the Fallon Forum, I will continue to broadcast my deep love for capitalism and will refrain from any criticism of Democratic or Republican Party leaders and elected officials – except those who oppose my request, of course.

Monday, Sophia Douglas and I compare notes on President Obama's success during the first half of his term.

Tuesday, newly elected State Representative Dan Kelley joins me.

Wednesday, it's former State Representative Bill Witt.

And on Thursday, Ames City Councilman and small-business owner Matthew Goodman is my guest.

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