I didn't watch it, but I've been hearing a lot about this plumber," said a chuckling Joe Brown of Joe B. Sullivan & Sons in Nashville. Brown said he stopped paying attention to the politics because his mind is made up — although he wouldn't say who he'll vote for.
Joe Schwark, owner of JMS Plumbing in Spring Hill, said he has a general distrust of politicians, but appreciated the recognition of his craft.
"Personally, I don't think either of them is what the country needs," he said. "But it is what it is."
Schwark said he agrees with the original Joe the plumber's problem with raising taxes for people who earn more than $250,000 a year. Taxes are the plight of the small-business owner, he said.
"I work for every penny," he said. "Taxes are what kills me, and if either of them raise taxes, it hurts people like me. You know, we jump though hoops as business owners. There is liability and vehicle insurance, and there are gas prices. For every dollar that comes in, it's going out."
And then there is this Joe:
Joe Shanks, a licensed master plumber and owner of Joe's Plumbing Service in the Cedar Bluff area, has followed the presidential campaigns the same as his much-quoted counterpart in Toledo, Ohio, who questioned Democratic Sen. Barack Obama over his proposed tax hike for those who make more than $250,000 a year. Shanks, an independent voter, said he's supporting Republican Sen. John McCain, citing the official's career experience in office as the deciding factor for him. . . .
And it isn't just plumbers. Small businesses will be devastated by the Obama economy.
