A Little Green, A little pissed.

[rockouthippie]

I know our local 7-11 store owner. He has another 7-11 and 2 Arco's. He's from Iraq. He's now a citizen because he was related to the late Saddam Hussein and fled to the US.

He just bought a brand new Tiburon. He works hard. He's a good guy. But I have one problem and he really didn't think it's fair either. Because he's a disenfranchised alien, he got government backed loans. Loans you and I can't get. You can get some of this money if you are a woman or a minority. Not as much as Saddam's cousin.

So.. you can get off the boat without a pot to piss in, get government backed loans and live the life of Riley.

Where the fuck is mine? Most people born here when they are running a business can only borrow money when they don't need it.

You and I have about as much chance of buying a 7-11 or gasoline franchise as flying to the moon. Must be nice. I could go to the bank and get a loan to buy a 7-11. But I'd have to have a year of operating expenses in cash. Not so with our imported businessmen.

Welcome to the United States. We'll make you a citizen and give you half a million in SBA loans practically no questions asked. I wish I could go to the bank with a business idea and they would say "Here's your loan, sign here".

Even American women and minorities in the US don't get that deal. Welcome to the US. We'll buy you a convenience store and 2 gas stations.

We've got a guy with no college, an only halfway adequate secondary education, a half million in government backed loans you and I don't get. He's the richest man I know. His grace? Being Saddam's second cousin.

Over a cup of tea this evening, he told me with a big grin that he thought it was bullshit too. I'm getting so broke, I'm likely to be working for him pumping gas.

I like the guy. If I go to his house, we drink tea. He shows up on my door frequently for coffee. I just think sometimes if we put this amount of effort into our own citizens..........

Where is our path to being a millionaire? I'm not taking anything away from the guy. He works hard. I do too. But I didn't get a government handout. That part of it is where he's a millionaire and I'm not.

Golf and tea tomorrow. I will get a ride in the Tiburon. Like most Iraqi's, he drives like his camel was on fire.

Another thing that sort of pisses me off. Our student loans. We will be chased to the ends of the earth to pay our government backed student loans. Not so with these SBA loans that we give to patriated aliens. He could fail and walk away nearly scott-free. That's another thing people who were born here don't get.

Our new Iraqi citizen gets money we don't get, can take risks we can't take.... Here... be a millionaire.... sign here.