Jimmy John and the Illinois tax-hike

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According to the Wikipedia, "After founder Jimmy John Liautaud graduated second to last in his class ... [his] father lent him $25,000 to start his own hot dog business. If the business was successful, Liautaud would own 52% of it and his father would own 48%. If it failed, he would join the Army. ]..., he decided to open a sandwich shop... He started baking bread in his mother's kitchen, bought the most expensive meats from Dominick's, and had family members vote on the best four sandwiches (out of

six) he created.

The first Jimmy John's opened in a garage in Charleston, Illinois on January 13, 1983 with used equipment and no menu or outdoor advertisement, simply selling the four sandwiches and 25-cent Cokes. After giving samples out around town, his business began to thrive. He especially catered to college students at Eastern Illinois University; and part of that success came from his willingness to deliver to dorms, which many other local establishments did not do. After two friends backed out as managers, he ran the store himself for the first few years, working seven days a week from open to close.

... ...

Jimmy John's now ... has over 1000 stores in 39 states..."

Now, according to an Illinois newspaper: "The founder of Jimmy John's said he has applied for Florida residency and may recommend that his corporate headquarters move out-of-state as a result of the Illinois tax increases enacted last week. Jimmy John Liautaud told The News-Gazette on Tuesday that he is angry about the moves, which boosted the individual income tax from 3 percent to 5 percent and the corporate income tax from 7.3 percent to 9.5 percent. "All they do is stick it to us," he said, adding that the Legislature and governor showed "a clear lack of understanding."

The article has some good reporting on the facts. I like this quote from Liautaud: "I could absorb this and adapt, but it doesn't feel good in my soul to make it happen..."

Obviously, he knows where he started and where he got to, and understands that he has earned his money. He also adds that he feels "pummeled".

I can't resist paraphrasing to ask: Mr. Liautaud,... if you saw Atlas, the giant who holds the world on his shoulders, if you saw that he stood, blood running down his chest, his knees buckling, his arms trembling but still trying to hold the world aloft with the last of this strength, and the greater his effort the more people pummeled him —what would you tell him to do?













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