Rite-Hite Holding Corp. of Milwaukee ignited a national conversation Thursday with the news that company founder and board chairman Mike White had sent an e-mail to employees, advising them against voting for President Barack Obama.
“Every Rite-Hite employee in America should understand the personal consequences to them of having our tax rates increase dramatically if President Obama is re-elected, forcing taxpayers to fund President Obama’s future deficits and social programs (including Obamacare), which require bigger government,” White wrote in the e-mail.
White warned that profits that normally would be re-invested in the company instead “will be sent into the abyss that is Washington, D.C.”
White added, “The other big impact on Rite-Hite employees, if President Obama is re-elected, is the good chance of losing Rite-Hite insurance and being put into Obamacare…Every opportunity to make up for lost profits to taxes will have to evaluated.”
White closed with the following: “Rite-Hite nor I will ever prejudice any employee for their political views, and, totally respect your right to vote as you choose. I simply am trying to present the facts as I know them and to protect the business you have helped build! Please think very carefully about your vote on November 6th.”
According to a federal government website that tracks where economic stimulus dollars are spent under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, White’s firm received a $26,471 grant in stimulus funding from the Obama administration.
The controversial story was picked up by several national media outlets.
Rite-Hite, which operates its headquarters at 8900 N. Arbon Drive in Milwaukee, manufactures loading dock equipment, industrial doors, safety barriers and high-volume, low-speed industrial fans.
The company was founded by Mike White’s father, Arthur White, in 1965. The company has 1,400 employees.
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