by Rosmery Quijivix
Arizona is home to a dynamic small business ecosystem — nearly one-fifth of which are Hispanic-owned. This entrepreneurial community — along with the state’s 2.3 million Latino residents — will have a big voice in the upcoming election. As a Hispanic small business owner myself, it’s obvious which candidate’s policy agenda will foster more economic opportunity.
Under the previous Trump administration, a combination of tax cuts and deregulation unleashed one of the strongest economies in half a century that benefited working families and Main Street.
To drill down on some numbers, did you know that between 2017 and 2019, the real median household income for Hispanic families increased by $8,000? And in 2019, for the first time ever, the Latino unemployment rate dropped below four percent.
The financial success of families and individuals bubbled up throughout the economy — extra cash that supported institutions ranging from churches to small businesses like mine. With the help of five employees, my business — R&R Upholstery & Design — was thriving. Customers who were purchasing cars, trucks, boats, and even RVs needed our help with interior fabric work.
But those happy times were unfortunately short-lived.
Under the Biden-Harris administration, the business climate became anemic. Following three years of high inflation, many Arizona families are no longer in a position to purchase big-ticket items like cars or boats. After all, these types of purchases are the first to go when budgets are strapped. That slowdown has triggered a domino effect throughout the economy that has resulted in fewer clients for my upholstery business, as well as others in the supply chain.
To add insult to injury, operational costs have also gone through the roof as the customer base dries up. The cost of materials for my business has jumped roughly 20 percent and because suppliers are also feeling the squeeze, fabric quality is deteriorating. It’s similar to food companies making smaller candy bars or adding more air to chip bags — a money-saving maneuver known as “shrinkflation.”
I am not the only one negatively affected by Biden-Harris economic policy. Forty-four percent of Hispanics say they are worse off now under the Biden-Harris administration than before the pandemic under Trump. In Arizona, specifically, current White House policies have increased the cost of living for families by more than $13,000 annually.
Kamala Harris recently encouraged voters to “move past the failed policies.” Yet, as Vice President for the past three and a half years, it is her policies that have flopped and created this mess.
The passive attitude of the Harris campaign is partially why Hispanics are politically moving towards conservatives who share their values of faith, family, hard work, and entrepreneurship. In fact, a September Quinnipiac University poll found that 52 percent of likely Hispanic voters will pull the lever for Trump while only 44 percent say the same for Harris.
Under Donald Trump, I lived the American dream of owning a successful business in a flourishing economy. Now, I am one of the fortunate small business survivors of the Biden-Harris administration. It’s clear which candidate will help to restore the Main Street economy and the millions of Hispanics who rely on it.
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Rosmery Quijivix is the owner of R&R Upholstery in Phoenix and a partner of the Job Creators Network Foundation.
Photo “Small Business at Work” by R&R Upholstery.
