July 28, 2016
Democrats have relentlessly bashed Donald Trump throughout the Democratic National Convention, sending a steady stream of speakers to the podium to decry the Republican presidential nominee as a self-centered, bigoted and questionable businessman.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf took his turn on the attack Thursday evening, contrasting the values he gained as a successful York County businessman with those displayed by Trump.
"We need a president who believes that our society can only succeed when economic prosperity is shared broadly." – Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf
Wolf extolled the contributions of everyone in his family's cabinetry supply business, saying his family understood they all mattered. When the company contracted with a vendor, Wolf said they were paid.
"Donald Trump? He stiffed hundreds of small businesses, from plumbers to painters, ruining their companies as he sought to enrich himself," Wolf said. "At our country, like at many others across the country, we treated our female employees with respect. When they had kids, we celebrated them, and gave them paid leave. Donald Trump said that pregnant workers are an 'inconvenience,' so it's no surprise that he has put forward no plan for paid family leave."
Wolf lauded his family business for instituting a profit-sharing plan that shared between 20 and 30 percent of the company's profits with its employees – on top of their regular wages. He chastised Trump for being selfish.
"In his six bankruptcy filings, he used the process to protect himself and even enrich himself while his employees were left out of luck," Wolf said. "We didn't do what we did because we were looking for awards. We did it because it was the right thing to do for our workers."
Naturally, Wolf concluded his 5-minute speech by painting Hillary Clinton as a candidate ready to stand up for small business, citing a proposal that would reward businesses that share profits with employees. Clinton has been criticized by liberal Democrats for being too friendly with Wall Street executives.
"Under her proposal, companies will get tax credits worth 15 percent of the profits they share with their employees," Wolf said. "The employee credits would last for two years and would be larger for small businesses. Because Hillary believes that if you work hard, you should share in your company's success.
"We need a president who believes that our society can only succeed when economic prosperity is shared broadly," Wolf added. "We need Hillary Clinton."
