HE WILL ENTERTAIN THE PRIME
MINISTER OF JAPAN AND HIS WIFE.
JOINING ME NOW IS MAX
ALVAREZ, THE OWNER OF SUNSHINE
GAS DISTRIBUTORS.
HE ATTENDED THE BUSINESS
ROUNDTABLE IN HIALEAH WITH THE
PRESIDENT.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
YOU ARE RIGHT THERE RIGHT NEXT
TO THE PRESIDENT, AND YOU ARE
BIG SUPPORTER.
YOU ARE SMALL BUSINESSMAN.
HOW HAS THE TAX LAW BENEFITED
YOU?
WELL, I DO NOT THINK THAT IT
HAS BENEFITED ME PERSONALLY,
BUT IT HAS HELPED MY COMPANY.
I WILL TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT
IS IMPORTANT.
THE FACT THAT NOW I CAN WRITE
OFF ALL THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE BY
-- PURCHASE, IT HELPS MORE
PEOPLE IN THE LABOR FORCE, NOT
ONLY LET OUR COMPANY FREEZE A
LOT OF CASH FLOW TO BUY
NECESSARY EQUIPMENT, BUT
IMAGINE ALL OF THE JOBS THAT
ARE CREATED BECAUSE THIS
PARTICULAR REGULATION.
SO AS FAR AS MY TAXES ARE
CONCERNED, IT HAS NOT HELPED
ME, BECAUSE I CONTINUE TO PAY
AT A HIGH LEVEL BECAUSE OF THE
AMOUNT OF INCOME THAT WE MAKE.
BUT THE COMPANY NOW HAS
TREMENDOUS ADVANTAGES AND THIS
IS WHAT -- THAT MONEY THAT WE
USE TO GROW AND THAT MONEY WILL
USE TO HIRE MORE PEOPLE.
AND I WILL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
RIGHT NOW WE CAN NOW AFFORD TO
PAY FOR PEOPLE'S HEALTH
INSURANCE, NOT ONLY THE
EMPLOYEES, BUT WE CAN PAY FOR
THEIR DEPENDENTS.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE
AMOUNT OF MONEY EXTRA THAT WE
NOW CAN FREE UP THAT WE DON'T
HAVE TO PAY TAXES.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO PEOPLE
WHO SAY THAT THIS TAX LAW THAT
WAS PASSED GIVES THE AVERAGE
AMERICAN SOME MONEY BACK, BUT
IT IS VERY LITTLE MONEY AND
THAT THOSE WHO BENEFIT THE MOST
ARE PEOPLE AT THE TOP OF THE
INCOME BRACKET?
I DO NOT AGREE THAT IT HELPS
THE PEOPLE IN THE INCOME
BRACKET.
FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING ON
MINIMUM WAGE, ALL OF A SUDDEN
YOU CAN INCREASE THEIR SALARY BY
1000 OR $2000 A MONTH, THAT IS
MEANINGFUL.
I DO NOT THINK THAT A SMALL.
AND WHAT IT DOES TO THE
BUSINESSES IS ALLOW THEM TO
GROW SO THAT THEY CAN EMPLOY
MORE PEOPLE AND TAKE CARE OF
THE EMPLOYEES.
AGAIN, I'M NOT VERY OBJECTIVE
IN THIS MATTER, BECAUSE I THINK
NOT ONLY IS THE TAX LAW GREAT,
BUT THE FACT THAT THE BUSINESS
REGULATIONS -- WE HAD
REGULATIONS -- I WILL GIVE YOU
AN EXAMPLE.
I HAD A STATION THAT I BOUGHT
AND IT WAS IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE.
WE DECIDED TO REMODEL AND IT
TOOK ME TWO YEARS.
TWO YEARS TO GET PERMITS.
NOW IMAGINE THAT LOCATION ALONE
IMPACTS HOW MANY FAMILIES?
WE HAVE FOUR FAMILIES PER
SHIFT, THAT'S 12 FAMILIES.
BUT I HEAR PEOPLE SAY LESS
REGULATIONS.
BUT WE DO NEED REGULATIONS TO
HELP CONSUMERS AND WORKERS AND
THE ENVIRONMENT, RIGHT?
BUT WE DON'T NEED
REGULATIONS THAT ARE KIND OF
STUPID, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT
PROTECT ANYBODY.
I WAS LISTENING TO YOU RIGHT
THERE WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP AND
I GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU
REALLY LIKE HIM.
YOU REALLY LIKE HIM ON A
PERSONAL LEVEL.
SO HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU
HEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FORMER
FBI DIRECTOR, JAMES COMEY,
DESCRIBED MR. TRUMP AS SOMEONE
WHO IS MORALLY UNFIT TO BE THE
PRESIDENT?
YOU ARE RIGHT.
I DO LIKE THE INDIVIDUAL.
HE GAVE UP ENJOYING THE FRUITS
OF HIS LABOR TO DO SOMETHING
THAT SO MANY OF US ARE NOT
STRONG ENOUGH OR WILLING TO DO,
TO SACRIFICE OUR PERSONAL LIFE.
AND YOU CAN SEE WHEN HE COMES
INTO A ROOM HE IS JUST AN
AVERAGE GUY AND HE DOES WHAT HE
PROMISES TO DO, NOT LIKE THE
POLITICIANS THAT TELL YOU WHAT
YOU WANT TO HEAR TO GET ELECTED
AND THEN THEY DO WHAT THEY
WANT.
AGAIN, I THINK -- I HAVE MET
HIM BEFORE AND I SAW WHAT HE
DID WITH THE PROPERTY OF DORAL
AND I SAW HOW HE IMPROVED IT.
AND THE VALUE OF OUR HOMES GREW
AN EXTRA 10 TO 15%. SO BEING A
BUSINESSMAN AND BEING ABLE TO
DO WHAT I DID, TO COME TO THIS
COUNTRY AT THE AGE OF 13 AND
BEING ABLE TO START OF BUSINESS
FROM THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR AND
BECOME A PROMINENT INDIVIDUAL
THE NOW IMPACT THOUSANDS OF
FAMILIES, I AM TELLING YOU THAT
PEOPLE TODAY, IF IT IS NOT FOR
MR. TRUMP COULD NOT DO WHAT I
DID SIMPLY BECAUSE OF BUSINESS
REGULATIONS.
THE BANKS WOULD NOT BE WILLING