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A funny thing happened to me, my small business and my two employees in Silver Spring earlier this year when Montgomery County spent $68,000 of taxpayer money to fund the Silver Spring "local first" campaign: We became a big, bad, national company ("Cuts may stall two ‘buy local' programs," April 29 article)!

Having invested to buy the Silver Spring franchise rights to the Minuteman Press name, reliably served more than 300 local businesses, non-profit organizations and Silver Spring residents, and struggled as all businesses have in this recession, I was effectively told that because I have a nationally recognized name on my door, I'm really not welcome here as part of the Silver Spring "local" business community.

Not only was I not given the opportunity to even bid on printing the "buy local" brochure, my locally owned and located small business was excluded from its list of "approved" Silver Spring businesses.

Two questions for the County Council: How, exactly, were "local" businesses defined and selected for this special treatment? And, why would you do such a thing any time, but especially in a recession when all businesses are struggling?

Jerry Miller, Silver Spring

The writer is owner of Minuteman Press in Silver Spring.