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What do small business owners want?
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I just returned from a week in Washington, D.C. As usual, I am always amazed at the enormous waste of spending that goes on in the halls of Congress. When I walk those halls, I am proud of our country yet see things going on there that astounds me. For example, lobbyists hanging around in every congressional doorway, youngsters making decisions on pieces of legislation that impact all of us, and hundreds of government employees scurrying about to conduct the nation’s business. One of my most enjoyable times when I am there is talking to taxi cab drivers. They can tell you what is really going on! They tell me times are slow, they are much more aggressive in their marketing, they are worldly and can voice their opinion on just about any world topic and seem to have a grasp on all the dynamics in Iraq or Afghanistan or Pakistan. Many are very intelligent.
While in the District, I met with the media, congressional aides, and academia. They asked me on several occasions, “what do small business owners want and why aren’t small business owners using their voices more to articulate their needs and wants.” I told them that most small business owners I speak to want to be left alone to build their businesses and innovate and create new jobs. Their response to me? Then, why aren’t they using their voices more on these critical issues that congress is discussing which will have a profound effect on their businesses? I have always believed that change can happen if 24 million small business owners come together with one voice! But that is a tough coalition to organize. If you run a business and you’re not involved in public policy; then public policy will run your business. There are a lot of issues being pushed right now. Small business owners need to weigh in on these issues and voice their opinion. They have enough clout to make a difference!
July is going to be very busy on Capitol Hill. Health care is the topic of the day and here is what is happening:
Health Care Reform
Many in Congress are pushing for universal coverage through a government run program, including mandating that employers pay for health care coverage for their employees and fining them if they don’t. Others are working to preserve the system we enjoy now that includes competition and choice.
Much of the focus right now is around how to reform the system with little information on how the government will pay for a massive new spending bill. Some ideas being discussed include reducing the growth of Medicare and Medicaid, taxing employee health benefits, increasing taxes on soda pop and even some policy makers have suggested a Value Added Tax (VAT) which would tax products at various stages of production.
Small business owners and entrepreneurs need to make their voice heard in the debate. We need a reform package that will reduce costs for small businesses, enable us to create more jobs, pay better wages and invest more in our companies. We need to make health care more affordable for employers, but we can’t saddle our businesses with the cost of a trillion dollar program.
We are in a health care crisis because doctors, patients, employers and employees are trapped in a wasteful, broken system that is often only a little better than government-run health care in Canada. Check out this new petition to free the doctor, the patient, the employee, the employer, the workplace, the uninsured, the kids, the parents, the chronically ill, and the retiree. www.freeourhealthcarenow.com If you agree with these principles, send this petition to everyone you know. The signatures will be presented to congress and the administration in July.
In Oklahoma, the average family’s health care premiums have risen by 77 percent since 2000, according to figures released June 26 by Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius. About 1.9 million people in Oklahoma get health insurance through an employer, and family premiums average $12,256. What will happen next to health care reform?
The Senate is going to continue consideration of their bill in July and the House of Representatives continues to work on its proposal. The President has indicated he wants to sign a health care reform bill by mid October of this year. What will be in that legislation? YOU DECIDE!
Mandating Paid Sick Leave
The Healthy Family Act was introduced in June and would mandate employers to give workers seven paid sick days a year. The bill has over 100 co-sponsors and last week the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on the legislation, the first step to legislation becoming law. There are rumors that this bill may be folded into the health care reform package that the President wants to sign this year. What will happen? YOU DECIDE!
The CHOICE Act
The Democrat and Republican leaders of the U.S. House Small Business Committee recently introduced the CHOICE Act to encourage the development of small business cooperatives for healthcare options to improve coverage for employees (CHOICE) including through a small business CHOICE tax credit.
This legislation works to provide help to small employers who are struggling with the high cost of providing comprehensive health insurance and the volatility of insurance premiums. The goal of the Act is to give small businesses more options to provide affordable health insurance to their employees by encouraging the formation of voluntary small business health insurance purchasing pools and mitigating the risk of high cost insurance claims that drive up premiums for small employers.
The Act offers refundable tax credits to small businesses (fewer than 100 employees) that choose to join a health insurance cooperative. The employer must provide a small business wellness program in order to receive the tax credit.
These are some good ideas that will make health care more affordable to our small businesses, but there is no indication these ideas will be part of the final health care reform package the President wants to sign later this year. What will happen? YOU DECIDE!
You can make a difference in how these important pieces of legislation moves forward or doesn’t move forward! Your voice is one of the most important ones in this dialogue. What will happen? YOU DECIDE!
Terry Neese is a distinguished fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis.
