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Small Business State of the Union Statement

The following statement was issued by Dan Danner, president and CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s leading small business association, in anticipation of the president’s State of the Union speech:
 
“After months of 10 percent unemployment and stalled economic growth, the president is rightly focusing on small business as the key to job creation, but if the president and Congress are serious about improving our economy, they must realize that uncertainty over their legislative agenda is impeding job growth.
 
“NFIB’s monthly economic surveys continue to show that small business optimism in the economy is bleak. And domestic policies threatening to increase the cost of running a business have left small business owners with too much uncertainty, making it extremely difficult for small businesses to plan for the future. Pursuing an aggressive labor and environmental agenda is exactly the opposite of what will help our economy and create jobs.
 
“With this in mind, they must also understand that politicians do not create new jobs. Limited tax credits for new hires may help some, but offering these credits to a small segment of employers will not erase the fears many employers share concerning increased taxes and a government insistent on implementing a pro-union agenda.
 
“Jobs will be created by hardworking small business men and women when these entrepreneurs have enough confidence to take the calculated risks needed to expand their businesses. To ensure confidence, small business owners need to know that their taxes will not increase, that new expensive mandates will not be imposed and that additional burdensome regulations will not be implemented.
 
“These concerns extend to healthcare reform. As the president and Congress determine how to move forward with reform, it’s imperative that they re-focus their efforts on lowering costs for small businesses. Healthcare reform that addresses costs is needed, but small business owners simply cannot afford proposals like those that have been passed by the House and Senate.
 
“As we embark on a new year, NFIB would like to remind our elected leaders that new healthcare costs, energy costs, regulatory costs, and increases in taxes directly affect job creation. In order for small businesses to resume their traditional job generating role, they need Washington to stop meddling with their bottom-line. Only then will small business owners start hiring new employees and making new capital expenditures.”
 
NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals.   NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses. More information is available online at www.NFIB.com/newsroom.
 





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