October 25, 2004
POINT/COUNTERPOINT: The small-business vote | Maine business owners make the case for their presidential candidates
By Doug Green And Kimberly Brackett
DOUG GREEN
Inventor, designer and owner, Green Design Furniture Co., Portland
When it comes to helping small business in the last four years, George Bush has consistently demonstrated that when he says "small," he means "big." John Kerry is the only candidate with sensible and helpful proposals to support and sustain healthy small businesses.
My company employs 14 talented and hard-working people to manufacture and sell our furniture designs all over the country. In 1993 when we started, the environment for small business was ideal. Optimism in the marketplace coupled with a manageable cost of running a business allowed us to grow and provide good wages and benefits for our employees, including contributing 80% for a high-quality health insurance plan.
When the recession began in March of 2001, we, like many other businesses, were forced to grow smarter and leaner. We managed to cope with slowed growth and a diminishing sense of consumer optimism. Then the costs that we couldn't control started to increase at an unbelievable pace. Health insurance went up 80%, liability insurance up 170%, workers' comp, raw goods, transportation, utilities ˆ all increasing at a rate that has made small-business owners feel like it was feeding time at the shark farm, and we were dinner. The one-two punch of unrelieved consumer anxiety and spiraling costs continue unabated to this day ˆ just ask any small-business owner.
While President Bush asserts that, over the last three-and-a-half years, his policies were designed to help small business, I cannot think of one initiative that has created positive change for those of us in the trenches. Over and over again, we were left to ask, "Exactly whose small business is he referring to?" Eliminating estate taxes was sold as a small business and farm benefit. The only problem was that no one could find a small business or farm that had been hurt by the estate tax. The real beneficiaries turned out to be multi-millionaires. Tax cuts and capital gains rollbacks in which the lion's share of the benefits went to the wealthiest one percent of "small"-business owners? If you are a small-business owner with a salary of at least $200,000 and you invested your tax rebate in your company, please contact me because I must be talking to the wrong small-business owners.
Going forward, President Bush has three important concerns he wants to address for small business: frivolous liability lawsuits, reducing federal regulations and Association Health Plans. The first two concerns have never even been mentioned in any of the small-business forums I've attended here in Maine. The AHP is simply a disaster that will certainly result in inferior coverage and a long-term cost increase, while removing important state and federal consumer protections. It's the Wal-Mart-ization of health insurance. In Maine, the AHP will also succeed in derailing Dirigo, the pioneering state initiative to create an affordable heath plan for individuals and employees of small businesses that cannot afford coverage at the current rates.
Promoting the AHP reveals the president's true disconnect with real small businesses. We actual small-business owners work shoulder-to-shoulder with our employees. It is simply not a small-business option to treat one's employees as if their health and welfare were of little concern, and they could be replaced or outsourced without a moment of hesitation.
The truth seems to be that on President Bush's radar screen, real small business' needs do not register at all. The Washington Post recently reported that under Bush's definition, "a small business is any taxpayer who includes some income from a small business investment, partnership, limited liability corporation or trust. By that definition, every partner at a huge accounting firm or at the largest law firm would represent small businesses. According to IRS data, a tiny fraction of small business 'S-corporations' earn enough profits to be in the top two tax brackets. Most are in the bottom two brackets."
We are left to conclude that when President Bush employs the term "small business" he is imagining a company that only contributes between $5,000 and $20,000 to his campaign. I would submit that a business that can afford this kind of contribution is no longer small. National organizations that claim to speak for small business (i.e., the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business) and that donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Bush campaign employ the same misidentification for small business as the president does.
In contrast, Senator Kerry's proposals for supporting small business demonstrate a deeper understanding of the issues we face; he offers practical solutions that would provide authentic relief. He actually had a true entrepreneurial experience, starting a cookie and muffin shop in Boston's Quincy Market. He demonstrated that this was a continuing passion during his years in the Senate as the former chairman and current ranking member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.
His proposals not only directly address the crisis small businesses face in providing health insurance; in addition, they offer an option to obtain the same health plan as members of Congress, and tax credits to bring down the cost for employers while relieving the costs of catastrophic cases. He has spoken out for adjusting federal tax policy to close billions of dollars in loopholes and subsidies to giant corporations that pay far less tax than simple fairness would demand.
I know I can speak for many actual small-business owners across the country who are encouraged by the promise of a Kerry administration that would give the small-business community, the backbone of the American economy, the attention it so clearly needs and deserves.
KIMBERLY BRACKETT
Vice president, Brackett's Market Inc., Bath
As a local small-business owner, I am writing in support of our president because my business, my employees and my community have directly benefited from the president's pro-growth business policies and commitment to small-business success. For my husband and me, owning our own business has been our American dream. We have always been involved in the local community, and owning our own market in the heart of our community has been a fulfilling way to earn a living and raise a family. Many of our employees are young people aspiring to attend college.
President Bush believes in small business and knows small businesses are the path to success for so many Americans. His commitment to and support for America's and Maine's small businesses demonstrates his commitment to helping every American achieve his or her own American dream.
Small businesses are responsible for two-thirds of the new jobs created in America in any given year; that is why the president's economic recovery plan focused on small-business growth through tax relief. President Bush has reduced taxes for 25 million small businesses, and more than 125,000 small-business tax payers in Maine have additional tax savings to invest and expand. He provided tax relief for small-business investment and expansion; small businesses may now deduct from their taxes up to $100,000 in investment each year for new technology and new equipment.
This tax relief, combined with tax relief for America's working families, has helped our economy grow. Over 1.9 million jobs have been created since August of 2003 and the unemployment rate is dropping. In fact, at a rate of 5.4%, the unemployment rate today is lower than the average unemployment rate of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. As a small-business owner, I can tell you how important it is to have confidence in our economic future when making the decision to buy new equipment or hire new workers. The president's tax relief has strengthened our economy and must be made permanent to secure this growth. Young people must have faith in their future and their state and must be made aware of the power of the vote. I am proud to write that all of the younger workers at my market have registered to vote.
Maine businesspeople know President Bush wants to make his tax relief permanent. We also know John Kerry comes from a long history of voting for higher taxes and has lofty goals for higher taxes if elected. John Kerry wants to make economic decisions for the people, while President Bush has faith and confidence in the American people and believes we can make the best decisions with our own money to drive our economy forward.
In addition to tax relief, the president's small-business plan includes easing burdensome regulations. Spending hours buried under paperwork and conforming to regulations consumes an important resource ˆ time, something nobody seems to have much of these days. Anybody who doubts the president's commitment to easing the tax code should watch his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, where he called our nation's tax code a "complicated mess." The president is committed to easing the regulatory burdens and reporting requirements that discourage ˆ not promote ˆ job creation.
Owning a local business, I have enjoyed working with members of my community, in the Rotary, on the school board and with various youth organizations. Good workers can be a business' most valuable resource. When you find a good worker, you need to be able to hold on to that person; any business owner knows how hard that is without being able to provide quality health care. President Bush has proposed Association Health Plans to make health care more affordable. Helping small businesses band together to negotiate for lower premiums would provide workers and their families better access to affordable health care. AHPs will create a healthier and more prosperous community, a win-win situation.
John Kerry used his vote to stand in the way of legislation to provide billions of dollars in tax credits to help small businesses purchase health insurance. This vote, combined with his opposition to regulation reform and his plans for higher taxes, is not the answer for businesses in a state already suffering from some of the highest taxes in the nation.
Business owners across the country know President Bush is their candidate. A National Small Business Association survey of 14,000 business owners released over the summer shows small-business owners would overwhelmingly re-elect President Bush by a margin of 32%. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce awarded Kerry a lifetime rating of a low 35% and the National Federation of Independent Business gave him a lifetime rating of 28.4%. Clearly, business owners agree John Kerry has a weak record on the issues that matter most to the strength and success of their businesses.
Maine is a small-business state; that is why it is so important that small-business members, owners and employees work together in these final weeks of the campaign. President Bush believes small business values represent American values ˆ hard work, independence and the will to succeed. A prosperous business environment means a prosperous America. That is why we need to re-elect President Bush, so businesses can continue to grow under his leadership over the next four years.
Inventor, designer and owner, Green Design Furniture Co., Portland
When it comes to helping small business in the last four years, George Bush has consistently demonstrated that when he says "small," he means "big." John Kerry is the only candidate with sensible and helpful proposals to support and sustain healthy small businesses.
My company employs 14 talented and hard-working people to manufacture and sell our furniture designs all over the country. In 1993 when we started, the environment for small business was ideal. Optimism in the marketplace coupled with a manageable cost of running a business allowed us to grow and provide good wages and benefits for our employees, including contributing 80% for a high-quality health insurance plan.
When the recession began in March of 2001, we, like many other businesses, were forced to grow smarter and leaner. We managed to cope with slowed growth and a diminishing sense of consumer optimism. Then the costs that we couldn't control started to increase at an unbelievable pace. Health insurance went up 80%, liability insurance up 170%, workers' comp, raw goods, transportation, utilities ˆ all increasing at a rate that has made small-business owners feel like it was feeding time at the shark farm, and we were dinner. The one-two punch of unrelieved consumer anxiety and spiraling costs continue unabated to this day ˆ just ask any small-business owner.
While President Bush asserts that, over the last three-and-a-half years, his policies were designed to help small business, I cannot think of one initiative that has created positive change for those of us in the trenches. Over and over again, we were left to ask, "Exactly whose small business is he referring to?" Eliminating estate taxes was sold as a small business and farm benefit. The only problem was that no one could find a small business or farm that had been hurt by the estate tax. The real beneficiaries turned out to be multi-millionaires. Tax cuts and capital gains rollbacks in which the lion's share of the benefits went to the wealthiest one percent of "small"-business owners? If you are a small-business owner with a salary of at least $200,000 and you invested your tax rebate in your company, please contact me because I must be talking to the wrong small-business owners.
Going forward, President Bush has three important concerns he wants to address for small business: frivolous liability lawsuits, reducing federal regulations and Association Health Plans. The first two concerns have never even been mentioned in any of the small-business forums I've attended here in Maine. The AHP is simply a disaster that will certainly result in inferior coverage and a long-term cost increase, while removing important state and federal consumer protections. It's the Wal-Mart-ization of health insurance. In Maine, the AHP will also succeed in derailing Dirigo, the pioneering state initiative to create an affordable heath plan for individuals and employees of small businesses that cannot afford coverage at the current rates.
Promoting the AHP reveals the president's true disconnect with real small businesses. We actual small-business owners work shoulder-to-shoulder with our employees. It is simply not a small-business option to treat one's employees as if their health and welfare were of little concern, and they could be replaced or outsourced without a moment of hesitation.
The truth seems to be that on President Bush's radar screen, real small business' needs do not register at all. The Washington Post recently reported that under Bush's definition, "a small business is any taxpayer who includes some income from a small business investment, partnership, limited liability corporation or trust. By that definition, every partner at a huge accounting firm or at the largest law firm would represent small businesses. According to IRS data, a tiny fraction of small business 'S-corporations' earn enough profits to be in the top two tax brackets. Most are in the bottom two brackets."
We are left to conclude that when President Bush employs the term "small business" he is imagining a company that only contributes between $5,000 and $20,000 to his campaign. I would submit that a business that can afford this kind of contribution is no longer small. National organizations that claim to speak for small business (i.e., the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business) and that donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Bush campaign employ the same misidentification for small business as the president does.
In contrast, Senator Kerry's proposals for supporting small business demonstrate a deeper understanding of the issues we face; he offers practical solutions that would provide authentic relief. He actually had a true entrepreneurial experience, starting a cookie and muffin shop in Boston's Quincy Market. He demonstrated that this was a continuing passion during his years in the Senate as the former chairman and current ranking member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.
His proposals not only directly address the crisis small businesses face in providing health insurance; in addition, they offer an option to obtain the same health plan as members of Congress, and tax credits to bring down the cost for employers while relieving the costs of catastrophic cases. He has spoken out for adjusting federal tax policy to close billions of dollars in loopholes and subsidies to giant corporations that pay far less tax than simple fairness would demand.
I know I can speak for many actual small-business owners across the country who are encouraged by the promise of a Kerry administration that would give the small-business community, the backbone of the American economy, the attention it so clearly needs and deserves.
KIMBERLY BRACKETT
Vice president, Brackett's Market Inc., Bath
As a local small-business owner, I am writing in support of our president because my business, my employees and my community have directly benefited from the president's pro-growth business policies and commitment to small-business success. For my husband and me, owning our own business has been our American dream. We have always been involved in the local community, and owning our own market in the heart of our community has been a fulfilling way to earn a living and raise a family. Many of our employees are young people aspiring to attend college.
President Bush believes in small business and knows small businesses are the path to success for so many Americans. His commitment to and support for America's and Maine's small businesses demonstrates his commitment to helping every American achieve his or her own American dream.
Small businesses are responsible for two-thirds of the new jobs created in America in any given year; that is why the president's economic recovery plan focused on small-business growth through tax relief. President Bush has reduced taxes for 25 million small businesses, and more than 125,000 small-business tax payers in Maine have additional tax savings to invest and expand. He provided tax relief for small-business investment and expansion; small businesses may now deduct from their taxes up to $100,000 in investment each year for new technology and new equipment.
This tax relief, combined with tax relief for America's working families, has helped our economy grow. Over 1.9 million jobs have been created since August of 2003 and the unemployment rate is dropping. In fact, at a rate of 5.4%, the unemployment rate today is lower than the average unemployment rate of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. As a small-business owner, I can tell you how important it is to have confidence in our economic future when making the decision to buy new equipment or hire new workers. The president's tax relief has strengthened our economy and must be made permanent to secure this growth. Young people must have faith in their future and their state and must be made aware of the power of the vote. I am proud to write that all of the younger workers at my market have registered to vote.
Maine businesspeople know President Bush wants to make his tax relief permanent. We also know John Kerry comes from a long history of voting for higher taxes and has lofty goals for higher taxes if elected. John Kerry wants to make economic decisions for the people, while President Bush has faith and confidence in the American people and believes we can make the best decisions with our own money to drive our economy forward.
In addition to tax relief, the president's small-business plan includes easing burdensome regulations. Spending hours buried under paperwork and conforming to regulations consumes an important resource ˆ time, something nobody seems to have much of these days. Anybody who doubts the president's commitment to easing the tax code should watch his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, where he called our nation's tax code a "complicated mess." The president is committed to easing the regulatory burdens and reporting requirements that discourage ˆ not promote ˆ job creation.
Owning a local business, I have enjoyed working with members of my community, in the Rotary, on the school board and with various youth organizations. Good workers can be a business' most valuable resource. When you find a good worker, you need to be able to hold on to that person; any business owner knows how hard that is without being able to provide quality health care. President Bush has proposed Association Health Plans to make health care more affordable. Helping small businesses band together to negotiate for lower premiums would provide workers and their families better access to affordable health care. AHPs will create a healthier and more prosperous community, a win-win situation.
John Kerry used his vote to stand in the way of legislation to provide billions of dollars in tax credits to help small businesses purchase health insurance. This vote, combined with his opposition to regulation reform and his plans for higher taxes, is not the answer for businesses in a state already suffering from some of the highest taxes in the nation.
Business owners across the country know President Bush is their candidate. A National Small Business Association survey of 14,000 business owners released over the summer shows small-business owners would overwhelmingly re-elect President Bush by a margin of 32%. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce awarded Kerry a lifetime rating of a low 35% and the National Federation of Independent Business gave him a lifetime rating of 28.4%. Clearly, business owners agree John Kerry has a weak record on the issues that matter most to the strength and success of their businesses.
Maine is a small-business state; that is why it is so important that small-business members, owners and employees work together in these final weeks of the campaign. President Bush believes small business values represent American values ˆ hard work, independence and the will to succeed. A prosperous business environment means a prosperous America. That is why we need to re-elect President Bush, so businesses can continue to grow under his leadership over the next four years.
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