E-Newsletters
I believe that as soon as we get small businesses moving in the right direction, we will get our economy moving in the right direction. It's simple math. If 70% of jobs are created by small businesses, then in order to encourage job growth, we have to encourage small businesses to start up and grow.
At 5 a.m. on April 19th in 1775, the ‘shot heard round the world' was fired at Lexington, Massachusetts. That night over 700 British Redcoats had marched through the night to restore order in the colonies. They were met at Lexington by 77 minutemen. Now, 237 years later, no one knows who took the first shot, but within minutes 8 colonials were dead.
Too often, government agencies create rules that do not level the playing field. Instead they tip the playing field to one side or the other. The National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) recently handed down two rules that I believe will make it much more difficult for small businesses to survive.
The first is allowing the formation of micro-unions. These unions could be made up of 2-3 workers. A small business owner would have to spend money and resources fighting against professional union organizers.
As the Small Business Chairman, I hear every single day from small businesses throughout the country. I firmly believe that an important part of getting our economy back on track is making sure that small businesses begin hiring again. They create 7 out of every 10 jobs and play a big part in ensuring that our economy is growing.
Americans who want to start new businesses currently face many discouraging obstacles that have dampened the entrepreneurial spirit of this country and damaged a critical source of job creation.
Last month, the Supreme Court heard testimony on whether or not the President's new healthcare bill is constitutional. I've said repeatedly that I do not believe that Congress has the power to make a citizen buy a certain product or good, just because they are a citizen.
The Court is expected to rule on the issue sometime this summer. I hope the Justices will toss out the bill because it's an example of government overreach and because I believe it's bad for businesses both large and small.
There are a great many people in Washington D.C. who believe that all the wisdom in the country is located there. I don't happen to believe that. In fact, I believe that many of the common sense solutions we need can be found far away from the Capitol.
Take for instance, last year's devastating flood along the Missouri River. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tells us that the flood happened because they did not have enough flood storage room to contain it all.
There are some who believe that the United States government has an endless supply of money to do all things. I don't believe that. I believe that budgets are about priorities. These are the kinds of decisions that Missourians make every day with their budget.
For instance, you may want a new pickup truck, but you may not be able to buy it this year because you need to fix a leaky roof. We have to decide which of our needs gets the limited amount of resources that we have.
In Northwest Missouri, we are anxiously watching the Missouri River as the run-off in the Mountains begin. We all remember last year's devastating flood and its remarkable duration. It's important that we act now to prevent a repeat of this disaster.
I believe that we are asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to juggle too many responsibilities. Oftentimes, those demands are counterproductive. We should instead be focused on one overall priority.
In today's world, we've become accustomed to getting things quickly. We now have 24 hour access to electronic mail. We have instant coffee machines. You can heat up a meal in a microwave in a matter of minutes. Everything today is about getting it done now.
Unfortunately, there are very few quick fixes for rising gas prices. We are paying the price for being dependent on other nations for our energy. The only solution is a long-term strategy to increase our supply of energy.
Energy prices continue to climb, having a major impact on family budgets in Missouri. Meanwhile, our nation's unemployment rate continues to hover around double digits. In Washington, those problems are seen as two separate issues. They shouldn't be. We can create a win-win situation for Missourians if we find solutions that tackle both problems simultaneously.
We can both create jobs and push us further down the path of energy independence. I would pursue an all-of-the-above solution for energy independence. A part of the solution is nuclear energy.