Government News

SMC Business Councils members William J. Snyder of William J. Snyder CPA; Carolyn Franks, co-owner of Franks Auto Service; and Bruce M. Rosen, president of Island Sales Limited testified at the joint hearing of the PA House of Representatives Insurance and Democratic Policy Committees on July 20, 2010 in the Penn Hills Library. The SMC panel did an excellent job of "putting a face" on the impact of recent exorbitant health insurance rate increases on small business owners in front of a standing-room only crowd. Click here to read more...

Click on the following links for their testimonies:

Bruce Rosen - Carolyn Franks - William Snyder

SMC Grassroots Trip to Washington, D.C, May 26-27

This had to be one of our better trips to Washington, D.C. A record 18 members joined the conference call on Wednesday, May 19^th, to learn the discussion points. So we were definitely ready. There were some new faces, too, in addition to a core group that has faithfully attended many past trips to both Harrisburg and D.C.

Our 4 teams spread out over Capitol Hill on Thursday morning to visit the 16 offices of the central and western Pennsylvania a congressional delegation. Our main goal was to educate lawmakers on what it’s like to run a small business and express how policies impact our businesses. Our message was we can create the jobs needed to put the country back to work but we need your help with the burdens of high taxes, high health care cost, unwieldy regulatory burdens, and access to capital.

In each office we zeroed in on the onerous 1099 Expanded Corporate Information Reporting requirement, one of the “surprises” buried in the new health care law. We requested repeal of the measure and asked lawmakers to sign on to Rep. Dan Lungren’ s legislation, H.R. 5141. SMC’s survey revealed the expanded reporting requirements would increase the number of 1099’s filed from an average of 10 per year to 200 and add approximately $4,000 to $6,000 in administrative costs.

For my own small business it will be a bookkeeping nightmare and drain time from income producing activities. We will have to collect the Taxpayer ID numbers, file 1099’s with both the IRS and each vendor – corporate or individual - with whom we have done more than $600 worth of business in either property or services - in a calendar year.

We also emphasized the need for health care cost containment. The new health care law expands access to health care for millions, reforms the insurance market, but for small business it always comes down to affordability. The bill does little to rein in escalating health care costs. Members voiced concerns about the many unintended consequences of the law, in addition to new taxes, regulations and mandates that will impose new financial burdens on small business. Very few companies will benefit from the tax credits.

Another key point was the need for greater access to capital and we requested sponsorship of S.2869 and H.R.4302, The Small Business Job Creation Act & Access to Capital Act, in each office. This legislation will extend the reduction in lending fees for the SBA’s 7(a) loans and 504 lending programs and the increased 7(a) loan guarantee.

Our trip to Washington, D.C. is one of the channels we employ to get our small business message heard by those at the levers of power. Progress in advocacy is always heard to measure. There are very few clear-cut wins but one thing is for sure -the business climate would be that much worse if we didn’t push back. I encourage you to join us in our efforts in whatever level of activity you are comfortable with, whether it be traveling to Harrisburg or D.C., responding to a Action Alert, making a phone call to a lawmaker, or reading the SMC Government Update and staying informed on the issues.

Testimony From Marilyn Landis, Owner, Basic Business Concepts, Inc. on "Access to Capital for Small Businessess" for the US House Committee on Small Business, May 17, 2010

Pennsylvania Small Business Heard in Harrisburg

Small businesses from central and western Pennsylvania brought its message to Legislative leaders at the State Capitol during SMC Business Councils' annual Harrisburg grassroots lobbying trip...click here to read the full press release.

Pennsylvania Small Businesses Take Message to Harrisburg

SMC Business Councils members from southwestern and central PA will converge on Harrisburg on May 3 to tell legislators how they can help restore jobs in the Commonwealth and create a more business-friendly climate in Pennsylvania. Click here to read the full press release.

Photos from the House Commerce Committee Hearing:

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