Government Working to Make 2010 as Bad for Small Biz as 2009

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(Lorraine Bono-Hunt) – Nevada's small businesses who have managed to survive the great recession of 2009 are now facing in 2010, the continued challenges of decreasing income with increased expenses.

In order to meet their payroll and pay their vendors, many surviving small business owners have used their savings and pensions to stay open with the hope that “tomorrow things would improve”. As they watch those in Washington, DC give billions of dollars away, they waited and hoped that ‘something' would be done to help them stay in business and keep their employees on the job.

They wrote letters to their Senators, Congressmen, Congresswomen, and the President asking for some practical immediate relief such as eliminating the payroll tax paid by them and their employees to infuse billions of dollars into the economy without any government expansion along with other suggestions that would keep their doors open and their employees working.

Their Senators, Congressmen, Congresswomen, and the President sent them patronizing letters…and did nothing for small businesses. They gave billions in stimulus funds to others and yet the national unemployment rate keeps increasing. As we sleep, our elected officials in Washington, DC are imposing new costs and regulatory burdens on the job creators and their employees in the name of “Reform” and “Change”.

Empowerment of individuals is quickly being eroded as empowerment of government is quickly being secured and accelerated.

The cycle of inflation is being exacerbated by their actions causing more challenges in 2011 and 2012. Instead of adjusting to the new reality of lower revenues and reducing outlays to match a new normal of lower revenues collected, Government is taking the exact opposite approach. They are imposing more pressure on small businesses while making major changes in the economic rules that frame our economy.

Economic Illiteracy in Washington, DC

There seems to be a certain economic illiteracy existing in Washington, DC that is threatening the very core of our American economic infrastructure. The American dream is based on the principles of independence and the free enterprise system as defined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.

Small businesses personify those principles and represent 84% of all businesses in America, creating jobs and employing the majority of the working middle class. The numbers are even greater in Nevada – over 97% of our businesses are small.

If our leaders would listen to the “troops in the trenches” the positive force of small businesses could unleash a most powerful weapon to revitalize the “American economy” – “the American way” through the “American Free Enterprise System”. Supporting private sector job creation with low taxation, a business-friendly regulatory environment with effective delivery of essential government services would be economically wise and prudent.

In Nevada, we can not afford to wait for new responsible government leaders to appear. We must elect them. For voters who are “mad as hell and not going to take it anymore” it is time for “tough love”. If we want competent, honest, and accountable government, we must elect competent, honest and accountable people.

The 2010 Elections

In the upcoming elections, Nevada voters have the power to change the course of our state and country's direction for decades to come. Voters will be deciding on who will represent us in the United States Senate and in the U.S. Congress.

Closer to home, we will be electing new county and state representatives from the boards of County Commissioners to Governor, and Constitutional Officers as well as State Senators and assembly representatives. The votes we cast will determine Nevada's future for the coming years.

The Nevada State Legislature

The Nevada State Legislature consists of 63 elected official (21 state Senators and 42 Assembly members). In 2010, we will be electing many new representatives due to term limits; they will convene the next regular session in 2011. The upcoming election cycle will be one of the most critical in decades as nearly half of our legislators will be there for the “first time”. They will be facing budget short falls and redistricting of voting districts. Many will be inexperienced and will have their seat at the table due to special interest groups who supported them.

These legislators will have the power to raise your taxes or cut spending. They will have the power to regulate your life and your business. They will have the power to approve a new state budget. Consequently, they will be making decisions that will affect you, your family, your income, and your quality of life for years to come.

They are important people doing important work but you as a voter, are more important. You empower them to make decisions on your behalf. As a voter, you have the responsibility of doing your “due diligence” before you enter the voting booth.

Tough Choices

Touch choices await our new lawmakers as they tackle the challenges in 2011. Tough choices await the voters as they tackle the challenges of electing the most qualified people. When you cast your vote make sure you have done your “due diligence” and cast an informed and responsible vote.

Do Your Homework

Review their resumes. What are their occupations? Do they have enough practical experience to understand the budgeting process? Have they had any significant accomplishments in the private sector? What is their track record, personally and professionally? Do you trust them to put your future and the future of your family in their hands? The resume is more important than the rhetoric. Make your decision wisely.

(Mrs. Bono-Hunt is a restaurant owner and former Nevada lieutenant governor)