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Health & Fitness

Elizabeth Warren Supports Small Businesses

A blog post discussing the differences between Senator Brown and Elizabeth Warren's positions on small business.

During my career I have worked for and with large multi-national companies as well small entrepreneurial and family businesses.  The needs and concerns of
the three types of entities are dramatically different. I have built my success
by paying attention to what these organizations need and assuring that they
have those needs met in a way that is meaningful to them.

The current Massachusetts Senatorial campaign has two candidates whose views could not be further apart regarding how to help small businesses succeed.  What Senator Brown said in the first debate with Elizabeth Warren vs. the truth and what he voted for on the U.S. Senate floor and lobbied for behind closed doors should match.  Unfortunately, much of it didn’t. 

When things go well and the necessary tools are available, small businesses grow into larger businesses and pump more jobs into the economy which in turn generates additional jobs.  Unfortunately, small businesses have the deck
stacked against them in many ways. 

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Small businesses don’t have the buying power in volume to get the same pricing their larger counterparts have; they often are unable to borrow at reasonable rates to grow and smooth out cash flow; and because their resources are often limited, they are forced to do more with less, making them unable to offer their employees the same quality of benefits their larger counterparts can, thus restricting their potential labor pool.

Small businesses don’t receive the large federal subsidies that the oil companies, agribusiness and others receive, and because of the corrupt D.C. lobbing process combined with the cumbersome Federal bidding process and long federal sales cycles, it is often prohibitive for smaller entities to bid on and win the lucrative government contracts that larger companies receive. Unfortunately, these small businesses, like the rest of us, pay the taxes that fund these projects that make other people very rich. 

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How is it right that General Electric pays no corporate income tax, but
Joey’s three store Pizzeria chain does? 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, whose statistics Scott Brown
sited three times in that first debate with Elizabeth Warren, is not a
government agency nor does it have any relationship to the local Chambers of
Commerce that help small businesses.  In fact, this organization is the largest lobbying organization in America and their focus is primarily on the Federal Government. They support corporate personhood, outsourcing of jobs, oppose financial regulations that would protect us, and support the DISCLOSE Act which aims to limit foreign influence on U.S. elections. They also oppose mitigating climate change even though they agree that is a real phenomenon. Why would Senator Brown think they would be a valid source of unbiased data for a debate? 
Perhaps he and his staff knew that they wouldn’t be and duplicitously thought
that they might be able to manipulate the viewing audience into believing they
were not a bought and paid for lobbying group.

Most small business owners do NOT fall into the million dollar income category. In fact, very often the income of small business owners is reinvested back into their business to help it grow.  Senator Brown’s unequivocal comments on the radio recently stating that he would hold these tax-paying middle class people
hostage and vote to end the Bush tax cuts for those making under $250,000 a
year if millionaires didn’t receive additional tax breaks, says a great deal
about the man’s lack of understanding regarding job creation in small businesses and his lack of concern for the lives of working class Americans and Massachusetts residents.  It also shows the partisan attitude that is paralyzing Congress and inhibiting meaningful progress for our country and for all of our businesses.

Elizabeth Warren has fought to level the playing field for average Americans and small businesses alike. 

When the big firms failed and were bailed out with the taxes paid by the
little firms, and the economy crashed as a result—why wasn’t Senator Brown
fighting for bailout funds for the small businesses who did nothing wrong and
were forced out of business by the national economic disaster caused by large
banking institutions making bad bets with our money?

Elizabeth Warren has fought for legislation and rules to make sure this never happens again and Senator Brown has fought her every step of the way.  The rich are getting richer and the middle class is disappearing.  Is this the America we want for our children and grandchildren?

I support the middle class, I support small business and I support Elizabeth Warren!

 

© Cheryl Tully Stoll 2012 

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