The bill was so useless the NFIB, the voice for small business, didn't even score it.
I just got off a media conference call with NFIB's VP of Public Policy, Brad Close who, in endorsing Mark Kirk for Senate also stated it fell far short in addressing the concerns of their members--10,000 in Illinois alone. Most members do not want more credit, more debt. They look at sales in the door and they're way down.
I had asked why there was a jobless recovery. Close said it's the worst environment for small business in 35-40 years--the biggest problem is the uncertainty about costs imposed by Washington--tax rates and health care costs. Not to mention the fear of cap and tax and card check in a lame duck session after the election.
It's become an issue in the tight Illinois Senate race with Dem Alexi Giannoulias accusing Republican Rep. Mark Kirk for voting against it. (The election is a double one--for the lame duck session and the next Congress both.)
As Kirk points out the bill is yet another expenditure of taxpayer dollars, and not only does it not materially help small business with their biggest issue--taxes (my words here), it actually increases fines on businesses for not complying with the killer paper blizzard of 1099 reporting requirements slipped into the health care bill of all things. Dems recently had a chance to repeal that provision and didn't.
If this sounds like a rant, it is. Even the IRS has said it can't handle all these transactions.
At a time when the country is suffering from a jobless recovery, such as it is, and Illinois' unemployment rate is around 10%, the Dems' bleepin golden boy Alexi Giannoulias is engaging in class warfare. As we all know the rich rich, like the ones Alexi went to Hollywood to tap for campaign cash, pay very little in taxes--they shelter it. (Or something.) 75% of NFIB members pay at the individual tax rate. These people work hard for their money. The most productive small businesses are in top 2% tax bracket, which translates into 25% of them who typically employ 20-40 people.
These are the job-creators who normally employ new people first and lead this country out of recession. What does Alexi and the Democrat Congress have to say to them?
Drop dead.
And the American economy with it.
More. Op-ed in Daily Caller: Fiscal conservatives need Illinois’ lame duck killer
More. Latest salvo in the battle. From Kirk for Senate:
***FACT CHECK***
Giannoulias Ad Misleads Voters Again
Misleading Claim #1: “Supporting Bush’s policies that wrecked the economy, including corporate tax breaks that sent jobs overseas.”
Get the Facts: This recycled Democrat talking point has been debunked since 2004 by the non-partisan FactCheck.org. In 2008, FactCheck.org debunked it again.
Get the Facts: During Alexi Giannoulias’ time as State Treasurer, the Illinois economy suffered. In 2006, the state deficit stood at $2.3 billion. Today it stands at $13 billion.
Misleading Claim #2: “Washington politician Kirk even opposed middle class tax cuts. He’d force us to pay more in taxes”
Get the Facts: Mark Kirk voted to cut taxes more than 40 times. (H.R. 3, 3/8/01; H.R. 6, 3/29/01; H.R. 8, 4/4/01; H.R. 10, 5/2/01; H.R. 586, 5/15/01; H.R. 1836, 5/16/01; H.R. 622, 5/17/01; H.R. 1836, 5/26/01; H.R. 7, 7/19/01; H.R. 2563, 8/2/01; H.R. 2884, 11/13/01; H.R. 3090, 10/24/01; H.R. 3529, 12/20/01; H.R. 622, 2/14/02; H.R. 3090, 3/7/02; H.R. 3762, 4/11/02; H.R. 586, 4/18/02; H.R. 4626, 5/21/02; H.R. 4800, 6/4/02; H.R. 4823, 6/4/02; H.R. 2143, 6/6/02; H.R. 4019, 6/13/02; H.R. 4931, 6/21/02; H.R. 5063, 7/9/02; H.R. 1307, 3/20/03; H.R. 2, 5/9/03; H.R. 2, 5/23/03; H.R. 8, 6/18,/03; H.R. 7, 11/17/03; H.R. 4227, 5/5/04; H.Res. 637, 5/12/04; H.R. 8, 4/13/05; H.R. 4297, 12/08/05; H.R. 5970, 7/29/06; H.R. 5638, 6/22/06; H.R. 4297, 5/10/06; H.R. 5140, 1/29/08; H.R. 5140, 2/7/08; H.R. 6081, 5/20/08; H.R. 6275, 6/25/08; H.R. 7005, 9/24/08; Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)
Get the Facts: The Giannoulias campaign citation points to H.R. 1, the stimulus bill. Congressman Kirk voted against the stimulus because it wasted money on big government spending programs. Giannoulias actually said the stimulus “should have been even bigger.” (State treasurer: Stimulus won't fix budget, Bloomberg, February 23, 2009)
Get the Facts: Alexi Giannoulias supports a state income tax increase on middle class families. “I have said from day one, as your state Treasurer, that, while politically it’s not the smartest thing to say, we need an income tax increase.” (Alexi Giannoulias, 3/20/10)
Get the Facts: Alexi Giannoulias opposes extending the 2001 and 2003 federal income tax relief: “Those tax cuts were unnecessary and irresponsible, and I would allow them to expire.” (Giannoulias Tribune Endorsement Questionnaire)
Misleading Claim #3: “He’ll fight for jobs at home”
Get the Facts: Illinois job creators like the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business endorsed Mark Kirk over Alexi Giannoulias.
Get the Facts: Alexi Giannoulias wants to renegotiate NAFTA (Canada and Mexico) and start a trade war with China, putting at risk 235,000 Illinois jobs and $18 billion in Illinois exports. (Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity)
Get the Facts: Alexi Giannoulias supports such anti-Illinois job policies as a state income taxcard check. increase and
Misleading Claim #4: “And pass middle class tax cuts”
Get the Facts: Alexi Giannoulias supports a state income tax increase on middle class families. “I have said from day one, as your state Treasurer, that, while politically it’s not the smartest thing to say, we need an income tax increase.” (Alexi Giannoulias, 3/20/10)
Get the Facts: Alexi Giannoulias opposes extending the 2001 and 2003 federal income tax relief: “Those tax cuts were unnecessary and irresponsible, and I would allow them to expire.” (Giannoulias Tribune Endorsement Questionnaire)
No comments:
Post a Comment