| |
More must be done to improve
our state’s business climate
Our state
continues to suffer from a consumer-led recession. While some signs
point to an eventual recovery, it’s up to our state to create a roadmap
to find a way out of this problem. And the first stop on this map must
be to finally address the concerns of our employers. For too long,
especially in good economic times, these concerns have been pushed
aside. This must change.
As someone with a small-business
background, I’m inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of this state.
However, more often than not, this spirit is challenged by our state’s:
one-of-a-kind business and occupation (B&O) tax; high minimum wage;
threat to repeal tax incentives; expensive and confusing unemployment
insurance and workers’ compensation systems; and government spending.
With most of the focus on a $9 billion budget shortfall, state
lawmakers could have done more in the 2009 legislative session to
provide solutions to these challenges. For example, I supported
House Bill 1617 which would have reduced regulatory burdens on
Washington businesses. The measure did not even receive a public
hearing.
We must do more. For example, to help employers, save
jobs and revive our state economy we could:
-
lower the B&O tax rate
and make the system easier for employers to navigate;
-
consider flexibility
to the minimum wage rate when state unemployment numbers reach high
benchmarks;
-
not allow any existing
tax incentives to expire or be terminated;
-
reform the
unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation systems to simplify
processes and reduce costs;
-
prioritize and control
state spending so there is never a proposal to raise taxes on
families and employers; and
-
commit to a more
efficient and customer-oriented state government.
The bottom line is we must improve our state’s business climate. This
means state lawmakers must do a better job of understanding how their
actions (and inaction) affect small employers. Decisions made today will
have a long-lasting impact on our economy for years to come.
I’ve always been
an optimist and seen the great people of this state rise up to meet
serious challenges. The work and economic times ahead won’t be easy, but
our state’s economy can emerge stronger from them in the future.
State
Representative Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, serves the 10th Legislative
District. She is the ranking Republican on the House Financial
Institutions and Insurance Committee, and is the former ranking
Republican on the House Community, Economic Development and Trade
Committee.
# # #
For more information, contact:
John
Handy, Assistant Director: (360) 786-5758
|
|