NFIB/California Issues Statement on Budget Vote

CONTACT: Michelle Orrock, 916-448-9904

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The National Federation of Independent Business/California issued the following statement today in anticipation of Legislature's vote on the most recent proposal to fix the budget crisis.

"It is unfortunate that the recent November elections did not reap a more courageous crop of legislators that are genuinely concerned about protecting the livelihood of Main Street and California consumers. If that had been the case, we would not be witnessing our state leaders once again attempting to impose new and burdensome costs to already struggling small business owners and the people they employ. 

"Call it what you may -- fee, levy, assessment or tax. The most creative wordsmithing from Capitol insiders does not take away the fact that these are painful, unanticipated costs that California's number-one job creators and taxpayers cannot absorb during these uncertain times. A sales tax increase will give consumers another valid reason not to feed their local economy. A spike in the gas tax will keep small businesses from getting the precious goods and services they rely on each day. And an income tax increase will force 'mom and pop' businesses and homeowners to make painful decisions that will affect their families and communities for a long, long time. 

"Instead of assuming responsibility for their own foolish spending by trimming more government waste and enacting meaningful economic stimulus measures to keep jobs and businesses from fleeing our state, our leaders have chosen the easy way out by dealing a severe financial blow to the very people who sent them to Sacramento in the first place."