Gil White, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, West Virginia’s leading small-business association, released the following statement today in response to Governor Justice’s call for a special session on revenue and spending:
“Our members understand the need to fix West Virginia’s roads and attract and keep good teachers, but raising taxes isn’t going to solve West Virginia’s problems.
“Raising taxes is going to leave families with less money to spend on goods and services, and it’s going to hurt employers’ bottom line, especially those with small businesses. We can’t afford to pass legislation that makes it even harder for small businesses to grow and create jobs. Small business is the bedrock of our economy. Small businesses account for almost 99 percent of all employers in the state, and they employ half of the state’s private sector workforce.
“On behalf of our members, I urge the Legislature to proceed carefully and to look for ways to streamline state government before they even think about voting ‘yes’ on a tax increase. Don’t try to balance the budget on the back of small business.”
NFIB is West Virginia’s and the nation’s leading small-business association. To learn more, visit www.NFIB.com/WV and follow @NFIB_WV on Twitter.
