NFIB candidate forum focused on red tape and overreach.
Concerned about Regulations? Congressional Candidates Hear You
U.S.
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland’s retirement leaves an open congressional seat in
Georgia’s 3rd District, and small business owners are hoping to keep a
business-friendly candidate in office. On Wednesday, May 18, NFIB/Georgia
hosted a candidate forum to give voters a chance to hear from the candidates
who hope to represent constituents in Washington. Eight of the nine candidates
participated.
The
most common theme of discussion? Regulation and government overreach. Cade
Joiner, an NFIB member and owner of a paper-shredding business in Griffin, told
WRBL.com that he attended the
forum to see what candidates could do to ease the regulatory burden on small
businesses. Whoever gets his vote must work to rein in federal red tape and
simplify the effort of compliance so that he could focus his time on selling to
new customers and creating jobs, he said.
Candidate
Drew Ferguson said that a one-size-fits-all regulations policy is not fair to
small businesses, and Georgia State Sen. Mike Crane spoke out about the
Department of Labor’s new rule expanding overtime eligibility, which he said is
evidence of federal overreach. Candidate and business owner Chip Flanegan
concurred, saying that the business owner is the one who should be making these
kind of employment decisions.
Candidate
Jim Pace also addressed the Affordable Care Act and said the mandate has been
bad for business and for the average worker, who hasn’t been able to find more
affordable healthcare coverage.
“It
was great to hear the candidates discuss the issues that are impacting small
businesses,” NFIB/Georgia State Director Nathan Humphrey said. “It is important
that we send a representative to Washington that truly understands the
ramifications of burdensome regulations on America’s number one job creators,
which are small businesses.”
