NASE in the News

Small Biz Is Critical To Boosting The Economy

Washington, D.C., January 26, 2011 - Kristie Arslan, Executive Director of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), released the following statement in reaction to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address:
 
“Enhancing competitiveness and expanding employment are solid economic goals. But policies to get us there have to take into account the demographics of our nation’s businesses. The vast majority of American businesses are very small and have little in common with the small club of corporate giants. Getting our economy back on track has to focus on helping small businesses stay afloat and thrive."
 
“One way we can help small businesses – such as the self-employed and micro-businesses – become more competitive and put them in a hiring mode is to improve regulatory efficiency, a goal recently promoted by the President in the pages of the Wall Street Journal. And there are plenty of opportunities for that rhetorical rubber to meet the road. For example, a largely unnoticed provision in the health care reform bill requiring small business owners to submit IRS Form 1099 for every purchase of goods and services over $600, will increase the time and money spent on tax preparation for three out of four business owners. This is a burdensome regulation that prevents small businesses from thriving."
 
“President Obama and Congressional leaders worked in a common sense way for our small business community by supporting critical tax relief measures in the Small Business Jobs Act and extending the Bush-era tax cuts. NASE encourages our policymakers to continue by giving the small business community the tools to put our economy back on the fast track.”

President Obama’s reference to improving the health care reform law:

“Now, I’ve heard rumors that a few of you have some concerns about the new health care law. So let me be the first to say that anything can be improved. If you have ideas about how to improve this law by making care better or more affordable, I am eager to work with you. We can start right now by correcting a flaw in the legislation that has placed an unnecessary bookkeeping burden on small businesses.”