Small-Business Owners Criticize Health Proposal

[babylonsister]

July 28, 2009 – 9:28 p.m.
Small-Business Owners Criticize Health Proposal
By Jane Norman, CQ Staff


Owners of small businesses including a Maryland pizza franchise and a family-owned Virginia construction company gathered with House Republicans to blast away at the Democratic health overhaul plan, saying it would force them to cut back on employees and purchases from their suppliers.

“We’d like to see an atmosphere out of Washington that says let’s help the small businessman, not an atmosphere that says we have to pay for something ... let’s hit small business,” said Steve Rosenfield of Westminster, Colo., who owns 50 Carl’s Jr. chain restaurants with one partner and 21 more with a second partner. Westminster lies in the 2nd Congressional District represented by Rep. Jared Polis , who’s been a leader among Democratic freshmen in raising concerns about a proposed surtax that would help fund the overhaul with $544 billion in revenue.

Tuesday’s roundtable event came as Republicans pushed back aggressively at Democrats who are struggling to amass enough support in the House Energy and Commerce Committee to report out the health bill. Republicans for days have been attacking the proposed surtax for its impact on small businesses because many business owners report their profits on their individual income tax forms. However, business income represents less than a third of the money affected by the surtax.

Under the version approved by the House Ways and Means Committee, the extra tax on adjusted gross income would kick in for individuals making more than $280,000 and married couples making more than $350,000, rising to a top rate of 5.4 percent for individuals making more than $800,000 and married couples making more than $1 million. There’s been discussion of moderating that provision so that there’s a trigger for the surtax.

Business owners are also unhappy about a provision in the bill that most larger employers provide insurance to their workers or pay a penalty. Beverly McCauley of Fairfax, Va., who works for a family-owned construction company, said the firm now pays about $300,000 for employee health care and about 40 percent of workers participate. Those who don’t choose to enroll are often sending money overseas, she said. “If we fail to exist, we not only fail to exist, we take a tremendous amount of our suppliers with us,” said McCauley.

more...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000003179516

[lumberjack_jeff]

1. It's only punitive to the cheap sons-a-bitches who don't care about their employees health. n/t

[SemiCharmedQuark]

2. How small is "small business"?

It says 76 percent of small business owners would be exempt.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

3. 71 restaurants is a "small business"?????? wtf?

[nradisic]

5. Yup....

That's GOP spin...Why does anyone believe anything they say. This asshole owns 71 restaurants and is a small business owner. Give me a fucking break. All you gotta do is read carefully and it is all answered in plain English. These morons don't even know how to lie anymore!

[DJ13]

4. Its not punitive if all businesses they compete against have the same obligation

[SalviaBlue]

6. Small??

My husband's 3 person business is small. The business I manage with 5 employees is small. This is bullshit.

The small business owners I know want single payer.

[Jane Austin]

7. They're not a "small business" - we are.

Here at dogstuff.com we currently have seven employees, with ten or so at the boarding kennel we own.

We aren't making much money, but by God all our employees have Blue Cross/ Blue Shield at our expense.

Recently, one had a 3-months-premature baby, and another gave bone marrow to help her sister who has developed leukemia.

Last year, our office manager had to have a hip replacement.

I'd say it's a damned good thing we provide health insurance for our employees, and I sure as hell don't see why someone who owns a string of restaurants can't do the same for theirs.

They must be greedier than we are.