Small and medium-sized businesses are sitting on billions of dollars due to uncertainty caused by health care reform, the “fiscal cliff” and regulations.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Northwest Region Executive Director Chris Strow spoke at the Juneau Chamber of Commerce lunch lecture at the Moose Lodge on Thursday.
In a recent poll of U.S. Chamber members 90 percent of small and mid-sized businesses indicated they were holding back on new infrastructure and new hires.
“There is a huge amount of cash sitting back … by small and mid size businesses in America due to this degree of uncertainty,” Strow said.
The upcoming “fiscal cliff” is the number one anxiety, Strow said. Small businesses do not have the resources to study the implications of the automatic budget and tax cuts that could take place at the end of 2012.
“If you are a small or mid size business you are probably struggling every minute of every day just trying to keep the doors open,” Strow said.
Another concern, Strow said, is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
“I am acutely aware of the obscenely high cost in Alaska of employers offering health care … fundamental inequities that this state suffers through,” Strow said. “Small and medium-sized businesses have anxiety about broad regulatory expansion. Over the last four years [we’ve seen] one of the highest regulatory expansion.”
Strow also made mention of $23 billion a month being pulled from the U.S. economy by regulations as another drag on businesses.
While the Alaska Chamber of Commerce is mostly silent on the first two of Strow’s small-business concerns, it has much to say about federal regulations.
In its 2013 Federal Priority Positions the state chamber lists regulatory concerns as two of its top three priorities. The chamber opposes Environmental Protection Agency regulation of diesel fuel use in certain marine engines and preemptive action by federal agencies in regards to lands in Alaska.
“The Alaska Chamber will oppose preemptive actions by regulatory agencies that make premature decisions outside the context of well established permitting processes,” according to material listed in Chamber’s priorities statement.
• Contact reporter Russell Stigall at 523-2276 or at russell.stigall@juneauempire.com.
Comments (21)
Add commentBusinesses will continue our
Businesses will continue our capital strike.
So long as those that love Liberty hold " The people's house", obama tyrannical regime can not force us to hire, it can not force us to expand, & it can not force us to spend.
We are hunkering down, in a attempt to survive his economic stupidity.
we will watch from the sidelines as his welfare state collapses under bit's own weight.,
This failing economy belongs to the far-left. They own it.
If you are interested
you can watch the video free at http://www.alaskainternetnetwork.com/index.htm
Someone...
...should tell this guy that the election is over. We don't need to hear the same republican talking points regurgitated over and over.
On Obamacare, the State could establish exchanges and other programs tailored to our unique circumstances, which would help small business and individuals greatly. The Feds will even pay for setting up the programs. But Parnell has refused to participate, so the Feds will come in and impose a one-size-fits-all program. And then, of course, Parnell will snivel about the big, bad federal government intruding in Alaska. Whose interests is he looking out for?
So businesses, large and small
are hoarding money, while "consumers" are encouraged to spend spend spend---without jobs, but it's the left's fault for voting for Obama...
Somehow, I don't think that's going to work out for anyone.
lattie
Well, as usual you are 100% half wrong again. By the way this Fed money that you talk about comes from where? That's right, it comes from the tax payer! Please lattie, we don't need to hear the same liberal Democrat talking points puked out over and over again...
Wrong madison, The
Wrong Madison. The Republicans tried every underhanded tactic in the book to destroy this economy and pin it on Pres. Obama but they failed and despite their unpatriotic behaviors our economy is recovering and the Democrats won a landslide victory in the election. The people have spoken and the majority of Americans have said with their vote that they stand for Democratic principles not Republican.
With regards to the Alaska Chamber of Comm. it is a giveaway agenda for the 1% crowd at the expense of public health, public lands and future Alaskans.
http://www.alaskachamber.com/files/662.pdf
Every Alaskan needs to pay attention and vote out the Reps that support the Alaskan Chamber of Commerece agenda. http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/
Rachael Petro Is the Pres. of
Rachael Petro is the Pres. of Alaska State Chamber of Commerce and she is Sean Parnells Deputy Commissioner at Department of Administration in Anchorage.
http://alaskachamber.chambermaster.com/contact
Republicans in Government jobs getting paid to create wealth for the wealthy on the backs of the public, our public lands and the well-being of future generations.
"Over the last four years
"Over the last four years [we’ve seen] one of the highest regulatory expansion.” Chris Strow U.S. Chamber of Commerce Northwest Region Executive Director.
This is a lie. Republicans lie. It cost them this election and it will cost them future elections.
If Republicans had not stood in the way we would all have a Public Option for health care. We all have the right for a Public Option, insurance that comes from the government (we the people), and not from for-profit companies.
Pres. Obama and the Democrats pushed for the Public Option and because of the Republicans we ended up with the Patient Affordable Care Act.
What an odd name
you have for someone that wants things from the government. Would you like them to fish for you too?
Indeed, sefisher
Probably the largest regulatory expansion era occurred under Richard Nixon when he established the EPA, Clean Water Act, NEPA, etc. Wasn't Nixon a republican?
Let's see concern about high health costs but
opposed to new plans and regulations to improve that.
Many small business owners have incomes so low they have no health insurance at all. Obamacare is going to help them.
It's also going to make it easier for those who change jobs or unemployed currently to obtain insurance and care.
Yep Latitude you're right. I
Yep Latitude you're right.
I think the posters here are too young, arrogant, or ignorant to know that.
Lot of insurance companies belong to ALEC and the US Chamber
of Commerce wanting to protect their status quo sweet deals.
If Parnell would lead and start implementing the exchange information, there would be less uncertainty and better health care and many, if not most, businesses will be money ahead.
Is anyone else disgusted by
Is anyone else disgusted by the amount of minute detail in the article on the sex abuse trial? I have never, ever seen that type of reporting in any paper I've read.
It's all written by a female reporter. And in a small town, no less.
Maybe someone at the Empire could explain their agenda for reporting the smallest of details in such a sensitive case. When there's a child involved it makes it even more sickening.
I don't get it...some immediate editing might be prudent.
sefisher writes - "I think
sefisher writes - "I think the posters here are too young, arrogant, or ignorant to know that."
Projection is a beautiful thing!!
And big deal if Nixon, the republican, established the EPA, etc. Do you think he could have imagined how the left would eventually co-opt the new agencies to further their agenda?
I'm curious if Lisa Jackson will reveal her secret email addressses to Congress.
I was encouraged when a team of Republican governors decided last week to not implement the state insurance exchanges. Let Obama find the money to set them up. Hopefully it'll never happen because there's not enough money and those exchanges aren't at the top of his priority list right now. Actually, I believe he could care less about the exchanges because a single payer system is the end game with the left anyway. The exchanges are nothing more than smoke and mirrors.
rc is exactly right with his list of health insurance exchange debacles. So, progressives, rather than degrade and name call, chose just one talking point of rc's and dispute it. You can't...
I agree calypso. I did not
I agree calypso. I did not read the artical but notice a shift at the empire towards shocking news reporting for entertainment I am afraid, at the expense of our neighbor's.
I also think its great that some states won't implement the exchange because in reality that just opens the door for the Public Option. Repulicans just keep shooting themselves in the foot don't you think.
This is better than reading what Rough Cut has to say here is the law:
http://www.healthcare.gov/law/full/index.html
"This Act puts individuals, families and small business owners in control of their health care. It reduces premium costs for millions of working families and small businesses by providing hundreds of billions of dollars in tax relief – the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history. It also reduces what families will have to pay for health care by capping out-of-pocket expenses and requiring preventive care to be fully covered without any out-of-pocket expense. For Americans with insurance coverage who like what they have, they can keep it. Nothing in this act or anywhere in the bill forces anyone to change the insurance they have, period"
NEPA introduced in Senate by
NEPA introduced in Senate by Henry Jackson (D), Clean Water Act introduced in Senate by Edmund Muskie (D). EPA created to enforce environmental laws made by Congress.
FYI (D) = Democrat
NEPA was signed into law by
NEPA was signed into law by President Richard Nixon (R) on January 1, 1970
FYI (R) = Republican
http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/
True enough, Short Cut
But she sure seemed happy to spend that money in Gustavus, and across the state afterward. As did Gov. Giveaway.
EMPIRE
This is another example of low content quality. Russell apparently attends this meeting and then just regurgitates the talking points, with no cross checking with other sources (sorry, the State CoC doesn't count).
If this was a presentation by someone opening new business or a technical presentation by a scientist, you wouldn't need to get a second opinion. But this guy was clearly making political claims that should have been rebutted.
Maybe Russell could have called a few local small/medium businesses to see if they're sitting on piles of cash, uncertain of how to invest due to the fiscal cliff or Obamacare. Maybe talked to someone in the business school at UAS. How about a little CBJ research on business licenses, building permits, or business tax receipts. Allowing these claims to be made with no rebuttal...absolutely lazy reporting.
As far as Obamacare is concerned, this is a topic worth reporting on. What will it mean to local businesses and the unemployed? Why is Parnell refusing to cooperate, and what are the implications for Alaskans? Of course, if the quality of that reporting matched this piece...don't bother.
Gloomy times ahead
Under Obama we can expect...High fuel prices, greater regulatory interference, shutting down of responsible resource extraction, and forced health care that to this point is a total debacle. Let's not get started on all the failed green energy projects that lined the pockets of his supporters. All that Obama is for is bad for Alaska, especially SE. Villages like Kake, Angoon, Hoonah, these are all soon to be ghost towns.