N.C. Republican Pat McCrory, who is running for governor, responds to our Wednesday post “N.C. bad for business? That’s a myth.”
Says McCrory:
In the Observer’s opinion piece, the author makes the assertion that if a handful of publications say North Carolina is a good place to do business, it must be true. Unfortunately, North Carolina’s business friendly environment has been diminished by high taxes, regulations, and a broken government. Even neighboring states through strong executive leadership are reforming and successfully competing with us for jobs while North Carolina remains stuck with the 4th highest unemployment rate in the nation.
We live in the greatest state in the country blessed with many wonderful resources. Should we be satisfied with the 4th highest unemployment rate? I’m not.
The Observer touched on but glossed over an alarming recent study conducted in conjunction with the Kaufman Foundation that interviewed small businesses, the top job creators in our economy. Here is a review of North Carolina’s grades that the Observer didn’t mention: 34th in tax code friendliness or a D+, 33rd in friendliness of licensing regulations or a C-, 38th in publicity of training programs or a D, 38th in friendliness of employment, hiring, and hiring regulations or a D, and a C- in overall regulatory friendliness.
These grades from actual small businesses are much more in line with the feedback personally received from small and large companies while traveling throughout our state. In order to fix our broken economy, businesses need state government to be responsive to their needs, not a hindrance by imposing burdensome taxes and cumbersome regulations.
We can’t expect our businesses to create jobs and generate economic growth if our political leaders don’t listen to or understand their problems and concerns. And the rosy picture both the Observer and my opponent paint are disconnected from the reality that North Carolina businesses face every day.
I have outlined an economic platform that focuses on creating a business climate in North Carolina that will provide tax reform and regulatory relief in order to allow our job creators the chance to flourish. These are just a few of the many tools we can use to fix North Carolina’s broken economy. Our state’s economy is near the bottom now, but with the right leadership and policies we can and we will have a North Carolina comeback.
Recently entrepreneurs in many areas are frightened as they learn that their state has approved a law prohibiting smoking in public.
ReplyDeleteCoupon Search
You have to wonder at just what level of regulation and taxes there is some sort of optimum business friendliness. Certainly, no business taxes and no regulation might seem to be the level, but closer inspection reveals that not to be true. If all the services necessary, transportation of both product and customers, policing the unethical who would flourish in a no regulations environment, policing those who would through criminal action take advantage of businesses and their owners in their private settings, education for the workers that the businesses needed, and so many other such needs were provided at some unfair cost reduction to businesses, then what we would have would be a public that not only bought from the businesses, but otherwise gave them tax free benefits that would amount to subsidizing those businesses.
ReplyDeleteSo, there is this ubiquitous phrase, that all business need is less taxes and regulation, and it has become rather meaningless. It like a big game hunter complaining about those vines and trees in the jungle that shelter his prey. Operating a business, and I have done so for 34 years, is navigating the vines and the trees, not getting the game to lie down in the open for you to slaughter at your will. Yet that is exactly what people like the Chamber of Commerce wants to happen.
I voted for McCrory last time around and will probably do so again, but this line of his is nothing more than a talking point of those who just do not want to compete.
Recently heard from a very good source that a food proccessing facility that had just finished a new facility stated that; "if I knew before I started the project what I was going to be faced with by the end of the project, I never would have built the facility in North Carolina-especially in Mecklenburg County, would have built it in the Rock Hill area"!
ReplyDeleteThat would be 4th highest unemployment rate in the country.. Not that hard to figure out kids.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that a lot of people see the term "business" and they think Large Corporation With Lots Of Money.
ReplyDeleteMost of the businesses are small and they can't afford the taxes and regulations. In an adverse business climate the government money grubbers and their allies make things worse by preying on these small business.
All those large corporations that everyone is so easy to loot, actually push for more government regulation.
Why? precisely because they know it will drive out their competition.
People need to grow up and stop allowing the socialist in government, media, and big business use them as cannon fodder in their economic class warfare.
-Ken
http://www.LaserGuidedLoogie.com
The problem is that a lot of people see the term "business" and they think Large Corporation With Lots Of Money.
ReplyDeleteMost of the businesses are small and they can't afford the taxes and regulations. In an adverse business climate the government money grubbers and their allies make things worse by preying on these small business.
All those large corporations that everyone is so easy to loot, actually push for more government regulation.
Why? precisely because they know it will drive out their competition.
People need to grow up and stop allowing the socialist in government, media, and big business use them as cannon fodder in their economic class warfare.
-Ken
http://www.LaserGuidedLoogie.com
McRory's right. We compete with southern states not northeastern and we're losing ground. North Carolina's taxes and regulation may be helping to build up small businesses and hire people...but across the border in SC.
ReplyDeleteMayor pat just owned Taylor B.
ReplyDeleteAubrey Moore - do not fall for the line the President is currently using, that Republicans want "no taxes" or "no government." You are right that every line of business has unethical people that must be prevented from committing unethical acts or practices. And there are legitimate functions of government such as defense (police, fire, etc) and building roads that have to be funded somehow. What Republicans understand that most Dems seem not to understand is that lower tax rates increase government revenue and streamlined regulation encourages business development.
ReplyDeleteWhen taxes are lower and people/businesses get to keep more of the money they make, they will engage in more economic activity, thus increasing the tax revenue. Even liberal hero JFK realized this and cut taxes while he was President. And regulation? Banks spent billions developing a technology that allows people to swipe a card to pay for purchases. But then the government intervened and wrote a law the tells the banks how much money they are allowed to charge for this. If you will look it up, this is something that occurs in an economic system called FACISIOM - where businesses are owned by the private sector but ran by the government.
So if we have lower tax rates and smarter regulation the environment to start and grow businesses is friendlier, jobs are created and the unemployment rate decreases. That's what McCrory wants to create, not a 'no taxes, no regulation' mob scene.
brilliant idea is neither necessary nor sufficient for a successful business, although all else being equal it can't hurt. Microsoft is probably the canonical example of a successful business, Sección Amarilla
ReplyDelete