Pro-business economies

What is a pro-business economy and is the present environment on the national scale open to expanding business opportunities or are businesses so hampered that they have not incentive to expand. The current environment in Washington is not one which creates a positive atmosphere for businesses to have confidence in our economy. Constant regulations and laws make it difficult for businesses to know what their expenses will be from one year to another. This culture is not conducive to an atmosphere of expansion.

The signals coming from Washington through Congress and the Executive Branch is one of control rather than letting the free market system operate in its natural form. Our current budget deficit and the restrictions placed on businesses today is hampering our economy and the opportunities to add jobs. One area in particular is in the energy filed. While I agree that there needs to be some environmental controls to protect our environment and our land from contamination burdensome regulations and rules create a negative impact.

Some say that the present rules and regulations along with their restrictions are needed but you can have so many of these that it strangles efforts for our economy to bounce back from our economic downturn over the last several years. Government and especially the federal government do not have all the answers and they should not try to support every individual with programs and handouts. The federal government has specific responsibilities and income needs to support those responsibilities but our tax system is one which is not business friendly. It penalizes both businesses and individuals when they succeed and make more money. Our tax system needs to encourage success not take a higher level of taxes when we or businesses make more.

State governments have learned how to be a pro-business economy. Several states have created an environment where their taxes have been reduced and they have no budget deficient or shortfall for the future. The federal government needs to take a lesson from the environment created by some states which have seen their unemployment rate drop significantly. One area specifically is an example of a pro-business environment. Where states have control over their energy resources they have allowed companies to access those resources and in effect have created jobs for their citizens. In addition some individuals who have been out of work have moved to these states and now have high paying jobs which will support their families want and needs.

While some states have created a pro-business environment if the federal government had the same philosophy our economy would bounce back from the economic downturn we have experienced the last several years. Government needs to revert back to the philosophy that was in place when our country first began. Granted much has happened between then and now and there are issues that our founding fathers never dreamed would exist which do require some central government involvement. This however does not mean government at all levels should be involved in all our decisions as individuals and businesses. There are enough laws on the books from past legislative sessions that we do not need additional ones to further complicate our lives as individuals and owners of businesses. We should take responsibility for any decisions we make

We are a country with compassion for others which can be seen as we help those in need not only in our country but other countries around the world when they experience events for which they need help to recover. Today there are so many individuals who are receiving financial support from the federal government it has become a culture where some feel they are entitled. In some cases they are correct but in others not so much. One area which has needs to change is unemployment compensation. If an individual can receive more funds than they can earn working there is no incentive to even search for a job. Businesses need some consistency with a focus on creating a friendly business environment. This starts with eliminating laws which create a financial burden on individuals and businesses along with the rules and regulations written to enforce them.

The federal government was created by our founding fathers to be a support function where it would provide support to the states. It was not created to generate laws with a minor reference to constitutional authority while the major portion has nothing to do with federal responsibilities. The federal government needs to let states make their own decisions without interference from the federal government as long as the Constitution is not violated. Generating lawsuits based on opinion rather than facts is a disservice to each and every citizen. The culture of the federal government at this time is one of dysfunction where political parties arbitrarily reject proposals from the other party or table them without a vote. Political philosophy is one thing but ignoring legislative proposals which would benefit the country simply for the reason they do not fit their political party agenda is another disservice to all of us. Individuals elected to serve us in Washington need to serve us not their party.