Small Business Under Siege

It is about time. What took you so long? You cannot cooperate with these people. It is all take and no give and they have no skin in the game! (Killeen, Texas)

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It is about time. What took you so long? You cannot cooperate with these people. It is all take and no give and they have no skin in the game! (Killeen, Texas)

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It is about time. What took you so long? You cannot cooperate with these people. It is all take and no give and they have no skin in the game! (Killeen, Texas)

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Currently I have 12 employees that each have families with children. I wished that I could ask Obama, Pelosi and the other dems, which employee do I choose to terminate in order to pay for their programs. Which family will suffer at their hands. Small Businesses like mine can't afford anymore. We are just hanging by a thread now, please stop! (Gainesville, GA)

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Currently I have 12 employees that each have families with children. I wished that I could ask Obama, Pelosi and the other dems, which employee do I choose to terminate in order to pay for their programs. Which family will suffer at their hands. Small Businesses like mine can't afford anymore. We are just hanging by a thread now, please stop! (Gainesville, GA)

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I am so disgusted with the majority of our elected representatives and the the American people better wake up and do something before it is too late. I just returned from a short trip to Washington D.C. and talked with several of the thousands there who are Obama supporters for the simple reason they will continue to get hand outs and free lunch at the expense of small business owners like myself. We are burdened to the hilt with taxes and our elected officials (both parties) are spending this country into oblivion. I provide healthcare (and it is a good plan) to my 20 plus employees and if given just a small break in taxation it would be an even better plan. We don't need government health care nor do we need to continue letting the socialist movement take over additional private segments of our society. As a veteran, I am truly saddened by what has happened to this country! This administration will be the doom of our freedoms if allowed to continue down this path of destruction. (Stayton, OR)

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My Family and I own and operate 5 restaraunts. We are a second generation business. Our bottom line is desolving more and more each month as it stands now with the increase of gas and utilities. This bill will put us out of business. My Family and I have worked hard in our stores for over 20 years and we have built what we have today from our years hard work.We would like to know what the government would do for us if the doors shut? We also want to know why we are in the position in the first place? We feel we should be awarded something for employing our fellow Americans and not punished for our success. We live a comfortable lifestyle nothing elaborate. Why are we being punished and why is the Government trying to take away from our children?

Thank you

God Bless America (Virgina beach, VA)

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These politicians are nuts. Gov regulation is one of the biggest factors next to productivity (which is a positive factor) that has sent factory jobs fleeing the country for the last 57 years and now they are starting to work on the balance of the jobs and those who employ them. we should all demand the smae pay and benefits for doing nothing constructive that these people enjoy-and until we get it - they do not get another nickle - let's see what they do then. (Crystal Lake, IL)

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Who is going to pay for these huge spending packages, Washington is out of control. This sucks, lending money to your company, going without checks, putting off things that need done. (decatur, illinois)

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It isn't either/or--government spending OR small business support. Both are necessary for economic recovery. These are complex issues, and simple "dumbed down" sound bytes don't capture that complexity. I'm so SICK of the partisan rhetoric from both sides of the aisle. (Maryville, TN)

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Big government has always been bad government.
Example - 3 police cars side by side on a 3 lane highway and traffic backs up for miles. Take away the police cars and traffic moves. Same in business, take away the government and business thrives. (Lombard, Il)

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Donohue, Your first paragraph says it all! Small business is the spark of innovation and fuels the larger economy. Raising taxes is not the answer. Government should be lowering taxes to jump start the economy, attracting capital back to our shores, and down sizing government waste and spending. Wher is the TORT reform? This needs to be addressed even before we start talking about health care. Doctors pay way too much insurance for medical claims. Our politicians are "acting STUPIDLY" thinking that we are going to swallow their medicine of assisted suicide for our elderly. How dare they treat people with such disregard. Obama voted for infanticide and now want to perform assited suicide?! Where is the "reset button?" 2010 is going to be a big surprise for our Congress and Senate who are coming up for re-election. We need new leadership and term limits. Government is too self serving at all levels (city, state, and federal).

I pay property taxes, corporation taxes, city and state rental taxes, plans and permit fees, capital gains taxes, estate taxes if a family member dies (brother, 2002), federal withholding, state withholding, social security, medicare, and futa taxes(what ever that is) all before I can get a weekly paycheck. And now add in Obama's new health plan tax on top of our existing insurance plan. Isn't America wonderful! The good news is that I am not a car dealer and am not in jepordy of losing my family business (at the moment).
(Tucson, Arizona)

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I'm with John - it took you too long, but its good to see you finally standing your ground on what is right! (Cincinnati, OH)

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You are probably more right than most people realize when you say " Small business is under siege ". Things are changing very rapidly. For example, there was a time when an employer could expect fair treatment at an unemployment hearing. For the most part this is no longer the case. It seems that unemployment benefits are becoming an entitlement program....You should do some investigative work in this regard...... (Plymouth, IN)

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You seem to be focused on the wrong thing. Health CAre costs are out of control. Just like the lack of regulation created the financial crisis we are in today - not doing something to change the current problems will only extend the mess to generations. The free marketplace has not been able to create a health care market that is affordable for the majority of Americans. Why do we have employer paid programs to begin with? Wouldn't a public program create the climate for an equitable system and take the burden off small business? There has to be a public solution to this public problem. If not, someone needs to pay and in the current system it will be business - large and small. (Sterling, VA)

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This is change run the economy into the ground, make everything sound like doom and gloom, and as the government say you will save them. Sounds like socialism. Over two hundred years ago our forefathers drew a line in the sand over an 8% tax, What will we do! (West Jordan, Utah)

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It's almost like they (government) is trying to sink our economy on purpose--so much so fast. If our country goes broke then China has to take a reduced amount repayment for all the money we owe them. Can you say WWIII. When China figures out what is happening they will come for their pound of flesh (Alaska)(I give them California, but it's broke). We are going to be in for a fight.

Palin is right when says she looks out her window and she can see Russia. When those two countries figure out that it's time to tag team US we'll be glad we have seasoned battle veterans at the ready. I mean think about it, Alaska has oil, gas, minerals, gold, fishing real estate. Do you really think China is going to write off our debt?! They have more Pacific nuclear submarines than we do.

Wake up America, we need new leadership--at all levels.

Go to church! (Tucson, Arizona)

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I own a small business and provide a health insurance plan for my employees. The cost of providing this very necessary benefit has risen enormously over the last two decades. For a variety of complex reasons, the medical industry is strangling the economy. A health care reform bill with a robust public option will do more to help small businesses than any other single action by congress. (Sealy, Texas)

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Sue you live too close to Kool Aid land. We are completely over regulated in every aspect of our life/business. Please show me one Federal reg that works. If politicians are involved it will be corrupt. If the US Chamber was truly concerned with small business they would be telling Congress NO to everything. Roll back the laws and regs to a Constitutional basis ONLY. (Ventura, CA)

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Some Karma payback for oppossing the Insurance Reform Bill that let doctors get paid on time! (Boynton Beach, Florida)

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To those of you who may have lost sight of it, health care is not a birthright. It is a commodity, and it belongs in the free-enterprise system, not being run by government as another screwed-up socialistic program (Alexandria, Louisiana)

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As a "incubator" business space property manager I will say there are no new start up businesses knocking at my door looking for an office/warehouse. The small business prospects have fallen off, the existing businesses are hanging on by their fingernails. All the competition is being washed out and the ones surviving are waiting for the economic turn around that's not happening. It is scary, very scary for a lot of small business owners right now. The "jumpstart" is not happening "at all" much less "fast enough." The news is nothing but Michael Jackson and other non-important issues.

Employees are discouraged because they keep losing their jobs. I helped a guy named Ray push his broken down pick-up truck off the road on Sunday. When I gave him a lift he told me he had a 10 month old and he can't find work. That he is having a tough time "keeping straight." It woke me up a little bit. I gave him $45 bucks (he cried). Soon that will equate into crime because people can't eat or feed their family. Vacancy is at an all time high here in Tucson. I get pages of commercial "for sale and for lease" listings Cushman Wakefield, Bourn, CBRE, Tucson Realty Commerical, etc. Which means this year's property tax base will be very thin (cops and teachers will be affected). Taxes are due twice a year May and November. I am trying to save up for my tax bill while I still have tenants somewhat paying their rents. We are in desperate times right now. (Tucson, Arizona)

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I watched our local AFL/CIO rejoice in the healthcare effort, the KY Medical Plans Lady will certainly vote Yeah!, the president of the Medical Society will go to the goal, and the local best doctor is saying wait a minute ... we need something, but this is certainly throwing a lot of questions into a dark corner.
C'mon we are reaping the whirlwind! We elect a black guy, the blacks got their man in, us stupid white boys got our revenge on Bush and now what - pure unadulterated B.S. (Imean really good quality fertilizer too!)
Locked in if you change your plan, Locked out if you try to keep bailing water, Locked in to having a mindless bunch of politician and minions telling doctors how to doctor, how business to business and guess what NEVER has a single government business ever shown a nickel's worth of profit! (Lexington, Kentucky)

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This was supposed to be a joke.

Once upon a time, I was invited to the White House for a private dinner with the President. I am a respected businessman, with a factory that produces memory chips for computers and portable electronics. There was some talk that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration, but I paid it no mind. I live in a free country. There's nothing that the government can do to me if I've broken no laws. My wealth was earned honestly, and an invitation to dinner with an American President is an honor.

I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief of Staff, and joined the President in a yellow dining room.

We sat across from each other at a table draped in white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the china. Uniformed staff served our dinner.

The meal was served, and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out, plucked a dinner roll off my plate, and began nibbling it as he walked back to the kitchen.

"Sorry about that," said the President. "Andrew is very hungry."

"I don't appreciate...." I began, but as I looked into the calm brown eyes across from me, I felt immediately guilty and petty.. It was just a dinner roll.

"Of course," I concluded, and reached for my glass. Before I could, however, another waiter reached forward, took the glass away and swallowed the wine in a single gulp.

"And his brother Eric is very thirsty." said the President.

I didn't say anything. The President is testing my compassion, I thought. I will play along. I don't want to seem unkind.

My plate was whisked away before I had tasted a bite.

"Eric's children are also quite hungry."

With a lurch, I crashed to the floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me. I stood, brushing myself off angrily, and watched as it was carried from the room..

"And their grandmother can't stand for long.."

I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool.

Obviously I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game. I reached for my coat, to find that it had been taken. I turned back to the President.

"Their grandfather doesn't like the cold."

I wanted to shout - that was my coat! But again, I looked at the placid smiling face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my hands helplessly and chuckled. Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet was gone. I excused myself and walked to a phone on an elegant side table. I learned shortly that my credit cards had been maxed out, my bank accounts emptied, my retirement and equity portfolios20had vanished, and my wife had been thrown out of our home. Apparently, the waiters and their families were moving in. The President hadn't moved or spoken as I learned all this, but finally I lowered the phone into its cradle and turned to face him.

"Andrew's whole family has made bad financial decisions. They haven't planned for retirement, and they need a house. They recently defaulted on a subprime mortgage.. I told them they could have your home. They need it more than you do."

My hands were shaking. I felt faint. I stumbled back to the table and knelt on the floor. The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak and drank his wine.

I lowered my eyes and stared at the small gray circles on the tablecloth that were water drops.

"By the way," he added, "I have just signed an Executive Order nationalizing your factories. I'm firing you as head of your business. I'll be operating the firm now for the benefit of all mankind. There's a whole bunch of Eric's and Andrew's out there and they can't come to you for jobs groveling like beggars."

I looked up. The President dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin which had been his crème Brule. He drained the last drops of his wine.

As the table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair. He stared at me. I clung to the edge of the table as if were a ledge and I were a man hanging over an abyss. I thought of the years behind me, of the life I had lived. The life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle. Why was I punished? How had I allowed it to be taken? What game had I played and lost? I looked across the table and noticed with some surprise that there was no game board between us.

What had I done wrong?

As if answering the unspoken thought, the President suddenly cocked his head, locked his empty eyes to mine, and bared a million teeth, chuckling wryly as he folded his hands.

"You should have stopped me at the dinner roll," he said.

Wake up America !

(Springfield, Virginia)

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The Rhetoric in Washington is to help small business. However, the actual policy appears to be designed to force small businesses to fail, default on loans and reward big banks and large corporations. Wherher it's increasing the various taxes or a "real interest rate" double on business loans, the pressure on small business is in most cases unbearable. Where is the stimulus for the grass roots people and business? (Bentonville, Arkansas)

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I appplaud your action on these policies. I wish the Chamber would have started sooner, but none the less, your moving forward.

American businesses are being attacked on so many fronts its hard to see the goal. Govt health care is not care but a way to tax you on the front end and the back end. Baby boomers are getting older, and the estate tax is due to roll back shortly. If the health plan passes, the Govt can then cut costs by delaying health care procedures. If your retired, does the Govt see you as an asset or a liability? You can bet a retired person will be either denied care or made to wait so long as to hasten a person death because they will be termed as unproductive. The Govt then stops paying SSI Benifits and taxes the estate.

Tom please fight hard! National health coverage will be a disaster. Medicare is a shamble, SSI is almost out of money now. ADD HEALTH CARE, CAP AND TRADE, THE BUDGET, INFLATION WHAT WILL BE LEFT?

(Bay St. Louis , Ms)

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I appplaud your action on these policies. I wish the Chamber would have started sooner, but none the less, your moving forward.

American businesses are being attacked on so many fronts its hard to see the goal. Govt health care is not care but a way to tax you on the front end and the back end. Baby boomers are getting older, and the estate tax is due to roll back shortly. If the health plan passes, the Govt can then cut costs by delaying health care procedures. If your retired, does the Govt see you as an asset or a liability? You can bet a retired person will be either denied care or made to wait so long as to hasten a person death because they will be termed as unproductive. The Govt then stops paying SSI Benifits and taxes the estate.

Tom please fight hard! National health coverage will be a disaster. Medicare is a shamble, SSI is almost out of money now. ADD HEALTH CARE, CAP AND TRADE, THE BUDGET, INFLATION WHAT WILL BE LEFT?

(Bay St. Louis , Ms)

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Amen Tom. Exactly right. I am hiring right now and creating jobs, however, I have no ability to budget and have confidence in the expense side of my budget when Health Insurance, staff salaries, workers comp costs, unexpected taxes (like cap and trade and Obama's 8% tax on business owners like me who do not currently provide health insurance but would like to)are a constant moving target. At some point we need to get to the root cause of the health insurance mess and deal with those root causes. I would ask the President and both parties to cite me one Government Mega Program that has been able to control costs? We're talking about a Government that gave Millions of dollars to the Iraqi's in cash on the honor system when we invaded Iraq. We (the taxpayer's) have had enough and it is time to take our Country back. The honeymoom is over. (Cincinnati, Ohio)

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We offer healthcare to our employees--a good program--but the cost rose 23 percent this year. I want a healthcare solution that let's me, as the owner of a very small business, 1) be part of a larger purchasing pool for health insurance, so if one employee turns out to have asthma or a heart condition, our rates don't hit the stratosphere (or worse, make us uninsurable), and 2) want the same leverage as bigger firms have to control costs from healthcare providers. (Geneva, IL)

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52% of us voted for change. 100 % us will pay for it. (Ocala, FL)

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If you have not figured out that Obama is Enemy #1 of small business then you should not be in business. (Ormond Beach, FL)

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If you have not figured out that Obama is Enemy #1 of small business then you should not be in business. (Ormond Beach, FL)

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We have a small business with 38 employees and we want them to have health care because we value them.We have tried giving healthcare plans to some of our employees but the cost of health insurance for employees of a small business is too high.I think that most of us who have "real" businesses that actually depend on a number of employees feel as I do.We need help with health insurance and welcome the government plan.As to the objection about government run programs remember that 57% of all medical insurance payments currently come through government programs as compared to 35% from private insurance companies. I don't hear many people 65 and over talking about giving up their medicare and insisting on paying for private insurance.Actually medicare is a fairly well run program.I really think the Chamber is more supportive of large corporations(like insurance companies) than it is of the "small businesses" it is always citing.This is unfortunate. Lastly, we need to remember that the government did not cause the current business climate we are all trying to survive in...it was the large,unregulated and ridiculously leveraged financial sector...they were PRIVATELY owned businesses.Sorry to burst to rhetorical bubble but it's time for a little reality. (CA)

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It is my hope that the "slumbering" folks waiting for a free hand-out wake up and realize that the Obama administration is doing nothing but a massive power grab of our freedoms while ofering us socialiasm in return. The taxation promised only to the "rich" is a joke. As a small business owner for many years, we realize if you do not gross at least $250,000 before adjusted expenses you will not be in business very long. Obama and his Marxist co-horts made no bones about what they intended to do if elected, and they are now fulfilling their promises. Obama-care will result in the destruction not only of many small businesses through taxation and penalties, but also in the rationing and denial of health care benefits. (Talk to our friends in Great Britain or Canada. In Britain if you get cancer, your chance of surviving is 4-5 times less than in the United States. Visit a VA hospital if you want a little taste here in the states). I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who said "when we trade freedom for security, we get neither one". Cuba got "change" in 1956. No government entity will every be perfect, but these folks have an agenda that will leave America unrecognizable and broke! (Tacoma, , Wa.)

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It makes me sick to my stomach to see all these things pass to give so much of "our money" away, when we are a small business & no one is doing anything to bail us out, we have been keeping the lights & telephones on with borrowed money, just waiting for things to pick up, we are trying to sell everything we have, we have already sold our herd of cows which have provided us extra income every year to make a yearly payment, now that is gone & no way to pay that yearly payment next spring, our business has been run in the ground & we are 60 years old, we are having to sell or give away our land we invested in for our retirement, just to repay money we have been borrowing to stay in business, today on the news, the big wigs in the compannies like Citi Bank were complaining because of their bonus of millions, wasn't enough, people are losing their homes, their livily hood, & cutting until they cut anymore (I am at the top of the list) & these clowns expect a bonus , where are we going with this & where will it stop? When are people going to wake up? What can we do? Obama needs to take a trip to the country & see the real people & see what is happening in our rural areas where there are no jobs & maybe that would help him decide on these stupid bonus issues. (South Boston, Virginia)

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It makes me sick to my stomach to see all these things pass to give so much of "our money" away, when we are a small business & no one is doing anything to bail us out, we have been keeping the lights & telephones on with borrowed money, just waiting for things to pick up, we are trying to sell everything we have, we have already sold our herd of cows which have provided us extra income every year to make a yearly payment, now that is gone & no way to pay that yearly payment next spring, our business has been run in the ground & we are 60 years old, we are having to sell or give away our land we invested in for our retirement, just to repay money we have been borrowing to stay in business, today on the news, the big wigs in the compannies like Citi Bank were complaining because of their bonus of millions, wasn't enough, people are losing their homes, their livily hood, & cutting until they cut anymore (I am at the top of the list) & these clowns expect a bonus , where are we going with this & where will it stop? When are people going to wake up? What can we do? Obama needs to take a trip to the country & see the real people & see what is happening in our rural areas where there are no jobs & maybe that would help him decide on these stupid bonus issues. (South Boston, Virginia)

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WOW! this chicken squat organization didnt have the guts to endorse a canidate during the last election even though the writing was clearly on the wall. Now you want to do your chicken squaking and you have the audacity to censor the comments from a dues paying member (me)! Guess what???? I WONT be renewing my membership to the chicken-squat-chamber-of-no guts-commerce! (Mattoon, Illinois)

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I am astounded by the majority of ingnorant people on here that actually run busineses!!! It would be a laugh a minute reading all this if it wasn't so pathetic. I will agree in one respect that Government surely doesn't have the answers to all our problems and they aren't doing all the right things but something needs to be done. business as usual is not working. we have tried the republican thing for 20 years out of the last 28 and things are bad. Why??? If for 20 years out of 28 there was a republican administration and things are this bad then why did it go bad if that party seems to have all the answers?? Why? I would liek one republican on here tell me this. Now I don't think the Democrats are by any means the saviors of our nation ( by the way I vote for whoever I want to not party afiliation!)Both parties suck! We need a differnt political system that things actually represent the people and actually move things forward in a positive direction. Neither party is capable of this. Neither of them!!! So all you blind republicans need to get off your soap box and stop blaming the President for problems that took the last 20 years to get to this point. I mean really are you all that blind and ignorant to think that Obama is anymore to blame for our country's situation right now as ay of us on here are. We are here because big corporate America ( not small business)Has been allowed to run rampent in the financial banking industry and the health industry. They are both the two headed serpent that all americans need to do battle with. Bickering back and forth about Republicans and Dems is getting really old. both parties don't work well. They both have their faults and they both have some positives but they both mainly have a bunch a fat that needs to be cut. i'm so sure that leaving the healthcare system to itself is going to pan out in the end???Yeah right and I'm the pope. Wasn't that what was supposed to happen when all the insurers went to a managed care plan where everything goes through the insurance company. There was one idiot on here actually stating that the doctors don't need piliticians telling him how to be a doctor. Are you for real??? You are an IDIOT! Let me let you in on something pal. Doctors haven't been allowed to be doctors for the last 30 years duh!!! They take their orders and are run my insurance companies!! Wow...I mean I am so ashamed at the ignorance I see in this country and on this message board. I do see some remnants of sanity on this board but not enough to make a differance and that is the real problem. Most of you don't have a clue. Change needs to happen but it going to take things getting almost to the brink of the collaspe of our government I'm affraid before we will ever see the change that trully needs to happen. George Washington really loved this country and served it unselfishly for his whole life but if he were alive today he would saddle back up on his horse and would start a revolution and kick the crap out of the fat headed politicians and corporate executives all run our lives right now. Wake up America and take those beer goggles off. It time sober up and stop sleeping with the bar pigs and see them all for what they are. I say down with the Insurance companies and large greedy corporate banks and all those annoying hedge fund investor types that make way too much money for not doing a frigging thing for ths country except for sucking it dry at OUR EXPENSE!!!! Ok...I'm done.... (Cocoa, Fl)

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For the Chamber to take this long to recognize that Obama is a Marxist and hell bent on destroying the foundation that has made America great is laughable. I quit the Chamber years ago when they hooked up with the unconstitutional lefties in an effort to grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. The Chamber is shot and does not reflect the interest of American small business. Support NFIB, National Right to Work and Republican National Trust if you want to promote organizations that truely support small business.
On a side note, Randall, the old saying goes ignorance can be remedied but there's no hope for STUPID. There is no hope for you pal. Maybe you'll wake up when ALL your constitutional rights are gone, but it's not looking good.
(Dayton, Ohio)

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Lets not go right back to blame the lawmakers for a poor economy. They can make all the laws they want but people namely the greedy financial institutions and wall street dumbells have no regard for law or for that matter morals. Of course businesses that gross over 250k are going concerns but lets realize that many people who benefitted from our false prosperity made a lot of money selling houses to people who cannot afford them. And regarding the health care legislation, creating alternative insurance options doesnt matter. Greedy drug companies, greedy medical schools, and greedy doctors all have their hand in the high cost of health care , never mind all of the unhealthy foods and drugs that are pushed down our throats. Listen I dont buy this tug of war over money nonsense, its a bout time that those that have benefitted from some of these schemes whether they be real estate, lending or medical or law for that matter should realize that they have been greatly overpaid and have helped create the useless mess of overpriced goods and services that we currently "sell" . My dad had twelve prescription medicines and a dozen different doctors before he passed away last year and all of them misdiagnosed his real problem and just kept prescribing medicines that turned out were not necessary. I think the people in the system has become corrupt. (Queen Creek, Arizona)

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I just do not understand why the government under all administrations can not make due with large increases in revenues but must have more. As for present adminstration they have and agenda to ruin America and I will not be convinced that they do not. Michelle I am not proud to be an American in your brave new world. Some one must reduce government and it's spending either by vote or force. (Seymour, IN)

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Did not finish my thought.

What I am saying is that we all have to look ourselves in the mirror. If all our businesses are so hard pressed and have to fire our employees over health insurance or anything else for that matter. That to me just means that all of our other operating costs are probably overpriced as well. Obviously health care is too expensive and no one wants to pay for it. It is the same old stuff , keep your hands off of my stack jack. We can make a system where everyone has health insurance. But we have to reduce the costs and sorry medical suppliers, doctors, medical schools, litigators, drug execs, food producers, you are all part of the cost. Some people sell unhealthy food to people who choose to eat it, become unhealthy and seek out aid in an industry laden with litigation, high costs, rediculously high priced doctors who pay unreasonable high tuitions at medical schools , and whose suppliers and drug companies endlessly push the drugs. Their are too many high priced predators in the food chain. JUst forcing overpriced insurance down our throats wont help. (Queen Creek, Arizona)

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Big is what is bad. Big business, Big government. It exposes us to un wanted and dangerous controls of our destiny. Once a company buys up all its competitors, why would they bother to improve? They just find ways to make things cheaper to make more profit. What ever happened to the Graham-Rudman Act to control monopolys? It also exposes the USA to the possibility of our assets being purchased and removed from us by the worlds mega monopolys. The Socialists in our society have been over the years eroding more and more of our freedoms. Socialists are the do gooders that hold up small children to make us "feel" for thier cause and then write those laws to line thier pockets with benefits and cash at the expense of the rest of us.
We have given the Federal Government way to many powers and responsibilities. By doing so we have allowed the wealthy and the wealthy Socialists a place to gain more power than they should have.

The fed is supposed to settle the arguments between the states (disputes-differences of OPINION) not melt them down into equals by stealing ones wealth and giving it to the other! Competition keeps us creative and builds a better future for our country by individual creativity.
When Communist Red China nationalizes all of our companies in China to pay for our debt we owe them, then we will learn why Big is bad! (St. Joseph, Michigan)

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Big is what is bad. Big business, Big government. It exposes us to un wanted and dangerous controls of our destiny. Once a company buys up all its competitors, why would they bother to improve? They just find ways to make things cheaper to make more profit. What ever happened to the Graham-Rudman Act to control monopolys? It also exposes the USA to the possibility of our assets being purchased and removed from us by the worlds mega monopolys. The Socialists in our society have been over the years eroding more and more of our freedoms. Socialists are the do gooders that hold up small children to make us "feel" for thier cause and then write those laws to line thier pockets with benefits and cash at the expense of the rest of us.
We have given the Federal Government way to many powers and responsibilities. By doing so we have allowed the wealthy and the wealthy Socialists a place to gain more power than they should have.

The fed is supposed to settle the arguments between the states (disputes-differences of OPINION) not melt them down into equals by stealing ones wealth and giving it to the other! Competition keeps us creative and builds a better future for our country by individual creativity.
When Communist Red China nationalizes all of our companies in China to pay for our debt we owe them, then we will learn why Big is bad! (St. Joseph, Michigan)

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I was a nurse entrepreneur CRUSHED by the government! I tried to run a small business caring for senior citizens in an adult daycare setting. I asked my bank to rework my SBA loan when the interest rates shot up through the roof..the answer was a flat out NO! The government(SBA) could care less-as it was much easier to pay up to the outstretched hand of the bank than to work with the small, struggling business owner. My clients got the shaft, I was let go from the job that I had to find once my business sank, I've had some health issues, and now we may be losing our home, can't keep up with the bills and taxes. NO BAIL OUTS for any normal, HARD WORKING, HONEST Americans. Yet my bank got a huge bail out. It is pitiful!! To top it off, I live in N.J.!!! I have lost any ounce of faith I had in this country. The American Dream is really a NIGHTMARE! (Beachwood, NJ)

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What can be measured MUST be controlled. The pride & arrogance of the elected officials has led to just one thing - STUPIDITY! It's amazing to watch as these elitists bigots exempt themselves from every law they implement. Goodbye free enterprise, hello Chinese style communism. (Modesto, CA)

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Finally, someone is realizing what is happening. I am so glad the I dropped my Chamber membership several years ago. The Chamber has been as much been neglegent.
How can we have Health Care Reform Without Tort Reform. There will be no cost reductions in Health Care without Tort Reform.
The Chamber needs draw a line in the sand and stand against all Health Care Reform that does not include Tort Reform.
(AR)

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Many Americans have become fat and lazy . Greed and corruption has replaced the American Spirt for many both in business and government. Stimulate health care by doing what the word implies . Make people healthier , just don't continue a failing system that takes care of people after they get ill.The democrates want to raise taxes so go after the food industry that is making us fat and tax their products and force them to make products with less fat and sugar. People should wake up , smoking kills ,tax it out of existence. Health Care providers with millions of year end profit that raise their rates 15% or more , make them pay more taxes. Prevailing wage has to be paid on N.J.projects with public money funding of $2,000. and above. Do away with prevailing wage . It will save between 4& and 15% on every public job (hundred of millions during a year in N.J. alone) Let the unions find out what their true cost is and figure out their G.& A. for a mark up just like non union compainies do.
Americans need to wake up and start doing something before taxes have to be paid prior to having even the American dream (Yardley, Pa.)

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I had to work for everything I have. Why shouldn't everybody else. I am tired of only the poor getting free stuff, and we have to pay for it. GET A JOB, PAY TAXES, LIKE ALL OF US. IF you are able to work get a job. Everybody is looking for free stuff, as long as they get it why should they go to work. Sooner or later all us hard working people will no longer be able to tote the load, what will happen then? Who will they tap out next? What choices do we have? pay taxes or go to jail. oh that is already to crowded by people looking for free stuff too. No choices left!!!!!!! (Thomson , Ga.)

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The biggest hypocrite and pimp for big nusiness, the rel enemy of small business, is Mrl. Donahue himself and his fraud Chamber of Commerce.They recently hosted the President of Iraq, but intentionally excluded small business and sold attendance to Big Fortune 100 companies for huge sums of money, showing when the chips are down how much they really care about small firms like mine. Mr. Donahue and the Chamber is only a shill for the very big business they claim not to represent to the exclusion of small business. I am quitting the chamber. The only thing worse than big government is big business. At least Government has some accountability and we get to vote them out once in a while. Hypocrites like Donahue are hand picked by the same greedy corporate executives who pay themselves huge salariesand bonuses at the expense of small shareholders, and customers. (Vienna, Virginia)

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