uschamber.com Magazine March 2004

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• Tax Credits for Health Care Premiums
  As a member of the Coalition for Affordable Health Coverage, the Chamber has worked with Rep. Kay Granger to develop SAVE Health Care Act (H.R. 1236), a piece of legislation that many experts have said will reduce the number of uninsured by 80%.
• Workforce Training Takes Center Stage
  The U.S. Chamber's Center for Workforce Preparation is actively developing a comprehensive guide for community colleges and chambers to create effective workforce development partnerships.
• Changes to Overtime Regs Advance
  After beating back union attempts to derail modernization of the rules governing overtime eligibility for white-collar workers, the U.S. Chamber is continuing to press for clearer and simpler regulations.
• Chamber Launches Fight Against Counterfeiting and Piracy
  Phony goods and intellectual property theft are endangering the safety of consumers, eroding brand strength, draining the economy of jobs and opportunities for growth, and even enriching organized crime and terrorist organizations.
• Tech Innovators: Big Ideas From Small Companies
  Increasingly, small businesses are the ones driving advances in technology and cutting-edge innovation. A new report shows that small firms are a substantial source of patents used by large companies in our most advanced industries.
• Withholding Proposal Could Hurt the Self-Employed
  The U.S. Chamber is concerned with a proposal made to Congress in January by National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson that would create a withholding mechanism on self-employed taxpayers who perform work for other businesses.
• Tech Tools: Backing Up Your Computer: An Ounce of Prevention Can Save Money
  Backing up your computer does not mean copying every file on every computer you use for work.
• Fighting for Transportation
  Few things affect our quality of life more than our transportation system. Americans require a well-maintained, environmentally friendly transportation network to help ensure their personal safety on the highways, operate efficient and profitable...
• ECON 101: Tax Cuts—The Most Important Yet
  The part of the 2004 budget that in the long run may be more important are the tax cuts because they seek to make all the previous cuts permanent. Uunless specific action is taken to extend the cuts, they will automatically phase out in the next few years.
• Face Off: Will Bush's Immigration Plan Work?
  Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Rep. Ed Pastor (D-AZ) take sides on President Bush's immigration plan.
• In Your Corner: Standing Up to Foreign Competitors
  Perhaps you've heard the saying, "When the American economy sneezes, the world catches a cold." In short, the global economy is highly dependent on our economic success.
• Small Business Matters: Sound Advice for Avoiding Unintended Visa Problems
  The U.S. Chamber believes that small businesses and immigrant workers are a good fit. Indeed, many small businesses can and do benefit from the drive and industry of immigrant employees.
• Success Insight: Overcoming Mother Nature
  Within a year of arriving in the United States as a penniless immigrant from Jamaica, George Yap was the owner of his own business and living the American dream.
• Working For You: Phil Beram
  As chief tax counsel and director of tax, accounting, and corporate governance for the U.S. Chamber, Phil Beram's job is to make compliance with federal tax law easier for Chamber members. Accordingly, Beram has some insight to offer small businesses.