Does the State of Iowa have the appropriate business climate?

The State of Iowa received a very poor mark earlier this year in the February 2, 2009 in an article titled The 7 Worst States To Start a Business in US News & World Report.
Iowa ranked #2 behind West Virginia.

"2. Iowa
Politically, Iowa is a hard state to pin down. It is known for a
progressive streak, but also has a strong conservative voting bloc that voted
for George W. Bush in 2004 (although the state went for Barack Obama in 2008).
Iowa's strong "purple" nature might explain why it ranks so poorly as a state in
which to start a business. It seems to have the worst impulses of its
conservative and liberal tendencies--relatively low investment in the things
that make entrepreneurs succeed, and high government interference. For the
latter, Iowa has very high capital gains taxes and corporate income taxes, and
is also one of the worst states for unemployment taxes on wages. In terms of
investment, Iowa is 46Th out of the states for adoption of broadband
telecommunications services, and the speed of those services."

The Thursday, June 25, 2009 on-line edition of The Cedar Rapids Gazette features an article titled, Business exits Iowa over taxes. For more on this issue, read Public Interest Institutes's Will Business Tax Relief Come to Pass in Iowa?

Further, while the Small Business Recovery Group in Cedar Rapids addressed the City Council on June 24, 2009 suggesting that the $25 million allocation is far short of the amount needed now for protecting and retaining jobs at risk due to the Flood of 2008. The number discussed at the City Council meeting was $64 million identified as needed for Small Business Recovery now in Cedar Rapids.

On June 25, 2009, Cedar Rapids Mayor Kay Halloran addressed the opening of the Fair Housing Conference held by the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission indicating that Housing is the #1 priority for the City. Many would say that it is extremely hard to maintain affordable housing in the community, if jobs are lost. Further, if more companies close there doors in Cedar Rapids, the impact trickles down to other vendors and companies, placing more jobs at risk.

peace

America: Optimism and Limited Government go hand and hand ...

We would encourage you to take a look at the Wednesday June 3, 2009 edition of The Washington Times that features an article titled Obama boosts Reagan legacy.

"President Reagan helped as much as any president to restore a sense of
optimism in our country, a spirit that transcended politics - that transcended
even the most heated arguments of the day," - President Barack Obama

For more on ideas that President Reagan advocated , read the Public Policy Institutes's:

Iowa Economic Scorecard: Is limited government a serious idea?

"Limited government not only has produced unlimited opportunity, it has
brought unparalleled prosperity, and it has also helped strengthen the
inherent values that Americans brought from the Old World. It has helped to
strengthen self-reliance, individual responsibility, and authentic
compassion." - former Texas Sen. Phil Gramm

We need to promote the Entrepreneur tradition of our country again. The past twenty years of both Republican and Democrat executives have stepped away from our Entrepreneur and Small Business traditions in our Country. Just look at the lack of respect towards: "Joe the Plumber. We have grown dependent on Fortune 500 companies and our new non-traditional non-profits that in many ways promote the "nanny state" agenda. Both groups are getting big handouts today from the Federal Government, who are forgetting their role in the U.S. Constitution.

"I think that over the last 40 years, as government has
become ever more dominant in American society, as government has created
programs to meet our every need, to indemnify our every mistake, our social
safety net has become a hammock, Government programs, with all the good
intentions in the world, were established to help people and have changed the
way people behave. They have corrupted our values, and we have looked more and
more to government to take care of us, we have become what Margaret Thatcher
called a “nanny state.” And as we have turned to government to be our keeper, to
be our indemnifier, we have turned away from our family and our faith. As we
have rendered unto Caesar, we have stopped rendering unto God." - Sen.
Gramm

We need to get back to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. We need to promote a climate of Limited Government and our pro-Entrepreneur spirit that this great national was build on. We all should be more entrepreneur in our daily life and remember that family and our faith play a very important role in our individual pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.

peace

Will the Transaction Priviledge Tax go national under Mr. Obama?

Will current Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano be in the first Obama Cabinet as some in Arizona believe, if Mr. Obama is elected on November 4, 2008?

Will the Transaction Privilege Tax be the future for business climate under a Napolitano influenced Obama Presidency?

Like many states, State of Arizona spending exceeds revenues and the deficits may be on the rise, rather on the decline. In our own State of Iowa, Iowa faces more than a $500 million hole in the budget that Governor Chet Culver and the Democrat majority will have to overcome.

What is the future tax climate in the USA? There may be reasons why the United States Chamber of Commerce is concerned about the prospects of more power in the hands of the Democrats.

Business climate with transaction privilege taxes and an attack against small business appears to be on the rise. Further, in the State of Iowa you have Fair Share legislation, which will reduce Iowa's Right to Work laws. On a national level, the Employee Free Choice Act will expand efforts to grow unions in the USA.

An Obama Presidency doesn't appear to be pro-Small Business as Obama preaches. Of course, the expansion of government at all levels certainly isn't a formula for expansion of Small Business in the United States. We need Limited Government at all levels... smart government, not expansion of government.

What impact will the expansion of government under Obama and the Democrats have on the vitality of the private sector?

peace

Rebuild Iowa Commission Releases Report Today

The Rebuild Iowa Advisory Commission 45 - Day Report to Governor Chet Culver was released today.

With the impact of Hurricane Gustov, the August Federal Congressional Recess and Iowans waiting for help, will the report and aid to Iowans, businesses, and all those impacted by the Floods of 2008 be fast enough?

peace