Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Economic Ideas from IL-16

On June 10, 2008, congressional candidate and small business owner Bob Abboud (IL-16) proposed a package of tax incentives and reforms designed to support American small businesses. The incentives would include increased access to affordable health care coverage as well.

Small businesses are the economic engine of our community and our country, Abboud said. They represent more than half of our total workforce and they are drowning. If we don’t help them now, we are putting the entire U.S. economy in serious jeopardy. Little realities that are obvious to many yet Congressmen Don Manzullo (IL-16) and John Shimkus (IL-19) remain clueless to them since they voted against HR 6049, the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act. Helping to boost eco-friendly economic development and creating jobs in Illinois must be a bad thing for them.

The two congressmen either do not understand the significance of the following statistics or they simply do not care about their importance:

  • According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses employ 58.6 million workers and are responsible for creating up to 80 percent of new jobs. In 2004, small businesses were responsible for all new job creation. The December 2007 Small Business Research Summary is available to download here.
  • In a recent survey, the National Small Business Association found that sales and profits had dropped, and job growth was at its lowest point in 15 years. The survey also found that 71 percent of business owners have a negative outlook on the economy. In contrast, only 43 percent shared that sentiment a year ago.
Unlike his Republican counterparts from either end of the state, Mr. Abboud said has developed a few proposals to help small businesses prosper in America ’s already struggling economy:
  1. Allow small businesses to pool their resources and buy health insurance as a group. This will (a) lower the cost of health care for business owners and help them attract more skilled workers who see the availability of health care as a deciding factor when looking for employment; and (b) serve as a stop-gap measure until a larger package of complete health care reform is in place which eliminates the insurance problem.
  2. Streamline the federal grant application process and make grants more available. Bring the process completely online, eliminating needless paperwork and the high cost of applications, creating a system for each business owner to monitor the progress of their application. The legislation would also include a simple set of criteria that must be met for small businesses to be considered for these grants.
  3. Invest in renewable energy and green jobs. Provide tax incentives, grant programs and other federal support for this industry to create jobs, move America toward energy independence and help safeguard the environment.
  4. Streamline federal tax code while providing tax incentives for small businesses. (a) Reduce the complexity of federal taxes to help new business owners feel confident in an otherwise risky venture; (b) reduce the complexity of taxes to allow small business owners to focus their energies their businesses; and (c) expand existing tax credits for small businesses and create new incentives to ensure successful small businesses (NOTE: An SBA study found that 1 in 3 businesses fail inside of 2 years.)
  5. Open more government contracts for competitive bidding. In 2007, the federal government issued $122 billion worth of government contracts that were not openly bid upon, including $44 million of no-bid contracts in the 16th District according to USAspending.gov.
  6. Develop more small business incubator facilities. Incubator facilities are an ideal environment for start-up businesses. They provide office space, equipment, tech support, shipping and receiving capabilities, conference rooms, labs and other amenities that would otherwise cost start-up businesses thousand upon thousands of dollars to install themselves.
Don Manzullo and Congress have been ignoring the small business owner so giant corporations can squeeze out a little more profit, Abboud said. I am tired of seeing companies like Exxon and Halliburton get all kinds of government help, patent protection, and tax breaks to do business overseas while we in America are left on our own. The future of the American economy is bound to these brave business owners who risk it all just to make a living. These folks are not multi-millionaires, they are hard working people. It is our responsibility to protect their interest and encourage their enterprise – that is what builds America.

John Shimkus has a prestigious education -- with an MBA no less. Many people can only dream of one day attaining his educational achievements they are so out of reach. Yet, for all the support that he claims to give small businesses (and he does claim very well in his campaign promises), he has never thought of a list like this one from Mr. Abboud in IL-16. Typical. Substance has never been one of his assets. His wasted education is common knowledge in Central and Southern Illinois, and the taxpayers he will never reimburse the taxpayers for his unused engineering degree.

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Friday, June 06, 2008

Bob Abboud is the Democratic Candidate in IL-16

Bob Abboud is the Democratic challenger in IL-16.

To him Republican incumbent Don Manzullo, cannot oppose landmark economic development measures by recently voting against the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008. It is a package designed to promote green job creation; small business development; environmental enhancement for domestic coal reserves; renewable energy research and production; and tax breaks for working families.

Manzullo’s opposition to job creation and economic development legislation in the face of Rockford ’s eight percent unemployment rate is criminal, Abboud said As northern Illinois ’ representative in Congress, job creation and economic opportunity will be my first priority.

Abboud said the renewable energy industry is in its incubation stage and like the oil industry in its beginning, needs to utilize federal support and progressive tax policy to create an attractive market environment that encourages private investors and the development of new business. According to Renewable Energy World, the industry currently represents $20 billion in our economy and more than 100,000 jobs. House Resolution 6049 is also loaded with tax credits for small business development; research and design credits; incentives and tax breaks for corporations that donate text books and computers to schools; and an expansion of the child tax credit.

For Don Manzullo to vote against a bill that would have helped bring jobs to this community is beyond comprehension
, Abboud said. His willingness to cheat small business owners, working families and children out of valuable tax incentives and credits that help create jobs, support small business, increase alternative energy research and production, and give families struggling to keep up with rising gas prices, economic stagnation and job loss a real break is simply a complete dereliction of duty. Manzullo continues to be a do-nothing Congressman who seems content with economic stagnation and job loss.

Abboud said that Manzullo’s recent vote contradicts his own campaign rhetoric. The legislation included provisions that will provide tax deductions to individuals who purchase hybrid cars and incentives for idling reduction and advanced insulation in heavy trucks. Both proposals Manzullo claimed as his own in an energy plan he released last month.


Perhaps the saddest part is that Manzullo voted against a handful of proposals that are part of his own so called 12 point energy ‘plan’
, Abboud said. Ultimately, this vote is just another in a long line of bad decisions that have set us upon this disastrous path, just another contribution to his 16 year legacy of failure and empty promises.

HR 6049 would pay for all of its incentives by preventing individuals receiving income from overseas companies from avoiding taxes through deferred compensation. The bill also delayed the implementation of a tax program that encourages companies to move operations overseas to take advantage of a foreign tax credit.


By voting against this legislation [i.e, Roll Call 344], Don Manzullo is only protecting individuals and corporations seeking asylum from U.S. taxes by moving their operations offshore or being paid by an overseas company
, Abboud said. If he wants to protect companies operating overseas at the expense of hardworking American families, then maybe Don Manzullo should run for elected office in another country.
Each of these Illinois Republicans voted against renewable energy and jobs which says they care more about destroying the environment:
  • Peter Roskam (IL-06)
  • Mark Kirk (IL-10)
  • Jerry Weller (IL-11)
  • Judy Biggert (IL-13)
  • Tim Johnson (IL-15)
  • Don Manzullo (IL-16)
  • John Shimkus (IL-19)
Why do voters keep them in office against their best interests?

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Sunday, June 01, 2008

Legislating Relationships

Rep. Paul Broun (GA-10) introduced an amendment to the U.S. Constitution in May to ban same-sex marriage. It seems the Republican was rather upset with the California Supreme Court’s recent ruling legalizing gay marriage. Rep. John Shimkus (IL-19) must have felt the same way. He immediately signed on to the amendment as co-sponsor.

The Marriage Protection Amendment, H. J. RES. 89, is a simple sentence: Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. It becomes law once three-fourths of the states ratify it.

Legislating human relationships never has a positive outcome. More often than not, love has a way of finding people. People try incredibly hard to turn it around and succeed at finding love. They eventually realize kismet does not work that way. When love is that genuine, it is a rare gift. Anything else society comes up with is nihil ad rem (i.e., nothing to do with the point) -- that includes gender issues.

Cosponsoring this type of amendment is nothing new for someone as pitiful as John Shimkus. Maybe he is afraid that he will receive a lot of offers of marriage from his male constituents.

Wonder how his gay staffers feel about this.

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