District Recap

News Article

Dear Friend,

The journey back to a healthy economy and higher employment begins with the first step: listening to you, the credible on-the-ground source that Washington can't seem to hear.

So far during the District Work Period I have accepted every opportunity my schedule would allow to get in front of -- and across the table from -- people who could enlighten me about the obstacles we face on this journey.

I have heard from Rotary groups in Citrus Heights and Amador County, the Rio Vista Chamber of Commerce, the Sacramento LDS Business Association, Sacramento State educators and economic forecasters, the Amador Vintners Association and the ISP Granule Products operation in Ione -- just to name a few. While the economic diversity, talent and work ethic of this District convince me we will prevail, it's clear what is needed is less government, not more.

At Town Halls in Carmichael and Jackson people pointed out to me that -- for the most part -- government stimulus programs, cash-for-clunker gimmicks and other government money infusions have been analogous to junk food. In some respects they fill us up, they are lacking in the nutrition we need to maintain good economic health. What we need can only come from the private sector.

I was privileged to be the opening speaker at a very well attended Small Business Expo in Elk Grove last week where businesses from all over the region gave me feedback and updates. These men and women are adept at running businesses. They know the facts, and shared that government is in the way with job-killing policies, harmful regulations, crimps on credit and wrong-headed assessments. For instance, the Congressional Leadership is even letting tax cuts lapse during these trying times with the misguided notion that this will somehow improve the business climate.

The Administration and the Majority have had their way for two years. At every crisis their solution has been to attempt to put out the fire with more spending, more government and more ideas that draw us deeper into debt. The cost now, and to our children in the future, is simply too high. It's estimated that 43 cents of every dollar we spend today in our delirious deficit state -- no matter how compelling or worthy the cause -- is borrowed. This routine practice is repeated daily, without a federal budget to rein us in or the fiscal spine to say "no" when no is absolutely what you have told me you would do in your own domestic financial affairs. We all know there's a consequence for binge spending in our lives.

The people in Washington know no limits. Rather than transfer unspent stimulus money to assist the unemployed -- the very same stimulus funding that did NOT hold unemployment to eight percent, and that did NOT produce the promised "recovery summer" of 2010 -- we continue to spend without offsets.

This, along with passage of health care reforms and the prospects of future taxations to pay for it all, have left our small businesses with little choice but to be conservative with expansion and hiring and, thus, growing.

I will continue my listening sessions with chamber and Rotary groups in Fair Oaks, Folsom, Rancho Cordova and Elk Grove in the coming weeks. But already I am prepared to return to Congress with a mandate to repeal the most damaging aspects of the healthcare bill regarding the IRS plan to force small businesses to issue 1099 forms to everyone with whom they conduct business (see the details of my bill, H.R. 5141 online)

I want to push to retain the tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year, and even add additional cuts. Suspending the payroll taxes for six months to a year is the kind of direct-to-business message that will stimulate real growth for the employers I have met. Reduced tax burdens will allow them to hire, expand and get the meddling misguided government out of their way.

Sincerely,

Daniel E. Lungren
Member of Congress

P.S. Don't forget you can get up-to-date videos, photos, and links of activity in our District by following me on Facebook.

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