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By PAUL GIANNAMORE, Business edito

The expiration of tax cuts from the time of President George W. Bush and the ongoing, and unknown, growth of the federal health care program are on the minds of area businesses, according to Bill Johnson.

Johnson of Cortland is the Republican challenging incumbent Charlie Wilson for the 6th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Johnson spent part of the day Friday at Bates Brothers Amusement Co. and the other firms at the Jefferson County Air Park owned by Eric Bates. Johnson is making a tour throughout the 6th District to hear the concerns of business. His tour has included stops on Thursday at Boardman Steel and a large dairy farm and Bates Brothers and a coal mine. He plans to tour facilities in the Marietta area today.

Johnson said he wants to know what business is most concerned about so that he knows how, if elected, to assist and to "incentivize business to do what it does best -- provide jobs."

"There is a lot of concern about the expiration of the Bush tax cut and how increasing taxes will affect the ability for businesses to grow," Johnson continued.

He said for a business like the Bates Bros., a major concern is health care.

Eric Bates said the business hires seasonal employees, with about 75 temporary employees working for between two and four months a year.

"If we are ever required to provide health care for every individual, we will not be in business," he said. "We have 60-plus full-time employees here who have a health plan, but the seasonal workers fall into what seems like a gray area. It definitely is an issue. And if you look at the places like Six Flags and Cedar Point, where they hire thousands of temporary employees, how will they handle it?"

Bates Brothers Amusements and support companies are involved in manufacturing rides for the amusement park industry. Eric's brother, Geary, runs Bates Amusement Inc., which runs rides for fairs around the state and region.

Johnson noted Wilson voted in favor of the health care reform bill.

"He did so even when it was clear the people of the district did not want it," Johnson said.

Eric Bates said the vote was a political move.

"He is not worried about Eric Bates or small business," Bates said.

Johnson noted he's been outraising Wilson in building funds for the fall election.

Wilson's June 30 report to the Federal Election Commission notes total contributions from Jan. 1, 2009, to June 30 of $593,562. Johnson's report lists $259,648 in total contributions.

However, Johnson is raising more in individual contributions, listing a total of itemized and unitemized individual contributions of $241,631 to Wilson's $152,030.

Most of Wilson's funds, $441,500, come through contributions from other committees, according to the FEC report. Johnson's contributions from other committees total $9,825. Johnson also lists $8,192 in his own money being spent on the race, while Wilson's report states he has no candidate contributions.

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