Issue Position: Helping Hawai'i Businesses Create Jobs

Issue Position

I grew up in a family of small business entrepreneurs. When I was young, I worked in our family business, "Hawaiian Toffee Treasures." That experience gave me a basic understanding of the kind of commitment and effort it takes to be successful in a small business, including working long hours, making sacrifices, and dealing with the inherent uncertainties of getting a small business off the ground. Growing up in a small business family taught me the value of personal responsibility and the value of every single hard-earned dollar.

Too many politicians in Congress are more interested in handing out billions in tax breaks and subsidies to big corporations than in supporting small businesses--the true backbone and job creators of our economy--and helping them to launch the next generation of entrepreneurs.

If we want to get people back to work, then we need to support growth at the local level by making it easier for business owners and entrepreneurs to create jobs. Most small business owners already have the determination and commitment necessary to succeed; they just need a business-friendly climate and a helping hand.

Here are just a few examples of simple, common sense steps we can take to create good jobs:

- Provide tax credits for businesses that hire workers who have been unemployed for more than six months.

- Eliminate redundant and unnecessary bureaucracy and regulations that make it hard for entrepreneurs and small businesses to start and succeed.

- End tax breaks for corporations that outsource jobs overseas.

- Reduce payroll taxes for small business owners.

- Provide incentives to banks to provide loans to small business owners.

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