The PA Chamber started the new year off with a reminder that lasting economic prosperity can only come from unleashing the spirit of American free enterprise.
In a guest editorial that appeared in the Jan. 3, 2010 edition of the Harrisburg Patriot-News, the chamber urged state and federal lawmakers to proceed with caution in current policy debates, the outcomes of which could hinder the private sector’s ability to effectively and efficiently operate.
The full column is available here.
A report by the Tax Foundation concluded that the migration of taxpayers and their incomes out of the state has been occurring for more than 15 years and the one constant has been the state’s tax system.
Scott Hodge, Tax Foundation president, said the trend would likely continue beyond economic recovery at the national level if improvements are not made to the Commonwealth’s business tax system.
While Pennsylvania can boast a 13th best ranking for its individual income tax system, that’s where the positive news ends.
The Department of Environmental Protection announces an open opportunity to apply for funding in the sixth year of the Commonwealth’s Small Business Advantage Grant Program for pollution prevention and energy efficiency projects.
Small Business Advantage is a grant program providing 50 percent reimbursement matching grants, up to a maximum of $7,500, to enable small businesses to acquire equipment or processes that result in energy efficiency or pollution prevention. Eligible applicants must be a for-profit small business located in Pennsylvania with 100 or fewer total employees. Most small businesses are eligible, including manufacturers, retailers, service providers, mining businesses and agricultural concerns.
As a small business owner, have you ever wondered how you could market your product to the likes of the Department of Defense and the other 23 Federal Procuring Agencies, get a federal contract and be a part of the more than $500 billion dollar federal marketplace?
While it’s not necessarily easy, and success is not guaranteed, thousands of small businesses have been successful. As the world’s largest buyer of products and services, the Federal Government spends billions of dollars on military and civilian purchases every year. For example, in 2007, the federal government purchased more than $147 billion dollars worth of goods and services from small businesses through prime and subcontracting procurements.
As you might have heard, the U.S. Senate voted to invoke cloture (limit debate) on Majority Leader Reid’s Manager’s Amendment to the health care bill shortly after midnight this morning. This 383-page amendment, that few saw and no one will be able to further amend, brings the wrong kind of health “reform” to the brink of passage.
Transparency (not to mention cost containment) is not readily abundant, but what we do know does not look good, as noted in the Washington Post: “It will not cover everyone. It will not control costs. It will worsen the budget outlook. It will lead to higher taxes. It will disrupt how, or whether, companies provide insurance for their workers.”
December 9, 1-8 p.m.
The Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau is partnering with Huntingdon County United Way, the US Army Corps of Engineers, The Friends of Raystown Lake, JB Tree Farms, local groups and the member businesses of the Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau to hold an open house at the Raystown Lake Region Visitors Center on Wednesday, December 9, 2009 from 1-8 p.m.
In the true spirit of the season, they will be asking the community to help decorate a money tree in support of the Huntingdon County United Way annual fundraising campaign. They hope to collect $1,000 or more to donate to United Way by trimming the Christmas tree donated by JB Tree Farms.
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