Economic Growth
I believe that healthy businesses are good for the entire community, and our government needs to create a level playing field and invite a business environment for economic growth.
I believe an important role of a state legislator is to prevent the government from doing foolish things and wasting the resources and tax dollars of the citizens, to return the reins back to the people whenever possible. That is not to say, government is fundamentally bad; in fact, there are areas that only government can do, for example, building our roads, transportation, infrastructure, and protecting our citizens.
Remembering that change is inevitable, but progress is not, we need to find a way to redirect our government’s choices for the benefit of the community as a whole.
We need to choose concrete goals and set a path with clear accountable guidelines. I believe those guidelines should include:
- Not all business expansion is the same, and the creation of skilled and higher-paying jobs is better. Workers and labor are partners in a successful business environment.
- It is cheaper to help an existing business than it is to recruit a new one. The growth policy must be fair to both new and existing businesses.
- If tax dollars are used, the taxpayer has the right to know.
- Communities must do thoughtful long-term planning.
- Government should encourage the investment in hard assets (e.g. buildings) to ensure the long-term commitment of that business to our community.
- Government should create state-of-the-art infrastructure to be ready for fast-growing businesses.
- Government should make the economic program easy to access, so small and medium companies can take advantage of the benefits.
- Government should avoid any inside dealing that would create distrust in the system by either future investors or the taxpayer who is paying.
There are great examples of planning. Communities can build utility- and road-ready business parks along easily accessible highways. When a prospective business comes knocking, there is no endless approval process, and the new business can immediately break ground. This allows the community to attract a variety of large, medium and small businesses. This makes the community more secure from economic fluctuations.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION: For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with the beauty and history of older buildings and homes. I have personally purchased and preserved two classic structures in Fremont, one for my office, the other my home. This is truly a labor of love and commitment.
As a board member and twice president of MainStreet of Fremont, I have worked hard to help in the preservation and restoration of our downtown. I strongly believe in the utility of preserving the heart of our communities. The MainStreet program is a creation of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The idea is, if one helps businesses to succeed, they will have the resources to preserve their own property, something government could never afford. This partnering of business and government for the benefit of the community as a whole is a model that can be expanded throughout the state.
Creation or preservation of a friendly business environment includes more than recruiting new businesses and saving old buildings. This includes the adoption of an overall tax structure that is fair to all and competitive with other states. Also critical is finding ways to help reduce other costs, such as worker compensation and health care, without just simply shifting the burden.
A fundamental role of government is to create a level and inviting playing field for business. This in turn flows benefits to the owners and employees and community as a whole. While necessary for redirecting change to progress, care should be made when using the power of government to guide the economy to legitimate goals for the community as a whole.
