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SAWHORSE
Helping, not hindering, small businesses
May 13, 2015 9:55 am
By CONGRESSMAN JEFF DENHAM
http://www.westsideconnect.com/opinion/guest_columns/jeff-denham-helping-not-hindering-small-businesses/article_cdc06136-f990-11e4-b488-77aaa8d87299.html
The first full week of May marked the annual National Small Business Week, a time to celebrate entrepreneurs across the country. Small businesses employ more than half of all American workers and make up approximately 70 percent of job creation each year nationwide. They are a vital part of our community, and to commemorate the occasion I visited several successful small businesses in the Central Valley to meet with the business owners and discuss how federal and state policies impact their livelihoods.
While there are a number of issues taking the attention of Washington, D.C., at any given time, encouraging job creation and economic growth take top priority. As a small business owner myself, I have supported a number of bills to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy and regulation, narrow the skills gap between potential employees and their employers so businesses can find staff, and lessen the burden of legislation on entrepreneurs who are doing everything they can to survive.
On a local level, there is more at play to job creation than national economic policies. Firstly, as you may have heard, the valley has seen a disturbing number of drive-by lawsuits filed in recent months alleging violations to the Americans with Disabilities Act. These lawsuits are forcing businesses to spend thousands of dollars defending their businesses, or worse, close when they’re unable to meet the potential costs of the fight.
Many of the targeted businesses are small and family-owned. Many are headed up by minorities and/or immigrants. Those who engage in these drive-by lawsuits look for owners who may speak English as a second language, have a limited familiarity with the American legal system, or are clearly unable to afford the kind of monumental legal fees that are required to go up against a professional trial lawyer.
Unfortunately, current laws leave business owners vulnerable to these types of lawsuits. That’s why I have co-sponsored several different bills in the last year that would make business owners less vulnerable while maintaining the protections for the disabled that were established under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
While I work to get this important legislation through the House and signed into law, my office has partnered with Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) to hold a series of workshops open to the public to educate business owners and share response tactics.
Drive-by ADA lawsuits hinder job creation. No one wins when a business has to shut down over a predatory lawsuit. This was the top concern of one of the small business owners I met with during National Small Business Week, and it’s an issue that absolutely must be resolved to ensure the success of our local economy.
Secondly, as I remind my colleagues in D.C. regularly, in the Central Valley water means jobs. Our ag community plays a vital role in our state economy, employs a huge number of people and feeds families nationwide. I’m a local farmer myself, and I know firsthand what an impact our agricultural sector has on all of our livelihoods.
I continue to work with California representatives on the federal level to craft a comprehensive water bill that can be signed into law. In the House we have acted repeatedly to enact legislation to increase the amount of water to capture, store and transfer. Unfortunately, our efforts in past years have been blocked by the Senate and the President has never truly engaged in our efforts, despite the fact that state economies across the western half of the country depend on water.
In the meantime I’ve introduced two pieces of legislation designed to help the Central Valley cope with ongoing drought.
The first establishes a pilot program on the Stanislaus River to protect native salmon and steelhead fish populations. Research from fishery agencies and the broader scientific community clearly shows that predator fish pose a serious and ongoing threat. We’re spending far too much money and prioritizing far too much water towards these fish to let them be killed off by non-native species. The pilot program would be jointly conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Oakdale Irrigation District and the South San Joaquin Irrigation District. Cost would be covered by the districts and the program would take place solely on the Stanislaus River for five years.
The second bill I introduced at the end of April establishes a process for local organizations to regain control of New Melones dam, empowering local public agencies to better serve the needs of the Central Valley, especially in drought-stricken years. Our local irrigation and power districts know our local water needs best.
I continue to hear from business owners about these crucial issues. We all have the opportunity to support our small businesses, and not just during one week a year. Our local entrepreneurs are risk takers who deserve our praise as they strive to create the hometown experience and quality customer service we all are familiar with. They are the people I’m fighting for in Washington – and you can help too by supporting and sustaining your local small businesses.
Congressman Jeff Denham represents California’s 10th Congressional District, which includes all of Stanislaus County and a portion of San Joaquin County.
May 13, 2015 9:55 am
By CONGRESSMAN JEFF DENHAM
http://www.westsideconnect.com/opinion/guest_columns/jeff-denham-helping-not-hindering-small-businesses/article_cdc06136-f990-11e4-b488-77aaa8d87299.html
The first full week of May marked the annual National Small Business Week, a time to celebrate entrepreneurs across the country. Small businesses employ more than half of all American workers and make up approximately 70 percent of job creation each year nationwide. They are a vital part of our community, and to commemorate the occasion I visited several successful small businesses in the Central Valley to meet with the business owners and discuss how federal and state policies impact their livelihoods.
While there are a number of issues taking the attention of Washington, D.C., at any given time, encouraging job creation and economic growth take top priority. As a small business owner myself, I have supported a number of bills to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy and regulation, narrow the skills gap between potential employees and their employers so businesses can find staff, and lessen the burden of legislation on entrepreneurs who are doing everything they can to survive.
On a local level, there is more at play to job creation than national economic policies. Firstly, as you may have heard, the valley has seen a disturbing number of drive-by lawsuits filed in recent months alleging violations to the Americans with Disabilities Act. These lawsuits are forcing businesses to spend thousands of dollars defending their businesses, or worse, close when they’re unable to meet the potential costs of the fight.
Many of the targeted businesses are small and family-owned. Many are headed up by minorities and/or immigrants. Those who engage in these drive-by lawsuits look for owners who may speak English as a second language, have a limited familiarity with the American legal system, or are clearly unable to afford the kind of monumental legal fees that are required to go up against a professional trial lawyer.
Unfortunately, current laws leave business owners vulnerable to these types of lawsuits. That’s why I have co-sponsored several different bills in the last year that would make business owners less vulnerable while maintaining the protections for the disabled that were established under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
While I work to get this important legislation through the House and signed into law, my office has partnered with Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) to hold a series of workshops open to the public to educate business owners and share response tactics.
Drive-by ADA lawsuits hinder job creation. No one wins when a business has to shut down over a predatory lawsuit. This was the top concern of one of the small business owners I met with during National Small Business Week, and it’s an issue that absolutely must be resolved to ensure the success of our local economy.
Secondly, as I remind my colleagues in D.C. regularly, in the Central Valley water means jobs. Our ag community plays a vital role in our state economy, employs a huge number of people and feeds families nationwide. I’m a local farmer myself, and I know firsthand what an impact our agricultural sector has on all of our livelihoods.
I continue to work with California representatives on the federal level to craft a comprehensive water bill that can be signed into law. In the House we have acted repeatedly to enact legislation to increase the amount of water to capture, store and transfer. Unfortunately, our efforts in past years have been blocked by the Senate and the President has never truly engaged in our efforts, despite the fact that state economies across the western half of the country depend on water.
In the meantime I’ve introduced two pieces of legislation designed to help the Central Valley cope with ongoing drought.
The first establishes a pilot program on the Stanislaus River to protect native salmon and steelhead fish populations. Research from fishery agencies and the broader scientific community clearly shows that predator fish pose a serious and ongoing threat. We’re spending far too much money and prioritizing far too much water towards these fish to let them be killed off by non-native species. The pilot program would be jointly conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Oakdale Irrigation District and the South San Joaquin Irrigation District. Cost would be covered by the districts and the program would take place solely on the Stanislaus River for five years.
The second bill I introduced at the end of April establishes a process for local organizations to regain control of New Melones dam, empowering local public agencies to better serve the needs of the Central Valley, especially in drought-stricken years. Our local irrigation and power districts know our local water needs best.
I continue to hear from business owners about these crucial issues. We all have the opportunity to support our small businesses, and not just during one week a year. Our local entrepreneurs are risk takers who deserve our praise as they strive to create the hometown experience and quality customer service we all are familiar with. They are the people I’m fighting for in Washington – and you can help too by supporting and sustaining your local small businesses.
Congressman Jeff Denham represents California’s 10th Congressional District, which includes all of Stanislaus County and a portion of San Joaquin County.