LeGeyt, Republicans Host Small Business Jobs Forum
Forum Explores Solutions to Job Creation and Job Retention in Connecticut
State Representative Tim LeGeyt, who represents Avon and Canton in the General Assembly, joined business owners from more than 50 Connecticut small businesses and members of the Republican caucus last Wednesday, October 12th, in a forum hosted by legislative Republicans in anticipation of the October 26th special session of the legislature. The purpose of the forum, dubbed the “Jobs Forum,” was to hear directly from small businesses about what their state government can do in order to help them grow.
“Too often, when making economic policies in our state, we hear from researchers, economists, and other professional advisors on how to promote jobs in Connecticut. These experts are all important players; however, we must always take stock of the real-world experiences from those who are struggling each day like these small business leaders. Their stories should be a critical component in our policy making. When they see strong growth and good times, the state enjoys economic prosperity. When they suffer, our state economy suffers. That’s why I was glad to be part of today’s forum to learn from those who know job creation best, those on the front lines – our Connecticut small businesses,” said LeGeyt.
The Connecticut unemployment rate continues to linger around a stubborn 9 percent. The forum sought to explore solutions to Connecticut’s stagnant employment numbers.
“Most of the business people I heard at today’s forum reinforced our caucus position that government needs to step back and become a partner, rather than an inhibitor, to private sector job creation,” said LeGeyt.
Attendees cited intrusive fees, increasingly higher and pervasive taxes, confusing state regulations and a lack of cooperation with and confidence in our state government as the foremost concerns amongst the struggling small businesses at the forum. Nearly every business owner or company representative shared frustrating experiences in trying to navigate multi-layered, cumbersome and costly state regulations spread across various state agencies. LeGeyt agreed, saying that, “the state needs to do more to lower the cost of doing business in-state and improve the cooperation and communication between small businesses and state agencies.”
“These testimonies from our small business leaders provide us with crucial information and an up-close picture of the difficult business environment in Connecticut. Some of the people present today come from family business traditions passed on for generations. Others had to save for years and work hard to pursue the American Dream of being their own boss and doing what they love, whether as a florist or a farmer. Our state government should be facilitating these endeavors, not obstructing them,” said LeGeyt.
“The stage is now set for a positive response from both sides of the aisle in the legislative and from the executive branch of government. This upcoming Special Session on Jobs won’t be the cure-all solution, but I’m hopeful it will be a strong step in the right direction,” said LeGeyt.
For more information about the forum, visit www.CTHouseRules.com.
