“Stop Government from Hurting Small Business!”
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| Michelle Darnell - L, 48th District of Washington candidate |
When elected, I would work to repeal or amend legislation to
provide relief for businesses struggling to grow and provide the sorts of jobs
and opportunities our region desperately needs.
I would also work to level the playing field. It is not right that one group would be taxed
less or has a competitive advantage, simply because they had better
representation in Olympia. A company
like Boeing, though great for our region, should not escape the B&O tax,
while the burden of paying for our education shortfall this shifted to everyone
else. That is unequal protection.
I would reach out
businesses to hear what they say. In
fact I already have and well before this campaign started to do so. I was encouraged to run for office because
they wanted a voice. They tell me that
if they did not have the burden of the B&O, a complicated tax on their
gross before they ever turn a profit, they could invest in marketing and
advertising and grow their businesses. One woman who owns a cleaning business, says
she would be able to hire help and not have to work such long hours.
They tell me that a statewide $15/ minimum wage would not
only destroy their businesses and increase unemployment, and it still would not
be enough to keep up with the high cost of living and increasing rents in our
region. We need more jobs and better jobs, not just arbitrary increases in
the minimum wage that increases the cost of labor and goods and services. The largest of companies will absorb this and
automate but our smaller businesses will go under. These businesses are our neighbors and our
friend and don’t have the option of moving out of state to find cheaper labor.
I have been told how
regulation is inhibiting building affordable housing and restricting innovation
by over 100 years! It was explained
to me that the inability to get an occupancy permit for a home built with hemp
products, for example, is suppressing the growth of a new innovative market and
opportunity to build affordable, environmentally friendly, non-combustible
homes.
Zoning regulations are preventing the opportunity to build
“mother in law units” and explore other options in response to our affordable housing
crisis. I was told that over 50% of our land
is zoned single family and this limits the opportunity to build multi-family units
in a time when apartments and micro housing options are desperately
needed. Also, regulation adds so much to
the cost of building, that the smaller builders must build over a certain number
of square fee or they can’t turn a profit.
Burdensome licensing and permitting requirements are stifling
business start ups. The licenses can be
expensive and the process arduous.
These are just a few of the sorts of things I would look at
when considering how to respond to our economic inequality and affordable
housing crisis. I do not think raising the minimum wage or raising more taxes to
support programs is the answer. This is simply redistributing the wealth
and putting more pressure on businesses who are wealth creators and producers
of job, products, services and opportunities that this region so desperately
needs. So when elected the first
thing I would do would be to reaching out to my community and other stakeholders
and engaging them in the process of repealing unnecessary and burdensome
regulation. I don’t presume I have all
of the answers. But I can see the problems
and I would listen to my constituents and the experts to arrive at
solutions that make sense and increase prosperity for all, not just well funded
special interest groups.
I care about business
owners and I believe they need a voice in Olympia. I will listen and I will be that voice.
- Michelle Darnell
- Michelle Darnell
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