Muradian Op-Ed on Small Business

submitted by David Muradian

Small business is the backbone of our communities. In fact, out of all Massachusetts workers, 25% of them work within businesses with less than 50 employees. When elected State Representative for the towns of Grafton, Northbridge and Upton, it will be one of my top priorities to expand economic growth. I will support and propose initiatives that will make the commonwealth a friendly place to do business.

We need to do all that we can to keep business in Massachusetts, and that starts with promoting good tax policy. Too often developing businesses move out of our state to a friendlier business climate. By exempting businesses from a corporate income tax if they have a net income of less than $500,000, we will be encouraging small business growth when they are at their beginning and most fragile stage. I would push to eliminate the initial filing fee for small businesses, giving individuals the incentive to take a chance and start their own business.

To promote employment, I would vote to implement tax credits for small businesses that hire veterans and transitional assistance recipients. In addition, a great priority of mine would be to push to have the Earned Income Tax Credit be raised to 40% of the federal standard, as we currently sit at 15%.

Lastly, I will work with my fellow Worcester County Legislators to help reign in bad regulation and permitting laws that hurt our businesses.  While listening to citizens and business owners throughout this campaign I have heard over and over how the permitting process hurts those trying to do business here in the Commonwealth.  For example, I recently learned of a medium sized company in central Massachusetts that wanted to expand their base locally. However, it took them ten years to get all of the permits they would need to bring more jobs and expand the business. Due to the roadblocks that kept being thrown up, they decided to look down south.  What they found was a more business friendly state that welcomed their company with open arms.  It only took three months for them to receive all the needed permits to build and expand the business.  You can ascertain where they expanded…  not Massachusetts.  It’s imperative that we look at the way we do business here and make it friendlier.  You can be assured I will do just that.

With over seven years of experience as Director of Local Affairs for our current State Representative, George Peterson, I ensure the voters of our communities that I am the candidate that will be a friend to small businesses, their owners and their employees. To further that, I am proud to have been endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Business, Massachusetts, which is the voice of small businesses. It is certainly telling that I am the candidate that they are putting their trust in to protect small business, and with a fiscally responsible agenda, I will promote an environment conducive for economic growth.