Gary D. Finch

For Release: Immediately March 27, 2007
Contact: Jeff Pirro (518) 455-5981

FINCH: SMALL BUSINESSES ARE A LARGE PART OF OUR ECONOMY
Legislation introduced today would ease burden on small businesses

      Assemblyman Gary D. Finch (R,C-Springport) today joined his Assembly Republican colleagues to advance key amendments that would ease the burden on small businesses. The first amendment would eliminate the Corporate Franchise and Personal Income taxes and the second was the Small Business Relief Act of 2007.

     “As a small business owner, I can attest to the hoops small businesses must jump through just to make it in New York. Many of our proposals today were derived from information we received directly from small business owners statewide,” said Finch. “This is smart, sound legislation that the Assembly Majority should support.”

     Finch and his Assembly Republican colleagues introduced the Small Business Relief Act, which would provide incentives for educational opportunities, tax credits to offset increases in energy costs, lower tax rates and significantly reduce bureaucracy in state economic programs.

     The second amendment called for the elimination of the Corporate Franchise Tax and Personal Income Tax for manufacturers, saving manufacturers millions each year. Finch noted that New York used to be a bulwark of manufacturing, and while 641,000 people are still employed in manufacturing, that number is down significantly from decades ago.

     Assembly Democrats voted down both amendments. In addition, Assembly Democrats held a bill in committee that would make it easier for small businesses to provide health insurance for their employees. This bill would have reduced health care costs for small businesses by an estimated 15 percent.

     “The Assembly Democrats need to get on board with us when it comes to alleviating the suffocating burdens placed on manufacturers and small businesses. There’s a reason we’ve been experiencing an exodus of jobs from this state,” said Finch. “Common sense should prevail, however those who protect the special interests and benefit from the status quo are preventing us from helping small business owners and manufacturers.”

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