“This is an outrageous attempt by the Democrats to silence the small business owners, who are the backbone of our economy, and who would be unduly hurt by this legislation.”

December 9, 2009

Contact: Carl Forti
703-535-3390
cforti@blackrockgrp.com

Democrats Stifle Small Business Dissent

Statement from Andrew Langer on Senate Democrats Attempts to Quiet the Opposition to Health Care Reform

Keeping Small Business Healthy President Andrew Langer being asked to leave the Democrats press conference today:

“Democrats clearly want to silence small business owners critical of the health care reform legislation. I attended the press conference held today by Senators Landrieu, Lincoln and Stabenow, and was asked to leave by Dan, with the Senate Democrat Communications Center. An advisory was sent out for this event and nowhere does it state that only credentialed members of the media were invited.

This is an outrageous attempt by the Democrats to silence the small business owners, who are the backbone of our economy, and who would be unduly hurt by this legislation.”

–30–

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 2, 2009

Contact: Mike Dubke
703-535-3390 or mdubke@blackrockgrp.com

With White House Jobs Summit This Week

KSBH Unveils New TV Ads Targeting

Senators on Health Care

$1 Million – 4 State Campaign Features Small Business Owners Detailing How Legislation Hurts Small Businesses and Would Kill Jobs

WASHINGTON – With the White House jobs summit scheduled for Thursday, Keeping Small Business Healthy, a project of The Institute for Liberty, today announced a new $1 million 4 state TV ad campaign targeting Senators on the effects of the current health care legislation on small business owners and how it would ultimately cost jobs.

The ads will target Senator Lincoln (D-AR), Senator Landrieu (D-LA), Senator Nelson (D-NE), Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Senator Conrad (D-ND).

“Small businesses drive our economy.   Unemployment is at a 25 year high.  Yet the White House and Congress continue to ignore the devastating consequences this health care reform legislation will have on small business,” said Andrew Langer, KSBH President.   “I’ve got an idea for the jobs summit, stop proposing legislation that will devastate small business and lead to higher unemployment.”

Each state specific ad will feature small business owners/constituents from that state discussing how they will be hurt if health care reform passes in its present form.  The :30 second TV ad begins running in each state tomorrow.  See the ads at www.healthysmallbusiness.org

“This bill will kill jobs.  It’s bad for those who want true reform and it’s bad for small business,” continued Langer.

Phone calls targeting Senators also began statewide today.   The phone calls urge small business owners and constituents to call their Senator and tell them to support job creation and not a health care bill which kills jobs.

A full transcript of the Nebraska version of the ad can be found below.

Keeping Small Business Healthy, a project of the Institute for Liberty, primary objective is to ensure any health care reform legislation passed by Congress addresses the challenges faced by small business without imposing harmful government mandates and new taxes.  Keeping Small Business Healthy believes that health care reform must be smart reform that includes medical liability reform, more health insurance options and competition to help decrease costs. To learn more about the project visit www.healthysmallbusiness.org

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FINAL KEEPING SMALL BUSINESS HEALTHY TV :30 – “JOBS-NEBRASKA”

KSBH-09-TV-04

Keeping Small Business Healthy today delivered SCISSORS to all 535 Congressional offices.

“State job numbers came out today and show that unemployment continues to climb. Yet both the House and Senate health care bills hurt small businesses. Anything that impedes the growth of small businesses will get in the way of our economic recovery,” said KSBH President, Andrew Langer.

“The scissors are meant to reinforce what this bill will force small business owners to do. Cut jobs,” Langer continued. “This is a bad bill for those who want true reform and it’s bad for small business.”

The scissors were delivered with a stat sheet showing the number of small business jobs in that state and the current unemployment rate in that state.

Important information about small businesses*:

• Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.
• Employ just over half of all private sector employees.
• Have generated 64 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years.
• Firms with fewer than 500 employees accounted for 64 percent (or 14.5 million) of the 22.5 million net new jobs (gains minus losses) between 1993 and the third quarter of 2008.
• Small businesses employ just over half of U.S. workers.
• In 2008, there were 29.6 million businesses in the United States, according to Office of Advocacy estimates.

*(Small Business Administration. www.sba.gov. accessed 11/19/09)

Keeping Small Business Healthy believes that health care reform must be smart reform that includes medical liability reform, more health insurance options and competition to help decrease costs.

STATEMENT :

KSBH President Andrew Langer

On Senate Health Care Bill

Keeping Small Business Healthy President Andrew Langer issued the following statement today on the new Senate health care reform bill:

 “This bill does NOT satisfactorily address the key needs of small business owners, and will still lead to the LOSS of jobs by small businesses because of the costs and red tape.   

 Only the government could get away with the accounting gimmicks in this bill.  If a small business owner attempted this type of accounting, they’d be arrested and put in jail for fraud.”