PROVIDENCE – Dozens of local small business owners spoke out about health care concerns last Thursday at the Providence Marriott Hotel during the National Federation of Independent Business’ second “Fix-it Forum” on the subject, part of a national campaign called Solutions Start Here.
The goal of the forums is to engage small business owners and their employees in conversations about their health care concerns. The federation plans to convey the business owners’ stories to lawmakers in Washington, D.C., as it lobbies for health care reforms.
Solutions Start Here is the “largest and most aggressive” campaign in the group’s 65-year history, according to the federation. It was launched March 12, with the stated goal to “help educate America’s policymakers about the unique health care needs of this community.”
“The leaders of this country must understand small business is an established and committed group demanding that lawmakers engage them as they seek health care solutions,” said NFIB President and CEO Todd Stottlemyer in a news release. “That’s why we are in Rhode Island, to ensure the concerns of small business people here – and across the country – are carried back to Washington, D.C.”
“Rhode Island’s small business people are the entrepreneurs, job creators, taxpayers and providers of essential goods and services driving the economic engine of our state and our nation,” said Terrance Martiesian, NFIB/Rhode Island state director. “As small business goes, so goes the economy of Rhode Island and the United States, so our leaders must ensure that our small business people get the health care relief they need.”
Small businesses are disproportionately burdened by health care costs, according to the federation. Of the 47 million Americans without health insurance, more than 28 million are small business owners, their employees and dependents.
The Solutions Start Here campaign also involves outreach to the presidential candidates; a petition drive; health care reform forums involving policy leaders and economists; and two high-level research projects to gauge small business owners’ responses to different policy suggestions.
“In 1994, NFIB fought against a comprehensive health care reform package because it did not adequately consider the needs of the small business community,” Stottlemyer said in the news release. “Today is 2008, and the health care situation has gotten much worse, especially for small business. Back then it was enough to ‘just say no’ to bad policy, but now we have an obligation to these hard-working people to push our nation’s leaders to find a solution that works for small business, so they can keep working for America.”
The National Federation of Independent Business represents small and independent businesses. A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1943, NFIB represents the consensus views of its members in Washington, D.C., and all 50 state capitals. For more information, go to www.nfib.com.
