The multimillion-dollar campaign, which will engage lawmakers in Washington, D.C., and up to a dozen states, will highlight the challenges that regulations pose to small businesses and small manufacturers. It will empower entrepreneurs, small business employees and key stakeholders to advocate legislative reforms that will lead to smarter regulations that help small businesses in New Mexico and throughout the United States thrive.
Carla J. Sonntag, President and Founder of NMBC, which is the New Mexico State Association Group (SAG) for the NAM, said the following regarding the campaign: “The current level of complex government mandates is significantly increasing costs for compliance by New Mexican business owners and job providers. As a result, our state’s unemployment rate is one of the worst in the nation. It’s time for our elected leaders to help working families by passing legislative reforms that remove industry growth disincentives for American entrepreneurs who provide jobs. NMBC will do our part by supporting the Rethink Red Tape campaign and helping the public, especially voters, understand the issues and need for them to engage in the process of creating a pro-business environment.”
Jay Timmons, NAM president and CEO, issued the following statement on the project’s launch: “Smart, transparent and effective regulations are important to a successful system of free enterprise. However, manufacturers today bear a disproportionate share of the burden of regulatory compliance costs, and that’s costing us jobs and opportunity. Manufacturers are committed to protecting our health and safety, but it’s time to improve the regulatory process and start listening to America’s small businesses. With efforts like Rethink Red Tape, we hope to make these important reforms a reality.”
Karen Kerrigan, SBE Council president and CEO, issued the following statement on the project’s launch: “The men and women who own and operate American startups say complex and expensive regulations are among the biggest challenges they face when starting or growing their businesses or creating new jobs. Through Rethink Red Tape, we hope to change that.”
Educational resources and facts showing the impact today’s regulatory environment has on the small business economy are featured on www.RethinkRedTape.com, alongside personal stories from small business owners who know the burden of overregulation firsthand.
With more than 56 million American jobs dependent on small firms and the vast majority of manufacturing companies qualifying as small businesses, Washington’s broken regulatory system is a threat to U.S. economic health and U.S. manufacturing. It also harms our ability to meet policy objectives efficiently and effectively, such as protecting public health, worker safety and the environment. Rethink Red Tape exists to reform the regulatory process and make it fairer, clearer and less obstructive to innovation and small manufacturing growth. Solutions promoted through Rethink Red Tape will reflect these five guiding principles:
1) Meaningful public and small business engagement in the rulemaking process; 2) Prioritization of unbiased, scientific information in rulemaking; 3) Consideration of public costs and benefits; 4) Transparency and clarity in how rules will be enforced and how compliance can be attained; 5) Regular evaluation of whether regulations are working.
Rethink Red Tape is a multiyear campaign that will educate Americans about the impact regulations have on small businesses and small manufacturers and about solutions that will lead to regulatory reform.
Small manufacturers, their employees and members of the public who would like to share their own regulatory experiences through Rethink Red Tape are encouraged to join.
The New Mexico Business Coalition (NMBC), the New Mexico affiliate for the National Association of Manufacturing, is a non-partisan advocacy organization representing businesses of all sizes, employees and New Mexican families throughout the state. NMBC works specifically to change the business environment in New Mexico to one that fosters and promotes job creation and an improved quality of life for all New Mexicans. NMBC believes that New Mexico and the U.S. can do better by lessening the burden on businesses in the form of excessive taxes, fees, and over restrictive government regulations. For more information about the New Mexico Business Coalition please visit our website www.nibizcoalition.org. POB 95735, Albuquerque, NM 87199, (505) 836-4223.
Rethink Red Tape is a diverse coalition of organizations and individuals believing the federal government’s regulatory process must be reformed so important goals, such as public health, environmental protection and consumer safety, are better balanced with the need to encourage more entrepreneurship and economic growth. Through an education and advocacy campaign, Rethink Red Tape will examine the impact regulations have on small businesses, American communities and the national economy and provide entrepreneurs a voice and platform to advocate reforms in the regulatory process. For more information, please visit www.RethinkRedTape.com. Follow on Twitter: @RethinkRedTape.
