Posts Tagged ‘Small Business’

President Obama has a new site that allows you to track the progress we’ve made by your location (if you want you can check their numbers going through their sources by clicking on the source).

You can sniff around and see what you see, but to make it easier I’ll do a rundown of some major areas:

Health Care:

• 41,000 South Dakota residents will now have access to affordable health care because of reform
• 10,169 South Dakota seniors benefited from additional coverage when Democrats closed the Medicare donut hole
• 67,000 South Dakotans age 26 or younger can now stay on their parents’ health care coverage
• 217,000 families in South Dakota will receive tax credits and other assistance because of health care reform
• 46 community clinics were created in South Dakota by the Affordable Care Act
• 23,100 small businesses in South Dakota eligible for health care tax credits under the Affordable Care Act

Middle Class:

• 300,000 middle class families in South Dakota received a tax cut through the Recovery Act
• 16,859 new hires in South Dakota for which their emploiyer may be eligible for a tax cut through the HIRE Act, which Democrats passed to promote private-sector job growth
• 9,000 jobs created or saved through October 2010 in South Dakota because of the Recovery Act
• 217,00 families that get health care help (mentioned above)

Economy and Jobs

• 9,000 jobs created or saved (mentioned above)
• 2,215 South Dakota residents who receive relief because Democrats extended Unemployment Insurance
• 300,000 middle class tax cuts (above)
• 23,100 small businesses eligible for health care tax credit (above)

Small Business

• 23,100 small businesses eligible for health care tax credit
• 70,000 loans issued to small businesses through the Small Business Administration Recovery loan provisions (nationally)
• There is also a list of tax cuts for small businesses (8 listed, though it says Democrats have enacted more than a dozen tax cuts for small businesses)

Education

• 500 education jobs in South Dakota have been saved because of the deficit-neutral state-aid bill Democrats passed
• $5,975 can be received from Pell Grant scholarships by 2017 for eligible students
• 23,000 South Dakota families received college tuition help in 2009 from the American Opportunity Tax Credit
• $130,165,683 invested in higher education in South Dakota over the next 10 years

Energy

• 31 Department of Energy Recovery Act projects in South Dakota that will help secure our energy future
• 1,809 South Dakota homes weatherized through the Energy Department between February 2009 and September 2010, reducing energy bills and increasing energy efficiency
• $74,900,000 invested in South Dakota through the Recovery Act for clean-energy projects

There are also stories from South Dakotans about how policies have benefited them. Here is one from Kayla in Brookings, SD:

When Kayla was just 9 years old, she was in a motorcycle accident. While her insurance plan covered her medical expenses, she contracted chronic osteomyelitis, a chronic bone infection. Since contracting the disease she has had over 25 surgeries on her leg. Kayla is now 22 years old and a full time nursing student at South Dakota State University, but in five months, she would have lost her coverage. The new law will make it possible for Kayla to remain on her parents’ plan.

There are other things and stories you can explore, but this should give you an idea of what there is. I think it was a good idea to lay it out state by state (or in larger states, by congressional district).

Enjoy the tolerable weather.

Adam Feser

Update: Is pres. Doug?

It is well past 2:00 p.m. and official. Pres. has won the first comment contest. Dr. Pepper was a close second. If only someone had placed third. Anyway, Pres. made a great comment that could have won no matter how many contestants there had been. The comment is about small businesses, ethanol, farmers, and generally why pres. is dominant. I will say I have read Obama’s plans for small business and e-mailed the campaign for some clarifications. When I hear back I’ll be sure and post about it. But pres. tells us all we need to know. Thank you for your participation. If you would like a picture or something of that nature up, feel free to e-mail me at adamfeser@gmail.com. I feel like I probably know who you are, but am not sure. You can let me know and I’ll change pres. to your name.  To all of you who were to slow, I’ll leave you more time next contest. Thank you and keep at it.  Anyway, here it is. A great comment from pres.:

we’re still here Adam,
I would like to comment on McCain’s recent attack on Obama’s plans to raise taxes on those making more than $250,000.00 per year and how hard it will be on small businesses. First, in Groton, SD I don’t know any small businesses that make more than $250,000.00 per year, lawyers excluded and second, the removal of the renewable fuels standard (rfs) and tarriffs on foreign ethanol would be more devastating to small businesses than any tax increase on the upper crust of our nations income level. McCains plan to eliminate the RFS and the tarriffs on foreign ethanol would be a tax increase on ALL CONSUMERS OF ENERGY to the tune of 50 cents on every gallon of gas they purchase. Can Americans afford such an action?
In South Dakota farmers are considered small businesses which are the driving force of our state economy. recently they have taken a 50% cut in pay as the price of the commodities they raise have been cut in half. Should John McCain be elected and keep his promises as I stated earlier the ecomony in South Dakota will suffer from a depression which will go down as the worst in history. Not only will we see farms unable to cash flow, but ethanol plants which have become dependable businesses in our communities supplying jobs and revenue to our state will be sold off at rock bottom prices causing lose of local ownership which also generates economic strength in our hometowns.
The same ethanol plants which are supported by federal tax incentives have kept the price of gasoline from rising by more then 40 cents per gallon or $6.00 per tank full. Which is a huge savings to all consumers and small businesses alike when figured over a years time. One could also argue that our ethanol plants are refineries for our energy needs across the U.S. which are placed in locations which are not affected by mother nature as are several oil refineries along the Gulf of Mexico.
In South Dakota we are seeing more and more blender pumps being placed into gas stations where consumers can select different blends of ethanol with gasoline ratios. Personally I use 30% E85 with 70% gasoline in my vehicles. Which means I am cutting my own dependence on foriegn oil by 30%. I would hope that our next president of the United States would move legislation through congress to allow this practice across the Country. What would that do for our nations energy needs?
Just remember, anyone voting for John McCain is willing to pay up to 50 cents per gallon of gasoline and say, to hell with local ownership of small businesses like our ethanol refineries here in South Dakota.

nuf said for now,

pres.