Bill Meyers for Congress!

1st Congressional District of California, November 2004 election

Green Party Primary, March 2004

Small Business

Basic Position: I advocate giving Americans a Fair Deal in our economy. Big businesses, including international, foreign-based corporations, have been given unfair advantages by our government. I would like to set government policies to grow the small-business sector of the economy, improve wages, and add real value to people's lives.

My background: Working as a paralegal and computer person at lawfirms I saw business problems when they had escalated into lawsuits. I've learned how hard it is to start a successful business. I now earn my keep with a one-person business indexing technology books and doing research.

Overview: For too long small business people have looked to Wall Street for political guidance. They have herded you like sheep to a sheering, or even a slaughter. It's time to re-evaluate who your friends are. Working with your community and your employees you can prosper, if you haven't already been wiped out by a big box store or other form of unfair competition.

I think that all members of the community should be strictly accountable; I don't advocate any exception for small businesses. Given that, I think the policy of Congress can do a lot to create a more favorable climate for small businesses:

Close tax loopholes that large corporations use to gain unfair advantage over small businesses.
Ensure that banks make capital available to small businesses at fair rates.
Simplify paperwork for small businesses with a track record of meeting environmental, consumer, and labor standards.
End government handouts to large corporations.
Enforce a standard living wage. This will prevent large corporations from destroying the wage-base that small businesses rely on for creating affluent local customers.

Please also see my positions on the economy and trade.