Free Republic

Small business confidence blasted off the day after the 2016 election and remained in the stratosphere for all of 2017, making last year an all-time record setter for the NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism, released today. “2017 was the most remarkable year in the 45-year history of the NFIB Optimism Index,” said NFIB President and CEO Juanita Duggan. “With a massive tax cut this year, accompanied by significant regulatory relief, we expect very strong growth, millions more jobs, and higher pay for Americans.” The Optimism Index for last month came in at 104.9, slightly lower than the near-record November...

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is suing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) over its so-called union walk around rule. The lawsuit, which the Pacific Legal Foundation filed on behalf of the small business advocacy group, charges that OSHA’s rule illegally foists union activists onto non-unionized businesses. Attorneys with the legal foundation say OSHA has for decades allowed an employee representative to accompany an OSHA investigator on a workplace inspection, so long as the representative is in fact an employee. But in 2013, the agency issued a memo that said an employee representative could be someone who...

In 2011 during his reelection campaign Barack Obama promised Americans who “get their insurance from the workplace” will see $3,000 in savings thanks to Obamacare.(VIDEO-AT-LINK)Not true. The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), a group representing 11,000 members and small businesses, has not had a single member report health-care savings under Obamacare. The New York Post reported: New York’s small-business owners, seniors and doctors are among the big losers as President Obama’s prescription for health-insurance reform takes effect. The National Federation of Independent Businesses, an organization that represents nearly 11,000 entrepreneurs across the state, says it has yet to find...

...The National Federation of Independent Business small-business optimism index rose 0.8 points to 88.9...

The National Federation of Independent Business' small-business optimism index declined 1.8 points in August to 88.1, the sixth drop in a row.

(CNSNews.com) - More than half of the states—27 out of 50—are now challenging the constitutionality of Obamacare in federal court. Six additional states--Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Ohio, Wisconsin and Wyoming--petitioned in federal court on Tuesday to join Florida’s law suit challenging the constitutionality of the health care law President Barack Obama signed last March. Nineteen states had previously joined with Florida in this suit, making the total number of states that are now a party to the suit 26. Virginia, which has filed its own lawsuit against Obamacare, is the 27th state challenging the constitutionality of the health-care law in federal...

Just outside the DC Beltway, in Maryland’s sprawling first congressional district, an electoral battle is underway that exposes unique ideological fault lines beneath America’s political landscape. The campaign pits freshman “Blue Dog” Democratic congressman Frank Kratovil in a rematch against Republican Dr. Andy Harris. Given the political tilt of the district, coupled with the Tea Party tsunami gathering force this year, one would think that this race should be a slam dunk for Harris. A tall, affable family man, Harris is an anesthesiologist, Navy veteran, hardcore free-marketer, and constitutional conservative. By contrast, Kratovil, a former attorney, tries to portray himself...

The National Federation of Independent Business is backing U.S. Sen. John McCain in his primary race against former Scottsdale Congressman J.D. Hayworth. NFIB represents small businesses and tends to take a conservative stance on taxes and regulations. NFIB likes McCain’s position on taxes and opposition to union-backed efforts to make it easier to organize. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry also backing McCain in the senate race.

WILLIAM DUNKELBERG, THE CHIEF ECONOMIST with the National Federation of Independent Business, is used to being a sorehead when major health-care legislation is offered by Washington. Back in 1993, when then-First Lady Hillary Clinton's health-care bill was in play, a member of the president's Council of Economic Advisors called Dunkelberg to ask why NFIB opposed the bill. Since it specifically exempted most small businesses from having to participate, what possible grounds could the membership have to object? "I told him," recalls Dunkelberg, "that we object because we're not stupid. Legislation like this proceeds in steps. First, get a bill passed...

From Reuters: Dark clouds hang over U.S. small businesses: survey The outlook of small business owners remained bleak at the start of the new year, according to a survey released on Tuesday by the National Federation of Independent Business.

Taxes: On the eve of President Obama's first State of the Union address, two Democratic congressmen are advising him to extend the Bush tax cuts instead of letting them expire. Now that's a stimulus. We hear that the administration is considering taking a more populist tack as it sails the choppy political waters of 2010. Some of President Obama's plans reportedly include several tax tidbits for the "middle class," including a doubling of the child care tax credit for families below $85,000 in income, and $1.6 billion for child care and a cap on student loan payments. Such transparent populism...

No other stimulus provision will be as immediate and as effective,' says small business lobby Posted: December 14, 2008 10:51 pm Eastern © 2008 WorldNetDaily WASHINGTON – Big business bailouts and "economic stimulus packages" are all the rage in the Capitol these days. Most involve massive transfers of wealth from taxpayers to government-directed projects. But a new and very different bill, proposed by a heretofore little-known congressman from Texas, is gaining traction from Republicans – and even a few Democrats, according to the sponsor. It's called "the tax-holiday plan." And one version of it picked up support from the National...

Ninety percent of California small-business owners who are members of the National Federation of Independent Business gave their approval to endorse a candidate in this year's gubernatorial election, according to a survey released today. And 95 percent of the votes were for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Only 1 percent of the people who employ the majority of working Californians supports State Treasurer Phil Angelides for governor, the survey shows. Four percent of survey respondents chose other candidates. Based on the results from the fax survey conducted in June that drew 1,124 respondents, the NFIB board voted to endorse Schwarzenegger for re-election....

A Snohomish County judge has struck down a key package of tax increases on liquor and cigarettes, agreeing that lawmakers illegally bypassed voter-approved spending limits to enact the new fees. The judgment, issued Friday by Superior Court Judge James Allendoerfer in Everett, invalidated an omnibus tax plan that Democratic lawmakers used to balance the two-year state budget during the 2005 session. State officials are likely to appeal the ruling, which essentially would require a statewide vote to keep the $263 million, two-year tax package in place. >snip Their lawsuit targeted the 2005 Legislature's overhaul of state taxation and spending limits...

We have heard from singers like Bruce Springsteen and Toby Keith. We have obsessed over groups such as MoveOn.org and SwiftBoat Veterans for Truth. And we listen to the talking heads in the media every night as if the election hangs on their every syllable of analysis. In such a maelstrom of celebrity, business owners are hopelessly anonymous. And yet it appears that they are about to speak with the most unified voice of any voting bloc in America. The National Federation of Independent Business, the country's largest small-business lobbying group, with 600,000 members, just released the most lopsided poll...

By John Berlau © 2004 Insight/News World Communications Inc. Though President Bush constantly is criticized and attacked by Democratic partisans for pursuing policies that benefit "the wealthy," why are so many of what would be considered America's superrich his political opponents? In addition to the Hollywood mega-elite, which since the death of Sam Goldwyn have opposed the GOP mainly for cultural reasons, billionaire businessmen have stepped forward calling for the defeat of Bush or his policies. Most prominent has been speculator George Soros, who has pledged to raise $75 million to defeat Bush, given millions to Democratic Bush-bashing groups such...

Response to Perry’s ed plan lukewarm By APRIL CASTRO Associated Press Writer AUSTIN After debuting his long-awaited school finance plan, Gov. Rick Perry received a lukewarm reception from a potential key ally: state business leaders. While business leaders have applauded Perry for making the only formal proposal since the regular legislative session, they are slow to endorse an integral part of the proposal, a “constitutionally linked” property tax. Final passage of the plan in the Republican-controlled Legislature remains uncertain. “We’re studying it, we are looking at the constitutional linkage that Governor Perry is proposing,” said Jeff Clark, state director of...

My Warholian 15 45 minutes: I’m writing this in a cab on my way to BWI for a flight back home to Nashville. I just walked out of the Old Executive Office Building where four other “real people” and I sat down for a 25-minute chat with the President of the United States. Then the five of us stood behind him while he told a room full of people why the tax cuts he has championed should be made permanent. (That's me on the right in the picture.) I happen to agree with his sentiment strongly. I was there as...

No to Bush Amnesty by James R. Edwards, Jr. Posted Jan 9, 2004 Just in time for his trip to Mexico, President Bush has proposed another mass amnesty of millions of illegal aliens. The White House is willing to overlook Mexico's opposition to us on Iraq, in the United Nations, on communist Cuba, on returning Mexican fugitives to face justice in America, on policing the border against illegal immigration, on opening its socialist oil company to private investment and its aggressive lobbying in American domestic affairs. The Bush amnesty-guestworker proposal would do a lot more than connect "willing workers" with...

<p>BATON ROUGE - Republican gubernatorial candidate Bobby Jindal's lead over rival Democrat Kathleen Blanco narrowed to eight points Friday, down from 11 points the day before in tracking polling.</p> <p>"This race is getting closer," said Verne Kennedy of Market Research Insight. "The race is definitely winnable by either Jindal or Blanco."</p>