Small business regs are out of hand

To the editor:

The regulations on the U.S. small business sector are completely out of hand.

I fear that more and more people will be put out of work due to increasing pressure being placed upon us by our government. The health insurance tax provision is the latest concern, as it levies a substantial fee on health insurance companies under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. These companies are expected to pass this cost to small businesses and self-employed individuals while large corporations and labor unions will come out of it completely unscathed. As a proud Alaskan, I am urging our members of Congress to take immediate action to reverse this potentially devastating tax.

I currently own a traffic control construction business that I started back in 1992.

Health insurance coverage is too expensive for small businesses like mine. This tax will make it more cost-prohibitive, and I worry about the many small business owners throughout Alaska and nationwide who will be faced with much higher premiums as a result of the tax.

The Affordable Care Act is a big enough mess as it is, and the health insurance tax will create a huge additional burden on independently owned companies. If it makes it too expensive for small business owners to keep employees, a lot of these companies will end up going out of business. Entire communities will be negatively affected as a result, this unfair, hidden tax needs to be stopped as soon as possible.

At a time when our economy is finally recovering, the last thing that we need the government to do is create more problems for small businesses. Our elected officials in Washington, D.C., must consider the facts on this issue and vote to repeal the health insurance tax before it takes effect.

The Jobs and Premium Protection Act was specifically designed for this purpose, so please do your part in urging your Congress member to pass it. We need to protect small businesses and do what we can to ensure that they grow and thrive in the years ahead.

Dons Coy, owner

Northern Dame Construction