Growls

Tony Lee reports at Breitbart/Big Government on the burden of "regulations, taxes, government spending, and the increasing cost of health insurance and energy. Lee cites a new survey and writes that "under President Barack Obama’s administration, a majority of small business owners and manufacturers believe the economy is in a worse position for them to succeed than three years ago."

Here are the details of the survey that Lee cites:

"Nearly 70 percent of small businesses and manufacturers surveyed said Obama’s regulatory policies have hurt them and there was too much uncertainty in the economy to expand.  Over 50 percent of those surveyed said they would not start a business in today’s economic environment, and foreign countries like China and India are more supportive of small business and manufacturers than the United States.

"Public Opinion Strategies (POS) surveyed 800 small business owners, manufacturers, and decision-makers at small and medium-sized  companies on behalf of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). POS conducted the interviews August 13-September 4.

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"Among those surveyed, 67% percent said there was too much uncertainty in the market to expand, 69% said “President Obama’s Executive Branch and regulatory policies have hurt American small businesses and manufacturers,” 55% felt “they would not start a business today given what they know now and in the current environment” and 54% said “other countries like China and India are more supportive of their small businesses and manufacturers than the United States.”

Lee includes two quotes that seem especially relevant in regards to the issue of the burdens that small businesses have to deal with, i.e.:

• "NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons said  the survey’s findings “show that manufacturers and other small businesses have a starkly negative outlook for their future—with good reason.”

• "NFIB President and CEO Dan Danner said the “government continues to erect more barriers to growth through burdensome regulations that increase costs for small businesses and all Americans.”

Kudos to Tony Lee and Breitbart/Big Government for reporting this story. Is it any wonder "(t)he Commerce Department revised real GDP growth in the second quarter of 2012 down to 1.3% from the previous 1.7% estimate," according to The Street this afternoon.

UDATE (9/29/12): Annie Yu adds a few more details at Daily Caller, e.g., "that 69 percent of them think President Barack Obama’s policies have hurt American businesses and manufacturers, and 55 percent would not start a business today given the current environment."