A newly formed small-business advocacy group praised Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday for his continued efforts to reduce regulations, but added that federal regulations continue to hinder economic growth.
Small Businesses for Sensible Regulations, a new coalition in Florida created by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, decried what they say are ramped-up efforts to impose regulations under President Obamas administration at the expense of small businesses and their customers.
If I had one chance to meet with President Obama and tell him one thing, Id tell him, 'time out, just take a time out,' said Don Curtis, president of The Forestry Company. 'Stop for a year. Just hold up in this economy before you continue to layer small businesses with more regulations. Ultimately it affects our ability to provide goods and services.'
Curtis said his Taylor County-based company of about 20 employees has been open for 15 years, but only in the past two years have regulators been in contact.
Its just become a part of my business, he said.
Bill Herrle, NFIB executive director, addressing the media Wednesday at the Florida Press Center in Tallahassee, said Scott has been a champion for businesses, but they would like more done to overhaul workers' compensation rules.
Meanwhile, they believe that Obama has failed to heed their message.
We feel like were very much in the proactive side here in Florida, where the governor is willing to sharpen his pencil and get into the regulatory books and see what can be eliminated, Herrle said. But at the federal level we are back on our heels, and we are in a very desperate fight to try and reduce the flood of regulations that do increase costs and inhibit our ability to create jobs.
Scott on Wednesday released his agenda for the 2012 legislative session, with eliminating more than 1,000 regulations atop the list.
The repeal process has already begun, and many overly burdensome, unnecessary or duplicative regulations have been repealed, Scott said, announcing his agenda in Orlando.
More repeals are scheduled, with plans to expedite many of the repeals through proposed legislation in the 2012 session. In addition, agencies identified approximately 1,500 rule revisions that can be made to reduce overly burdensome, unnecessary or duplicative regulations. The Office of Fiscal Accountability and Regulatory Reform also receives input from the public and works with agencies to identify other possible amendments that could reduce the regulatory burden placed on Florida businesses.
Additionally, my office will work with the Government Efficiency Task Force to begin the process of establishing temporary business permits so entrepreneurs can open their doors earlier and employ Floridians faster. Combined with a one-stop business registration effort already underway, Florida will continue to identify burdensome permits and licenses and begin to set specific time reduction targets for application and issuance processes. This plan will create an environment in Florida that will allow businesses to operate with fewer unnecessary regulations and to begin hiring faster by giving them an opportunity to open their doors faster with a reasonable period in which to achieve compliance.
Herrle said there have been more than 4,000 federal regulations filed this year, ranging from water quality to lead-paint testing. He couldnt offer numbers for prior years.
Herrle added that new regulations can cost small businesses up to three times what they do large corporations, yet it is the small businesses that are expected to make up 90 percent of the growth to get the nation out of the current recession.
Were not saying we want to be completely unfettered, but take a look at Main Street, Herrle said.
He denied that the coalition was formed as part of growing criticism by Republicans that federal Environmental Protection Agency regulations for water quality and power plant testing are hindering economic growth.
The EPA is writing the script by issuing these rules, Herrle said.
Jay Lunt, owner of Folkers Window Co. in Pensacola, said commissions have dropped 25 percent, some of the employees have had their work week cut to four days, and the overall work force has dropped from 60 to 20 in the past five years.
Twenty families are depending on this business, and at this point we feel like that could very well be in jeopardy and we need to do something to stop the regulations, Lunt said.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859 or (772) 215-9889.
