This week’s Small Businesses “In the News” included the following stories:

Obama’s economic vision is out of focus
Cleveland Plains Dealer, 6/25/12, Letter To the Editor by coalition member Kirk Meurer

Coalition member and Ohio small business owner, Kirk Meurer, writes in a Cleveland Plains Dealer letter to the editor that: “Never has my economic outlook been so grim. Even as we struggle with day-to-day business challenges, it seems the government keeps putting more barriers in our way through more complex regulations and other controls. Don’t get me wrong: I understand the important role regulations play. But since every new regulation carries a cost for employers and consumers, wouldn’t it be more effective to strongly enforce the regulations on the books instead of adding more.”

Economy not ‘doing fine’ – and don’t blame local governments
Las Vegas Review-Journal, 6/25/12, by Bruce Woodberry

The “private sector is doing fine,” is what President Obama said a few weeks back. He went on to say that local and state governments are responsible for the struggling economy. President Obama’s comments demonstrate a misunderstanding of how our economy works. Instead of implementing policies that promote job creation, President Obama has pursued an agenda that stifles hiring. From higher taxes to burdensome regulations to rising health care costs, President Obama’s initiatives are marked by hostility to business.

Small business regulatory group seeks answers from candidates for governor
John Locke Foundation Blog, 6/15/12, by Mitch Kokai

Early this month, a member of the NFIB coalition Small Businesses for Sensible Regulations, Glenn Lancaster, founder of the company ATM USA, had a chance to ask both Republican Pat McCrory and Democrat Walter Dalton about steps they would take to limit “unsensible” regulations from Washington and Raleigh.