[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 75 (Wednesday, June 4, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H3436]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend a growing group of 
Americans who are at the heart and soul of America's thriving economy, 
America's small business owners. During this week, Small Business Week, 
I want to recognize small business owners for their contributions to 
our economy, our society and our communities. At the heart of every 
small business owner is the entrepreneurial spirit which our 
forefathers founded and build this country. It is this spirit and heart 
which has kept our business competitive for the past 200 years. In 
today's marketplace we can see large multinational corporations facing 
competition from small businesses making use of the Internet to expand 
their markets and competing with their counterparts from across the 
world. When we have small business owners striking out on their own 
trying to make a life and a living for themselves, we cannot afford to 
stifle the entrepreneurial spirit by overtaxing them.
  Small businesses constitute 98 percent of all businesses in America. 
They employ nearly 60 percent of the work force. In addition, small 
businesses have created about two-thirds of the net new jobs in the 
American economy since the early 1970s. However, the government 
continues to impose policies like the burdensome death tax on small 
business people who wish to pass their business onto their children. 
Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, we must recognize and assist those who make 
small business work for America, those who show the drive, initiative 
and imagination to make themselves, their business and their 
communities a success so that our economy can continue to grow.

  One of these individuals is a young woman from Rushville, Illinois, a 
small town in west central Illinois. Judy Robbins was a hopeful small 
business owner in Rushville who wanted to start a dance studio but 
really had no plan, knowledge on how to start one. Judy decided she 
would take the initiative herself, and she signed up for a 4-week 
course at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs 
under the Small Business Development Council.
  During the 4 weeks of her small business course training, Judy 
learned how to formulate a business plan, pool her resources and start 
a business of her own. She spent the next 4 months attempting to 
convince a bank to finance her business plan, finally finding an 
institution which would finance her idea for a dance studio. Shortly 
after, Judy started the dance center, dance studio, and I am happy to 
say that hundreds of dance steps are being performed on a daily basis 
in downtown Rushville today.
  Mr. Speaker, Judy Robbins is a shining example of a classic American 
dream coming true. The American entrepreneurial spirit can and will 
thrive without excessive paperwork and burdensome taxes. Small business 
is the epitome of what is right with America and what is right with the 
free market. The more regulated and burdened this market becomes, the 
more small business owners will be unable to do their jobs and create 
jobs for others.
  We must stop overtaxing our small businesses and hurting our economy 
by retaining the death tax. When we see a small business owner from our 
districts this week, thank him or her for contributing to the growth of 
our communities and our economy.

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