The American Dream being held back by the American Government

By Darlene Senger, Candidate for Congress, IL-11th

In the last few weeks I have toured the 11th Congressional District meeting with business owners, managers and employees to talk about the current economic climate in our community.  What I heard was both uplifting and very concerning.

Every day there are amazing people who decide to take a risk and start their own business.  It is a tireless and often thankless task, one that leads to many sleepless nights worrying about paying bills and making payroll.  But these small business owners help drive our local and national economy by providing a service and creating jobs.  They truly exemplify the spirit of the American Dream.    

However these same people who are working towards the American Dream are being held back by the American government.  Poor fiscal policies, a cumbersome tax code and oppressive government regulations have stymied our local economic growth.  We can and must do better, and it starts with changing the culture in Washington DC.

Businesses large are small are worried about the out of control federal spending. For too long politicians have spent recklessly, leaving us with over $17 trillion in debt. We need a long-term balanced budget solution that brings stability and accountability to our spending so that businesses feel secure in their efforts to grow in America. 

One of the major frustrations faced by business today is the 70,000 pages of federal income tax code.  Job creators are spending more and more time making sure they are compliant with the latest tax policies and less time focused on growth.  We need to lower the tax rates, eliminate the death tax and simplify the tax code.  I want companies spending more on research and development and putting people to work instead of sending more tax lawyers to court.

All the business owners I talked were upset about new government regulations that were being placed on their businesses.  From the federal healthcare requirements all the way down to local ordinances on merchants, business owners are being over-regulated.  Government’s culture of red tape is strangling our local businesses.  It’s time to cut the red tape and get Illinois back to work!

We live in a great region, filled with enterprising and innovative people who help make this country such a great place to live.  Unfortunately, our politicians are failing us, leaving us with record high taxes and unemployment while jobs are disappearing.  We need to start putting our country back to work by implementing the policies needed to chart a new direction.  And that starts with electing people willing to make the hard decisions necessary to start moving towards a brighter more prosperous future, and that’s why I am running for Congress.