October 14, 2002

Washington, D.C. - The Small Business Survival Committee (SBSC) today released a new publication meant to inform candidates about a wide range of public policy issues of concern to the small business community.

SBSC's "Entrepreneurs & Elections 2002: A Candidate's Handbook to Critical Small Business Issues" looks at a dozen major issue areas - taxes, regulation, health care, energy policy, international trade, litigation and tort reform, Social Security, antitrust law, monetary policy, federal government spending, and assorted state and local policy issues.

SBSC President Darrell McKigney noted: "In recent years, polls and data on election turnout have shown the public has grown increasingly frustrated with the nature of political debate in this country.   Many people say they want our elections to be more issue oriented, and in particular, they want to hear the candidates' ideas for generating economic growth and job creation.   At SBSC, we agree, and that's exactly what our 'Entrepreneurs & Elections 2002' handbook is all about - the issues."

SBSC chief economist Raymond J. Keating is the author of "Entrepreneurs & Elections 2002," and he observed: "Too often, government policies serve as obstacles to risk taking and economic growth.  This booklet is meant to guide political candidates through issue areas that are of great importance to the small business community.  Hopefully, it will help to clarify exactly how small businesses and the economy are impacted by public policy, and guide candidates and elected officials in a pro-small business direction."

Keating added: "Since small business produces the bulk of new jobs; employs a majority of U.S. workers; includes in its ranks corporations, partnerships, and sole proprietorships; and remains a key source of dynamism and innovation in the economy; then what's good for small business and the entrepreneur is good for the nation.  So, if governmental burdens are removed and pro-growth economic incentives established, entrepreneurs, investors and small businesses will get a big boost, and so will the U.S. economy far into the future."

A copy of "Entrepreneurs & Elections 2002" can be downloaded from SBSC's website at www.sbsc.org.

If you have any questions, please call SBSC at 202-785-0238.  SBSC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit small business advocacy group with more than 70,000 members across the nation.