Ad-Express and Daily Iowegian, Centerville, IA

Local News

Share your thoughts!

The Daily Iowegian welcomes your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean. We reserve the right to remove comments that are obscene, racist or abusive and statements that are false or unverifiable. Repeat offenders will be blocked. You may flag objectionable comments for review by a moderator.
comments powered by Disqus
August 26, 2010

Sens. Schmitz and Kreiman focus on Main Street, creating jobs and building a lasting recovery

Daily Iowegian

OTTUMWA — State Sens. Keith Kreiman of Ottumwa and Becky Schmitz of Fairfield say Iowa small businesses are the key to a lasting economic recovery.  The senators held a public meeting in Ottumwa to help grow Main Street business. They were joined by special guest Sen. Tom Rielly of Oskaloosa, a small business owner, former mayor, and the chair of the Senate Transportation Committee.

“Main Street businesses are the backbone of our communities, not Wall Street,” said Sen. Kreiman.  “We need to focus on giving small businesses the tools they need to succeed so that they can create well-paying jobs here in Ottumwa.”

Sens. Kreiman and Schmitz cited the new “Save Our Small Business Fund” and expanded free consulting services at Iowa Small Business Development Centers as examples of 2010 legislative efforts to help small businesses grow.  According to an independent study by the University of Mississippi, clients of Iowa’s Small Business Development Centers grew 3.5 times faster than the average Iowa business in the last three years and increased revenues by $240 million.

 “As a small business owner myself, I can see that Senators Kreiman and Schmitz ‘get it.’ They recognize that small businesses are the job creators of the Iowa economy,” said Sen. Rielly.  “We’re starting to see results from their efforts.  CNBC recently ranked Iowa the sixth best state in the country for doing business, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce just put us in the top ten states for policies that support private sector job creation.”

 “I continue to look to small business owners for ideas that will encourage growth in our local communities,” said Senator Schmitz.  “The national recognition Iowa is receiving shows we’re making progress, but clearly there is a lot of work left to do.”

 Here’s a summary of the economic development measures:

• Helping small businesses grow and create jobs:  The Legislature created a $5 million “Save Our Small Business Fund,” which makes low-interest loans ranging of $2,500 to $50,000 to businesses with 35 or fewer employees (www.ISBLoan.org). The Legislature also expanded the Linked Investment for Tomorrow fund, which helps small businesses negotiate with banks (www.iowalift.com).

• Expanding one-on-one technical consulting:  The Legislature expanded Small Business Development Centers, which help business owners by providing free access to experts and to research, counseling, and training in management, financing, and operating small businesses (www.iowasbdc.org).

• Building a community of entrepreneurs:  The Legislature increased funding for MyEntre.net, an online community for Iowa’s small businesses and entrepreneurs that provides interactive education, peer learning and other business services (www.myentre.net).

• Supporting clean energy jobs:  The Legislature created the Iowa Power Fund, a four-year, $100 million initiative to grow Iowa’s energy economy, help family farmers become more profitable and reduce our dependence on foreign oil (www.energy.iowa.gov/Power_Fund).

• Fostering innovation:  The Legislature established an Innovation Council and supported Iowa’s high-tech industries through grants and other assistance for new product development efforts (www.iowaentrepreneur.com/innovation_commercialization).

• Getting a better deal on health insurance: The Legislature helped small businesses form purchasing pools for health care, which lowers the cost of insurance.

• Providing Iowa businesses with skilled workers: The Legislature increased funding for job training programs at our community colleges, which provide an affordable, high-quality education to tens of thousands of Iowans each year.  Job training programs work directly with local businesses to meet their specific workforce needs.

• Making state contracts available to small businesses:  The Legislature required the Iowa Department of Transportation to set aside 10 percent of its contracts for bidding by small businesses.

Text Only
Local News
Featured Ads
Poll

This week the Iowegian wants readers to think about the recent decision by the Centerville Municipal Waterworks Board of Directors to increase the fee for late payment of water bills. In a story published in Wednesday's Ad Express, board members announced a 10 percent late fee after two days late, a $50 red tag fee for accounts unpaid after seven days late and a $25 shut off fee, water service terminated after two weeks late. The board said the decision to increase the fees associated with late payment is to encourage customers to pay their bills on time. So, the question this week is, "Are these fees too much to ask for?"

A. Yes, they are.
B. No, they are not.
C. I'm not affected so I don't care.
     View Results
Obituaries
Iowegian on Facebook
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
Hyperlocal Search
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Popular Searches
Powered by Local.com