Letters To The Editor

To the editor:

The ongoing debate about how to deal with rapidly escalating energy costs is usually played out on the network news between government leaders and Fortune 500 corporate execs. But those hardest hit by these rising prices are others in the business community – the people who own and operate our nation’s small businesses.

The Smaller Business Association of New England represents over 1,000 members, ranging from sole proprietors to high tech firms to manufacturing plants employing more than 200 people. All of our members are feeling the same pinch, the added expense of paying today’s high energy costs. Small businesses create two out of every three new jobs and account for nearly half of America’s total employment. It is critical to our nation’s economic health that the energy concerns of the small business community are recognized and addressed.

To do this, we need a coherent national energy policy that keeps prices as low as possible by encouraging the development of new energy supplies and the maximization of domestic production. Our energy strategy should focus on a diverse supply that makes full use of all the resources available to us. We can no longer afford to let some domestic energy reserves go untapped simply because of political issues.

We must also turn our backs on misguided proposals to levy additional taxes on U.S. energy companies, an economically unsound tactic that has been tried before and found to be a colossal failure. Common sense tells us that taxing an already expensive commodity will only drive the price even higher.

Our nation’s leadership must make availability and affordability their two primary goals when addressing energy policy. The success of our nation’s small businesses – and of our entire economy – depends on it.

Sarah Crawford
N.H. Government Affairs Committee
Smaller Business Association of N.H.