 But with the state mired in a record budget deficit and an
unemployment rate exceeding 11 percent, local chambers of commerce
and other supporters are telling their associated employers to
weather the storm.Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO
Doug Whitley said government has too strong a stranglehold on the
market.
"We have some regulators or some people who would like to see the
state stay in the business of highly regulated, highly managed
markets, which is absolutely not the way to incent investment and
job growth," he said. "The more we can take those barriers down, the
better off we'll be in the long term," he said.
Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Russ Slinkard
said over-regulation was slowing the state's business expansion.
"The more red tape there is, the more difficult it is, the more
expensive it is to operate a business, and Illinois is prime in that
category," he said.
Heads of local chambers of commerce and business associations
gathered in Springfield on Wednesday in support of revising the
state's telecommunications regulations.
The state last revised its regulations in 2001 and has since seen
a boom in wireless phone and broadband technology.
Lawmakers met earlier this week to discuss revising telecom
regulations and are expected to continue discussions in the coming
weeks.
Business advocates also applauded a new law approved by Gov. Pat
Quinn on Tuesday but called for more action by government officials.
Quinn approved a new $2,500 tax credit to go toward small
businesses of 50 full-time employees that hired new employees for a
few years.
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Slinkard said he supported the new law but wanted to see more
from public officials.
"I think it will help," he said. "Of course, it's a year away;
they have to be employed a year. They have to be making above a
certain level of income. ... But certainly anything of that nature
will help, so we were certainly happy that he did that."
The new law requires a new employee to be working for at least 35
hours per week at a rate of $13.75 per hour in order for the small
business to be eligible for the tax credit.
Lynn Toi Lawson, who chairs the Harvey Area Chamber of Commerce,
said education was a top priority to help employers and employees
deal with the state's and nation's struggling economy.
"It gives us an opportunity to say, 'We can think strategically,
we can think outside of the box,’" she said. "We know the things
that have worked and what have not worked. And that education piece
is critical."
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By KEVIN LEE]
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