NEW: Moore Named Friend of Small Business by NFIB

Thursday, September 06, 2012

Adam Joseph Drici, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

The Massachusetts chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business has named State Senator Michael Moore a "Friend of Small Business" for the 2011-2012 legislative session.

In a letter to Moore, Mass NFIB State Director Bill Vernon applauded the Democrat's work on Beacon Hill.

“Your support for legislation to provide immediate and substantive health care cost relief to small businesses is greatly appreciated by Main Street business owners and the hundreds of thousands of people who work in Massachusetts small businesses,” Vernon wrote.

“It truly is an honor to be recognized by the NFIB for my work on behalf of small business,” said Moore.

“I believe small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, and I’ve worked hard over the last four years to promote job growth and economic development by supporting their priorities.”

Moore's opponent this fall, Republican Steve Simonian, said he did not put much stock in the endorsement after surveying the economic situation on the ground in the 2nd Worcester District.

"I've talked to probably close to 50 or 60 small business owners throughout the district," he said.

"I can tell you straight out of their mouth that they are hurting."

Simonian said overregulation and high costs in Massachusetts make it too hard to start a business and too hard to keep one going.

For the Republican, currently out of a job himself, the Commonwealth's 6.2 percent unemployment rate is more than a statistic.

"We've got people out of work and we've got businesses that want to hire," Simonian said.

"The state should make it easy for those two groups to come together and get Massachusetts back to work."

The Moore's campaign manager Joe Martin said the State Senator's father was a small business owner, and the legislator has first-had knowledge of the challenges of this tough economy.

"Whenever he goes in to take a vote or make a decision, he weighs what's good for the small business."

However, Simonian pointed to data compiled by NFIB Massachusetts, which tracked the voting record of all state legislators on key issues the organization supports.

During the 2009-2010 legislative session, Moore voted with the NFIB on 46 percent of the 16 roll call votes the group tracked.

Moore said he did not align with the Mass NFIB on 100 percent of the votes because he tries to strike a balance between the needs of all his constituents, which includes supporting prescription drug coverage and paid parental leave for employees.

"I'm very supportive of the initiatives that are going to help move businesses forward," he said.

"That doesn't mean we're not going to support the people who work there."