Pro-Business Groups Throw Support Behind Brown

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Adam Joseph Drici, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Both the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) announced their endorsement of Republican Senator Scott Brown in the race against Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren this week.

“Scott Brown has been an exceptional advocate for small businesses and entrepreneurs," said Diane Giblin, a member of the NFIB/MA Leadership Council.

"He understands the challenges we face and we can always count on him to listen to our concerns and not demonize or belittle our achievements."

Warren a threat to free enterprise

“No other candidate in 2012 represents a greater threat to free enterprise than Professor Elizabeth Warren,” said Rob Engstrom, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“As the originator of the ‘you didn’t build that’ philosophy and a believer that no one in this country succeeded on their own, Professor Warren has shown a deep hostility toward our job creators and free enterprise system."

Brown launched his own pro-business initiative on Friday when he announced "Small Business Owners for Brown" and held a Worcester area Small Business Roundtable at Polar Beverages Inc. in Auburn.

After the senator's tax speech on Tuesday, Richard Kennedy, president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, spoke out about the end to the Bush-era tax breaks looming a few months away on January 1, 2013.

Hiring could be delayed until after election

"I think we will not see much hiring of full-time employees until there's some clarification as to what the economic situation will be following the election," said Kennedy.

Brown and several attendees echoed Kennedy's sentiments during the roundtable held in the Polar Beverages warehouse Friday afternoon.

"You create jobs by getting some tax certainty," said Brown, who has visited over 400 business throughout the Commonwealth.

According to the Brown campaign, more than 500 businesses in Massachusetts have pledged their support to the senator's re-election efforts.

More than one attendee said they worried about a Greece-like collapse in the U.S. if lawmakers did not act soon.

"The warning signs are there," Brown said, pointing to consistently high unemployment numbers, rising gas prices and falling home values.

Businesses are renting, not buying

Bill Kelleher, a principal at the Worcester-based commercial real estate firm Kelleher & Sadowsky Associates Inc., was one of the 13 local business leaders in attendance.

He said 75 percent of his business used to come from commissions generated by property his company sold to other businesses.

Now, Kelleher said, 75 percent of his business is extending leases for tenants who no longer have the cash on hand necessary to purchase space outright.

"Businesses don't have clarity as to what the plan is for the future," he said,

Another business owner told Senator Brown that his company had trouble finding people to fill job openings in Central Massachusetts.

Brown encouraged all the business owners in attendance to contact his office about job openings at their companies.

"I appreciate you sticking with me," Brown said.

"Worcester is a very important part of the state."