Government legislation affects every business, sometimes in good ways, sometimes in negative ways. Businesses need to pay a lot of attention to what government at every level is doing, in order to protect their livelihoods.
Big businesses have employees who check on government activities that might affect their interests, but often, smaller businesses learn about new regulations or issues too late to have much impact on the outcomes.
George Bernard Shaw once said, “There are two sources of happiness in life. One is not getting what you want; the other is getting it.” Businesses need to know what they will get or how they will be held back by new local, state or national policies, and they need to let their legislators know that they need their help, in a timely way.
One problem is that there are so many government agencies, at every level. In Maine alone, there are more than 19 state boards that enforce laws passed by state legislators. State laws are very important, because states have a lot of power over how business is conducted in their communities.
We live in a world of rapid changes, where it can be hard to stay on top of all the changes taking place, and where it is even harder to always be sure what their effects will be.
Smaller businesses need a lot of motivation to effectively communicate their views to local, state and federal officials, who may have different ideas than they have. Democrats will be pushing for more government controls and increased spending that will affect businesses’ bottom line of profits. Republican politicians will undoubtedly counter, for fewer regulations and reduced government spending, but that often comes with fewer controls on irresponsible businesses or with costs to the environment.
For example, on one side, many fishermen want fewer restrictions on the size of their catch. At the same time, many oyster fishermen in the State of Washington now are supporting their governor’s efforts to reduce carbon dioxide in the environment. This is because scientists say the carbon dioxide is raising acid levels in the Pacific Ocean, and is thought to be responsible for the killing of billions of baby oysters in the inlets off the coast of the state. Shellfish on the Atlantic Coast could become equally endangered.
Business people and those who support them will not always agree on either the source of problems facing their industries or possible solutions. What helps one type of business may hurt another. Just the same, businesses need to work together a lot more, to solve their joint concerns.
We need flexible, cooperative thinking to solve legislative problems affecting businesses in the future. The November 2014 election outcomes will offer extraordinary challenges for regulatory action or constraints on businesses. Potential new controls on wages, laws on illegal immigrants, increases on prices of foods, material goods and even jobs, will affect both small and large businesses. Any legislation tied into these outcomes could greatly affect the business climate and our nation’s economy.
Mandated wage increases or higher budget spending will have a powerful effect on business profits; as well as squeezing market economy conditions, since many costs are determined beyond our national borders.
Most small and large businesses feel that many government officials, who make legal decisions affecting businesses, have never had any experience in business themselves. Many do not fully understand or look sympathetically on businesses’ struggles for survival. Few legislative bills pending in Congress, state or local town commissions give adequate notice to businesses on what legislation is in the works and how it will affect them.
Citizens can look up Maine legislators, how they voted on past laws, as well as on pending bills, by contacting the communications director at 287-2531 or by email at peter.a.steele@maine.gov or the governor’s office directly at 287-6548.
Often, small and large businesses find themselves the last ones to make input into pending legislation. When they do testify, businesses should show the benefits for their specific industry and how it could affect the general public, based on facts and past experiences. Businesses should engage in a spirit of mutual cooperation as partners, not political competitors, on all legislative levels.
There are great opportunities to create, influence and make changes in laws affecting business. Remember what Shaw said about the two sources of happiness ”“ not getting what you want and the other, getting it.
November elections could make a big difference, one way or the other.
— Bernard Featherman is a business columnist for the Journal Tribune and former president of the Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce.
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