On March 21, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the President’s health-care bill by just seven votes. Two days later, the president signed the bill into law. As a result of this law, medical-device companies will be required to pay a 2.3 percent tax on the sales of medical devices beginning in January 2013. Recently, Welch Allyn, a global medical device and solutions company headquartered in Skaneateles, announced that it would lay off 275 employees, or 10 percent of its work force, over the next three years as a direct result of this new tax. 

This tax, one of 21 in the president’s health-care law, unfairly burdens medical-device companies and, as demonstrated by Welch Allyn, will drive jobs from our local community. During these challenging economic times, the government should be implementing policies that help the economy grow jobs and keep American workers employed. The medical-device tax is an egregious, misguided policy that damages the Central New York economy and negatively affects our local community.

Members of the House of Representatives rightly recognized the impact that the tax will have on the medical-device industry and, in June of this year passed H.R. 436, on a bipartisan basis, to repeal the tax. The Senate has failed to take up the bill for consideration.

The medical-device tax is a clear example of the detrimental effect the health-care law is having on businesses and hard-working Americans across the country. It also makes a strong case for why health-care reform, while undoubtedly needed, cannot be achieved in a massive 2,000 page bill. Reforms must be developed incrementally so that we ensure we are not further burdening small businesses and are actually increasing access to quality, affordable health care.

Last April, President Obama signed into law H.R. 4, which repealed the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) 1099 reporting requirement for small businesses. At the time, I commended him for doing the right thing. Once again, the U.S. Senate and president have an opportunity to stand for small businesses and repeal another onerous aspect of the ACA, the medical-device tax. I have urged President Obama and Senate leadership to pass this vitally important legislation and sign it into law before this tax does any further damage.

No nation has ever taxed itself into prosperity, but with the implementation of the medical-device tax looming, we now see that a nation can tax people into unemployment. As I said in one of my recent town hall meetings, as a member of Congress, if something is not good for your district, you do not vote for it. It’s that simple, because at the end of the day, this is not about politics; this is about saving upstate New York jobs. It is about investing in American manufacturing; it is about protecting small businesses and health-care providers. Most importantly, it is about saving lives. We must repeal this ill-considered tax and keep our medical-device companies, like Welch Allyn, alive and prospering.       

Ann Marie Buerkle (R–Onondaga) represents the current 25th Congressional District of New York, which will become the 24th District. The new district encompasses all of Onondaga, Cayuga, and Wayne counties, and part of Oswego County.

Do you get tired of politicians talking about how many jobs they have created? Or how few jobs their opponents have created? The president claims his administration has created so many million jobs. And Gov. Romney says his policies will create so many million jobs.

They speak rubbish. 

If government creates a job, it does so with money it takes from someone. It takes it from individual taxpayers. It takes it from businesses — as taxpayers. 

What do you suppose people and businesses would have done with the money that government took? Would they have baked it into casseroles? People would have spent it, which would have created jobs. People would have invested it, which would have produced jobs. Businesses would have done the same, thus creating jobs.

But they did not, because government took that money and tried to create jobs with it. There have been many studies that have concluded this: Government is the least efficient in creating anything, including jobs. Individuals and businesses are far more efficient than government. So why not leave more money with them? And stop taxing it away?

The best way government can help an economy is by getting out of the way of its people. By getting off their backs. By truly reducing the regulations and red tape.

This is not brain surgery. Everywhere you look, government slows business. It impedes business. It does not mean to, but it does.

You want to make a few bucks braiding hair for your neighbors? Hey, you could start a business braiding hair. Nope, it’s against the law. You must take some courses, get a certificate, and pay for a license — to braid hair.

You want to leave your job to start a business? You don’t dare, because you would have to leave your health insurance behind.

Who says you cannot take it with you? Government. 

Why is basic health care so expensive? Because governments insist that health-insurance policies cover 10,000 different ailments and services. You ought to be able to pick and choose from basic ingredients in a policy. Maybe you don’t want to pay for coverage of illnesses and diseases that only a tiny number of people get. Well, there ain’t no maybes. Governments force you to pay. 

And, governments won’t allow a less costly policy from Idaho to be sold to you in New York. All this government interference makes insurance too expensive — for employers, for small-business owners. These are the people we expect will create jobs for us.

Here is another reason your business will cost more than it should. You have to pay huge amounts for liability insurance. Why huge? Because government won’t reform the laws that let people sue you for millions when they stub their toes on your sidewalk.

In thousands of ways, government impedes business. And thereby, it lowers the growth of our economy and the growth in the number of jobs.

The politicians jabber on about jobs, jobs, jobs. The best thing they can do for jobs in this country is to shrink, shrink, shrink government. Trim its tentacles, and get it out of the way of thousands of corners of the economy where it impedes.

From Tom…as in Morgan.       

Tom Morgan writes about financial, political, and other subjects from his home near Oneonta, in addition to his radio shows and new TV show. For more information about him, visit his website at www.tomasinmorgan.com