The estate tax was debated on Capitol Hill last week and the NCPA had a front row seat.  The House Small Business Committee held a hearing “Small Businesses and the Estate Tax: Identifying Reforms to Meet the Needs of Small Firms and Family Farmers” where I testified about the need to eliminate the estate tax because it is:

• ANTI-family- Does not allow parents to pass their hard work and wealth on to their children
• ANTI-farm- Farms are especially vulnerable because they hold vast amounts of land which are subject to the estate tax as they are passed from generation to generation
• ANTI-small business- Hurts small businesses that don’t enjoy the same tax shelters and benefits as large corporations

Small business owners and family farmers have large investments in infrastructure and many don’t have the large capital assets they need to pay the tax, and many times are forced to sell the business just to meet their financial obligations. 

Our small businesses are struggling.  They are struggling to keep their doors open, their employees paid and access to capital flowing.  They don’t need any more taxes – not now and not when they die.   What do you think?

This week the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Resolution 768, expressing support for the designation of the month of October as “National Work and Family Month.”  It is a simple resolution that does a few good things:

• Recognizes the importance of balancing work and family to job productivity and healthy families;
• Recognizes that an important job characteristic is a work schedule that allows employees to spend time with families;
• Supports the goals and ideals of `National Work and Family Month’, and urges public officials, employers, employees, and the general public to work together to achieve more balance between work and family; and
• Requests that the President issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe `National Work and Family Month’ with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

Nearly everyone understands that our work force is dramatically different than it was decades ago.  The findings included in the House Resolution also make the point that “85 percent of United States wage and salaried workers have immediate, day-to-day family responsibilities outside their jobs and job flexibility allows parents to be more involved in their children’s lives.”

Unfortunately House Resolutions have little teeth – they are good talking points and certainly help to bring attention to important issues.  But Congress needs to take this resolution one step further and actually support and pass policies that back up these ideas, without imposing new mandates on our businesses.

For one, we need more flexible work arrangements – as the Resolution suggests.  Many families struggle to balance work and family, making sure they have enough time off to care for a sick child or attend a soccer game.  We need to give private sector hourly employees the option to take time off in lieu of overtime wages, a benefit that our federal government employees have enjoyed for three decades. 

Working families, men and women, will continue to re-shape and re-define our workforce.  We need to make sure that our laws can keep up with the changes.  What do you think?

I just returned from a week in Washington, D.C.  As usual, I am always amazed at the enormous waste of spending that goes on in the halls of Congress.  When I walk those halls, I am proud of our country yet see things going on there that astounds me.  For example, lobbyists hanging  around in every congressional doorway, youngsters making decisions on pieces of legislation that impact all of us, and hundreds of government employees scurrying about to conduct the nation's business.  One of my most enjoyable times when I am there is talking to taxi cab drivers.  They can tell you what is really going on!  They tell me times are slow, they are much more aggressive in their marketing, they are worldly and can voice their opinion on just about any world topic and seem to have a grasp on all the dynamics in Iraq or Afghanistan or Pakistan.  Many are very intelligent.

While in the District, I met with the media, congressional aides, and academia.  They asked me on several occasions, "what do small business owners want and why aren't small business owners using their voices more to articulate their needs and wants."  I told them that most small business owners I speak to want to be left alone to build their businesses and innovate and create new jobs.  Their response to me?  Then, why aren't they using their voices more on these critical issues that congress is discussing which will have a profound effect on their businesses?  I have always believed that change can happen if 24 million small business owners come together with one voice!  But that is a tough coalition to organize.  If you run a business and you're not involved in public policy; then public policy will run your business.  There are a lot of issues being pushed right now.  Small business owners need to weigh in on these issues and voice their opinion.  They have enough clout to make a difference!

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The new Administration is trying to make good on their campaign promise to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) from companies that employ 50 or more workers to cover businesses with as few as 25 employees. 

Who is this going to hurt?  Most small businesses who are struggling to keep their doors open during the current economic downturn.  And, it will have a devastating impact on our non-profit sector, many of who can least afford these new mandates.

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H.R. 626 (sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney/Oversight and Government Reform Committee) passed the House by a vote of 258-154 last week.  Congresswoman Maloney is an advocate for federal employees to have paid parental leave. While this is not directly one of NCPA's Family Policy Center issues, it may mean the whole "leave" issue/debate will get traction which could include the private sector being mandated to do the same.

Currently, federal employees are guaranteed 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth or adoption of a child.  HR 626 would allow federal employees to substitute 4 weeks of paid leave and expands coverage to foster children as well.  It is estimated by the Congressional Budget Office that this bill will cost roughly $1 billion over the next five years.  This bill pertains ONLY TO FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.  At a time when all families are struggling to find and keep jobs, should the private sector be asked to pick up the tab for a benefit that many of them do not have?  This bill now heads to the Senate. 

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I received this response from Nancy L. Sander of Counseling-Based Estate Planning on a comment I recently posted on her article about women and estate planning:

Thank you for commenting on my article. Another story from my personal experience – when IRAs were first introduced in the 70's I was a homemaker.  I could only put aside $1,250.00 per year.  The $2,500.00 had to be split between Husband and Wife.  Homemakers are much devalued in society even though they are tackling the toughest job – preparing their children for the world.

As my article and your website point out, women are in and out of the workplace because of family responsibilities.  This certainly remains true today, and today's mothers are under pressure to earn money for their families as well as their household responsibilities. 

Often they later find themselves divorced through no fault of their own, and totally lacking adequate retirement funds.  This all needs to be considered when planning their estates.

I recently spoke at the Sumner’s Public Policy Conference in Dallas, TX where some of the brightest young men and women engaged in public policy discussions.  To name just some of the attendees:  students from the University of Dallas, University of N. Texas, Howard Payne, Schreiner University, and Austin College all responded during Q&A with intelligent and insightful dialogue.  I lectured about the work I am currently doing with the Family Policy Center. 

During the panel discussion with Dr. Betty Spence, President of the National Association of Female Executives, the discussion turned to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).  Dr. Spence informed the students that the Obama Administration wants to expand the act to cover businesses with 25 or more employees and she believes this is a great move (the FMLA to date, applies to all private-sector employers who employed 50 or more employees in 20 or more workweeks in the current or preceding calendar year and who engaged in commerce or in any industry or activity affecting commerce, and public agencies, including: state, local, & federal employers, local education agencies-schools).  The act provides employees with 12 weeks of unpaid family or medical leave during any 12 month period.

Obama desires to expand the FMLA and make some modifications to include:  allowing workers to take leave for elder care needs; allowing parents up to 24 hours of leave each year to participate in their children’s academic activities at school; allowing leave to be taken for purposes of caring for individuals who reside in their home for 6 months or more; and expanding FMLA to cover leave for employees to address domestic violence and sexual assault. 

President-Elect Obama wants to expand paid sick days.  Half of all private sector workers have no paid sick days and the problem is worse for employees in low-paying jobs, where less than a quarter receive any paid sick days. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will require that employers provide seven paid sick days per year.  Finally, Betty informed the students that Obama wants to encourage states to adopt paid leave.  As president, Barack Obama will Read the rest of this entry »

This month continues to be hectic and heavy traveling.  I went from Washington, D.C.'s congressional briefing to Orange County, California. While In California, I met with the Orange County News, did a radio show on the Frank Peters Small Business Show and spent almost three hours talking with Entrepreneur Magazine and Women Entrepreneur.Com.  All these interviews covered the family friendly policies agenda and the current state of the economy for small business.

Tomorrow, I will head to Dallas for the Atlas Economic Research Foundation International Conference and NCPA's 25^th Anniversary Celebration.  Luckily on this trip, I am able to take my husband,  Earl.  We recently celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary at the Grand Canyon.  It will be exciting to celebrate the NCPA's great work over the last 25 years.  Their free market, economic freedom agenda has provided years of progress for this country.

I returned home from Washington, D.C. Thursday afternoon.  Exhausted but exhilarated about the work we are doing for the Family Policy Center!  Follow-up begins immediately! 

While I was in DC, I did three or four radio interviews (brain can't remember at this point) and a TV interview.  All of the interviews were focused on what the Family Policy Center is doing on family friendly policies and helping small businesses with less government intervention.  On Wednesday morning just prior to the congressional briefing, I did an interview on the National Small Biz Advocate Show with Jim Blasingame.   Jim is a long time friend of mine and great supporter of my work with the NCPA.  I was able to share about the NCPA Family Center initiative, as well as discuss small business as it relates to the Presidential candidates.   
 

Some other highlights from my DC trip:  We had a wonderful dinner at Filomena in Georgetown.  It was a terrific "get acquainted" dinner with about 10 women from California to Florida to New York and Texas!  The following morning we had breakfast and walked to the Capitol for the congressional briefing.  The briefing room was packed with congressional staffers and women from around the country and in fact the world.  Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers spoke about her Family Friendly legislation; Bonnie Erbé host of To the Contrary, spoke about her efforts over the past 30 years working on family friendly workplaces. There were lots of questions, some suggestions, and much follow up work to do.   

After the briefing, Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers hosted a lunch the Members Dining Hall for the NCPA supporters and several international women business leaders.  After lunch, I left for an interview with a Fox producer and the rest of our delegation attended meetings with Congresswoman Kay Granger, Rep. Pete Sessions. &  Rep. Sam Graves.  There was a tour of the Capitol later that afternoon that some of the NCPA supporters experienced. 

Lou Anne Jensen and Marti Carlin and I had dinner at Union Station Wednesday evening and started discussing the memories of 9/11.  Thursday morning found us leaving EARLY for the airport as dozens of roads and highways were closing for the Pentagon Memorial 9/11 dedication. 

Whew, all that in just a little over 24 hour period of time.  I would love to hear about your thoughts on the DC briefing and events surrounding, so, post a comment on the blog-let's hear it from you! 

On Sept. 1st I spoke with Mark Davis on WBAP News/talk 820 during his show.  Click the link below and listen as I share about McCain's VP pick, Gov. Sarah Palin, and why it's the "best news for American families! 

https://exch.ncpa.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://newsletter.ncpa.org/podcast/090108_TN_WBAP_Mark_Davis.mp3

WHO IS MARK DAVIS? He's the host of the most popular local talk show in Dallas/Ft. Worth that has recently launched national syndication.  Mark Davis took the Metroplex by storm in March, 1994 when he arrived at WBAP.  After eight years as a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Mark joined the op-ed page of the Dallas Morning News in 2004. He is a regular guest discussing current events on KDFW Fox 4's "Good Day," and is invited often to discuss news events on Fox News, CNN and MSNBC.