Plan includes full-time district staffer to help small businesses

Beaufort, SC – Today, Marine combat veteran Rob Miller unveiled his comprehensive plan for economic development in the 2nd Congressional District.  Miller’s plan will invigorate South Carolina’s stagnant economy after years of neglect by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and South Carolina can’t succeed unless small businesses are succeeding,” Miller said.  “While Joe Wilson has been in Washington bailing out Wall Street and giving bonuses to fat-cat CEOs, he has been neglecting hard-working South Carolinians.

“Today, I propose a comprehensive economic development package that will give small businesses the tools they need for success.  South Carolina deserves a representative who will look out for Main Street instead bailing out Wall Street.”

Miller’s economic development proposal includes:

·       A full-time district office employee whose primary job is helping small businesses get grants and loans;

·       A Hometown Tax Credit;

·       A permanent extension of the Research and Development Tax Credit;

·       Incentives for small businesses hiring new employees;

·       Increasing lending to small businesses;

·       Cutting red tape and bureaucracy for small businesses;

·       The Carolina Fund – Creating a venture capital fund to promote innovation;

·       Expanding technical school programs; and

·       Equipping churches and other community organizations to teach workplace skills.

Miller also announced his support for The Trade Reform, Accountability, Development and Employment Act, which will require the Comptroller General to review biennially all free trade agreements to evaluate their economic, environmental, national security, health, safety and other effects, and to report to Congress on their findings.  It would also end expedited consideration of all pending free trade agreements.  The bill has 144 co-sponsors, most of whom are from manufacturing states.

Full Time District Office Employee Responsible For Helping Small Businesses

With small businesses struggling to survive in these challenging times, our representatives in Congress must help local companies access all the federal resources that are available to small business owners.  Once elected, Miller will have a full-time district office employee whose primary responsibility will be working with small businesses to help them access grants and loans.

Hometown Tax Credit for Job Creation

The Hometown Tax Credit will provide a 20 percent tax credit to businesses that expand their payroll and hire additional workers, rewarding companies and small businesses that create jobs right here in South Carolina.

Permanent Extension of the R&D Tax Credit

Private sector research and development has spurred innovation in our economy and helped create good-paying jobs in South Carolina.  The federal research and development tax credit is an important tool in getting our economy back on track, and we should make the R&D tax credit permanent.

Increasing Lending to Small Businesses

To get our economy back on track, Rob Miller supports the establishment of a Small Business Lending Fund, which would take $30 billion in bailout funds repaid to the federal government by big banks to support small business lending through community and smaller banks.

Cutting Red Tape for Small Businesses

The Small Business Administration has been a vital asset to America’s small businesses since the 1950s, and it is crucial that we equip it for the challenges of the 21st Century.  The SBA needs a top-to-bottom review from the perspective a small business owner, not the same old approach designed by career politicians and bureaucrats.

The Carolina Fund:  Creating a Venture Capital Fund to Promote Innovation

As a Congressman, Rob Miller will partner with South Carolina’s business leaders to create the Carolina Fund, a venture capital fund to drive job creation in South Carolina. This would provide enterprising entrepreneurs with the capital necessary to improve and expand their businesses. Companies with proven success and noticeable profit will be rewarded, as will the companies with original and promising ideas.

Expanding Technical School Programs & Community Colleges

Rob Miller will work across party lines to ensure that technical school programs and community colleges are competitive for federal grants and loans.  Miller will also lead the creation of a program under the Small Business Administration that will attract businesses by partnering course offerings with the needs of the 2nd Congressional District.

Communities Building Careers:  Equipping Churches & Other Community Organizations To Teach Workplace Skills

Churches and other local organizations play a vital role in sustaining our communities.  Miller supports the establishment of programs that will provide small grants to churches and other organizations to fund projects that can have a major impact on neighborhoods and families.  These grants would include projects such as literacy education, re-training displaced workers, and teaching business skills.

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