Articles
Maloney Hosts Hearing on Challenges Facing PA Job Creators
House Majority Policy Committee
by Charles Lardner
8/22/2012
EXETER – With the goal of boosting job opportunities for citizens in Berks County and across the Commonwealth, Rep. David Maloney (R-Berks) brought local businesses and educators together to testify before the House Republican Policy Committee on Tuesday.
The hearing, held at the Exeter Community Library, is one of several the committee is holding statewide to identify opportunities to facilitate job growth and eliminate policies that may be hampering economic growth in the Commonwealth.
“As a small businessman myself, I have experienced some of the frustrations of operating a business in our Commonwealth,” Maloney said. “If we are to turn this ship around and create an atmosphere where job opportunities are abundant and the economy is healthy, we need to rid ourselves of the policies that hinder job creation and instead ensure we facilitate job growth. Today’s discussion is an important part of achieving that goal.”
Recurring themes of testimony offered during the hearing were the need for better partnerships among businesses and educational institutions to ensure people are being trained for the types of jobs that are available; improved response to environmental permitting needs and other regulatory hurdles; and additional reforms to address the rising costs of worker’s compensation.
EXETER – With the goal of boosting job opportunities for citizens in Berks County and across the Commonwealth, Rep. David Maloney (R-Berks) brought local businesses and educators together to testify before the House Republican Policy Committee on Tuesday.
The hearing, held at the Exeter Community Library, is one of several the committee is holding statewide to identify opportunities to facilitate job growth and eliminate policies that may be hampering economic growth in the Commonwealth.
“As a small businessman myself, I have experienced some of the frustrations of operating a business in our Commonwealth,” Maloney said. “If we are to turn this ship around and create an atmosphere where job opportunities are abundant and the economy is healthy, we need to rid ourselves of the policies that hinder job creation and instead ensure we facilitate job growth. Today’s discussion is an important part of achieving that goal.”
Recurring themes of testimony offered during the hearing were the need for better partnerships among businesses and educational institutions to ensure people are being trained for the types of jobs that are available; improved response to environmental permitting needs and other regulatory hurdles; and additional reforms to address the rising costs of worker’s compensation.
The one sentiment echoed by every businessperson at the hearing was: “We can fix the economy and create jobs if government just gets out of the way.”
Specifically, businessmen such as Christian Malesic of the Home Builders Association of Berks County articulated how the state Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) myriad of needless and duplicative regulations create a web of unnecessary obstacles to job creation. To illustrate this, a licensed surveyor held up a manual of regulations from 1982 and compared to the current 2012 edition that was more than three times as thick.
“If DEP is doing what you think they should be doing, then we can live with that because we can vote you out of office,” Malesic said. “But, we don’t think they are doing what you think they should be doing – they are out of control.”
So far, this session, lawmakers have worked to address several pro-jobs policies, including comprehensive reforms to the Unemployment Compensation system, regulatory reform to ensure small business has a voice in the process, tax reforms to lower the cost of doing business in the Commonwealth, extension and expansion of Keystone Opportunity Zones and passage of the Fair Share Act to stop lawsuit abuse.
The hearing can be viewed in its entirety at www.PAGOPPolicy.com in the near future.
State Representative David Maloney
130th District, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Charles Lardner
clardner@pahousegop.com
717.260.6443
The hearing can be viewed in its entirety at www.PAGOPPolicy.com in the near future.
State Representative David Maloney
130th District, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Charles Lardner
clardner@pahousegop.com
717.260.6443