U.S. House Candidate David Ratowitz Announces Small Business Listening Tour

From the Ratowitz for 5th District Congress campaign…

Illinois 5th District Republican challenger, frustrated with ‘jobless recovery,’ gathering feedback for alternate economic plan.

CHICAGO – February 15, 2010 – Illinois District 5 U.S. House candidate David Ratowitz today announced that his campaign will undertake a three-month “Small Business Listening Tour.” The initiative, slated to kick off in early March, will involve an extended series of individual consultations with area entrepreneurs, culminating in a proposed economic recovery plan that aims to bolster the disenfranchised small business sector.

“Meetings with 5th District voters during the Primary season certainly revealed deep discontent with the federal government’s stimulus efforts and other top-down programming,” Ratowitz explained. “This listening tour will be about pinpointing the specific concerns of local small business owners – those who create 80 percent of new jobs – and identifying real, tangible economic repairs and policy solutions.

“A ‘jobless recovery’ is not only oxymoronic; it is unacceptable.”

Unemployment in Cook County now exceeds 10 percent, while recessionary job losses and payroll declines nationwide approximate those of the Depression era. Following more than $46 million in debt-generated stimulus spending in Congressional District 5 between October and December 2009, a mere 292.5 jobs were created, according to federal Recovery.gov tracking figures. The majority of all stimulus-subsidized jobs are in the public sector.

According to the National Federation of Independent Businesses February “Small Business Economic Trends Report,” “Optimism has clearly stalled in spite of the improvements in the economy in the second half of 2009. Small business owners entered 2010 the same way they left 2009 – depressed.”

“Advocacy groups like the NFIB are sounding the clarion call.” Ratowitz noted. “It is imperative that I personally meet with small business owners across the 5th District to gain a first-hand account of the current local business climate. I look forward to it.”

District 5 entrepreneurs interested in participating in the Ratowitz for Congress Small Business Listening Tour are invited and encouraged to contact the campaign at (773) 897-5800.

Small business owner, Army veteran and conservative activist David Ratowitz is the Republican challenger for Illinois Congressional District 5 representative. The Ratowitz for Congress campaign platform advocates a limited federal government, low taxes, fiscal discipline and accountability, free markets and individual liberty. Learn more at www.ratowitzforcongress.com.

*Read NFIB’s “Small Business Trends Report” here http://www.nfib.com/Portals/0/PDF/sbet/sbet201002.pdf


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