BOISE, Idaho, August 20, 2014—The voice of American small business today endorsed Gov. Butch Otter for re-election, praising his stewardship of the state through one of the toughest economic times in the nation’s history.
“True to his word, Governor Otter held the line on taxes and spending during the most difficult economy in many decades,” said Suzanne Budge, Idaho state director for the National Federation of Independent Business. “In the face of strong criticism, especially from the education establishments, he refused to raise taxes and forced government to live within its means. As a result of his steadfastness, Idaho is better positioned to reap a bigger harvest from an improving economy.”
Last month, NFIB/Idaho conducted a special poll of its membership that found an 89 percent supported the governor’s re-election. The official endorsement of Otter was made by NFIB’s SAFE (Save America’s Free Enterprise) Trust, the association’s political action committee. NFIB has 330,000 dues-paying members across the nation, including 4,500 in Idaho.
“Butch Otter has a long political record, both at the Idaho Statehouse and in Congress, which is well-aligned with the positions of NFIB members,” added Budge. “He has been a stalwart and out-spoken proponent of competition and free-market principles, and has consistently opposed bigger and more burdensome government at all levels. He’s a proven friend of the Main Street enterprises that employ the majority of working Americans and generate almost every new job.”
“Small businesses significantly impact Idaho’s economy,” reports the Office of Advocacy at the U.S. Small Business Administration. “They represent 96.8 percent of all employers and employ 57.7 percent of the private-sector labor force. Small businesses are crucial to the fiscal condition of the state and numbered 147,811 in 2010 … Most of Idaho’s small businesses … have fewer than 20 employees.”
Brief, single-pages of bulleted information on the power of the small-business vote, what a small business is and the distinctions it has from a big business can be found here.
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For more than 70 years, the National Federation of Independent Business has been the Voice of Small Business, taking the message from Main Street to the halls of Congress and all 50 state legislatures. NFIB annually surveys its members on state and federal issues vital to their survival as America’s economic engine and biggest creator of jobs. NFIB’s educational mission is to remind policymakers that small businesses are not smaller versions of bigger businesses; they have very different challenges and priorities.
National Federation of Independent Business/Idaho
802 W. Bannock, Ste. 301
Boise, ID 83702
208-345-6632
