Paul Leonard of Vancouver Business Journal, in a piece dated yesterday:
One of the reasons behind his “No” vote, according to Baird, was that there was not enough time to consider Republican amendments to the legislation – a concern apparently held without regard to the GOP-led chants of “Kill the Bill” outside the Capitol last week.
As written here and here, the spiraling cost of employee healthcare coverage is the number one issue for small businesses – one that threatens the survival of those lucky or nimble enough to get this far through the deepest and most prolonged recession in 60 years.
These are concerns that Baird, as evidenced by VBJ’s Q&A with the Congressman last September, shares with his business constituency – making his vote against the healthcare bill all the more puzzling.
Small business is frequently hailed in campaign ads as the backbone of the American economy, if not its soul. Which is fine, as thriving small businesses hold the promise of future breakthroughs in technology and industry.
So it’s kind of strange that the national debate hasn’t featured more talk about the sometimes insurmountable challenges small businesses face when it comes to health care insurance. They need reform as badly as anyone.
Unlike almost anywhere else (that matters) in WA, Rep Baird has a very wacked constituency (excepting Thurston County which manages to keep a D in this seat) as evidenced by the results map for I-1033:
http://vote.wa.gov/Elections/W.....de=Results
Of course, they’d vote against him no matter how he voted, so he’s still a fucking coward.
Another problem with the media being mostly owned by big business, they just don’t care about small business. Of course most new jobs are created by small businesses.
Provide healthcare. Pony up and do it. Every dollar you spend on employee healthcare is equal to $10 in pay in their minds. It say’s that you’re investing in their health and safety…