In talking with a variety of business owners I have repeatedly heard that their reason for not hiring more people, buying new equipment, pursuing new strategic initiatives, or acquiring other companies is because of their level of discomfort primarily with government policy. At the local, state, and federal government level every day new proposals are being made that are causing increased economic uncertainty amongst the business community (healthcare bill, financial reform, etc.).
On Forbes.com in an article titled “It’s Time to Bring Back Jobs” Lee Ohanian, professor of economics at UCLA echos this: ”Any business leaders I speak with has the same reaction when I ask why companies aren’t hiring. They say either that they have a negative forecast of the future, partially reflecting government policymakers who have instilled in the public a negative outlook, or they are uncertain of the future.”
In order to have a more robust recovery, businesses and entrepreneurs need a more stable and predictable political climate.
