LETTER: Come On Congress, You're Better Than This

To the Editor:

Let’s do it right this time!

Time and time again we are told by our leaders in Washington that small to mid-size businesses are the mainstay of our economy.  Yet where is the Governmental help for these businesses.  The Federal Government flows money to the States and where does that money end up.  It certainly doesn’t get allocated down to the Cities and Towns.  It ends up in make work projects such as the sound shields being put up on Route 93 adjacent to Andover.  Ask yourself is that really a TOP priority?  Shouldn’t such monies flow down to the Cities and Towns so they can decide what THEIR priority is.

Here is a suggestion.  Why not incentivize small to mid-size businesses to hire folks.

Year 1    $2,000.00 tax credit

Year 2    $1,000.00 tax credit

Year 3    $1,000.00 tax credit

Year 4    $1000.00 tax credit

Year 5    $5,000.00 tax credit 

This gives the businesses some incentive to hire and a BIG carrot at the end of year five so that these people have a reason to keep folks on the payroll.  This could be monitored by the IRS by a simple W-2 with the appropriate paper work.  It isn’t hard and it lets the money end up where it should be.

Come on Congress you folks are better than this!

Jerry Selissen

Tewksbury, MA