President Barack Obama will address the nation after Labor Day on jobs and the economy. Yahoo! Contributors asked Americans what they'd like to hear from him. Below are some responses.
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In early September, President Barack Obama will reveal his plan to create jobs as many small-business owners continue to be concerned about the future of their companies. Here is what some of them said they hope to hear from the president in his speech.
"I'm not sure anyone can do anything right now except wait out a bad economy. If I could get Obama to do one thing it would be to help small-business owners with getting better loans. It takes money to make money, and it's really hard for a business owner with not-so-great personal credit to make a name for themselves, credit-wise, to make expansions so they can then earn a better credit name for themselves. To be fair, I don't think anyone, not just Obama, really could of done too much with how bad it was when he went into office." -- Jessica Merrifield, owner and operator of The Real Witches (a locally well known and highly reputable psychic reading and spell casting company) in Carson City, Nev.
"The most important thing he can do would be to stop subsidizing Big Agriculture and give those subsidies to small-scale farmers. We are just trying to feed our local communities and to be able to make a living doing it. By allowing Monsanto to continue to poison our food we are hurting everyone in the process." -- Linda Harriman, owner and operator of Sunny Sally Farms in Oakdale, Calif.
"Ending the red tape that it takes to obtain organic certification for a small farm is one of my biggest concerns. Right now, the process serves large-scale operations much more than small ones. Before I undertook the effort to create a small, profitable farm for our community, I had no idea how much red tape and brick walls I would hit along the way." -- Paul Houghton, owner of The Laughing Lady Farm in Eugene, Ore.
"Give tax breaks to the small businesses, and not the wealthy corporations. Small businesses are the back bone of our economy and our communities. Enable us to hire more people and get our local citizens back to work one." -- Robert Moore, owner of Mushrooms and Moore in Carpenterville, Ore.
"Provide more tax incentives for going green. There has been some effort in that already, but I think that is one of the biggest ways he can help. We need to build our economy back up with projects that are sustainable in the long term. Help people to build homes and buildings that are more environmentally friendly and not only will we have more jobs, but a better future. We need more jobs that will not be sent overseas. They need to be here at home, where American citizens can get back to work and have hope for the future again." -- Leah Robinns, owner and manager of a small natural clothing store in Santa Cruz, Calif.
"I spend so much time doing paperwork in order to comply with all of the government regulations in my small business that it takes away from the time I could be marketing and promoting or doing other much more productive things. Helping small businesses by reducing the red tape and regulations would be a big help." -- Michele Harvey, owner of Harvey's Helping Hands in Cleveland, Tenn.
"My biggest issue and concern is taxes. Not just the amount of money that small businesses have to pay, although that is certainly a factor. It is the complexity of the tax code and the time and effort it takes just to try and figure it out and comply. Simplifying the tax code as well as keeping taxes on small businesses to a minimum is key." -- Joy Anderson, co-owner of Anderson and Miller, a small financial consulting business, in Fresno, Calif.
"Make money available to help people create small businesses and put more people in their own communities back to work. It is almost impossible to get a loan and start up a business now. With so many people unable to find work, if they were able to start their own profitable business it would not only take one more person out of the unemployment line, it would have a domino effect by creating more jobs as the business grows." -- Erin England, owner of England's Resumes and More in Longmont, Colo.
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