BUSINESS ALERT: Right now, Congress is onsidering raising new taxes, includign tobacco, to help expand the federal SCHIP expansion.   The timing of such new taxes is awful for business.  Currently small businesses are being slammed on all sides!  

-Oregon gas prices are among nation’s 10 highest!
-Food prices are rising 5%
– Utility prices are rising as high as 40%

The proposed SCHIP tax (tobacco tax) or any product tax is absolutely economically irresponsible in this economic environment and will only hurt Oregon small businesses in a time of growing pressure.  Product taxes are a tax on our goods and our customers.  

Small businesses are the most vulnerable to the increasing price pressures and to new taxes.   These businesses will have no choice but to lay off employees or shut-down when they get priced and taxed out of business.  You cannot fix rising health care costs by increasing costs on small businesses that actually provide health care for their employees.