Author: calendar

Your Washington – GA 14 – Desk

From Congressman Tom Graves 

NAM and Ball Corporation Honor Rep. Graves for Supporting Manufacturing

Your Washington – GA 14 – Desk From Congressman Tom Graves   the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) awarded Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) the NAM Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence at an event hosted by NAM member company Ball Corporation in Rome, Georgia.

“As a U.S.-based manufacturer with operations in Georgia, as well as around the world, we strive for economic growth that will allow our company, employees, customers and communities to thrive,” said Kevin Kohinke, Rome plant manager, Ball Corporation.“Congratulations to Rep. Graves, whose support of American manufacturing is vital to our community and our industry’s continued growth and long-term success.”

“With Northwest Georgia’s rich history of manufacturing, I’m especially honored to receive the NAM Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence,” said Representative Tom Graves.  “Thousands of people in the 14th District support their families with good-paying manufacturing jobs, and I’ll continue to fight in Washington for policies that help manufacturing grow and flourish.”

“Manufacturing in Georgia and across the country is making a comeback,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “Manufacturers are growing the economy and creating high-paying jobs in a sector that adds $1.32 to the economy for every $1 spent. Rep. Graves understands that leaders in Washington must advance policies that will continue to fuel this economic growth and has consistently supported manufacturers through his votes in Congress.”    

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Your Georgia Desk

From Americans For Prosperity – Georgia

Americans For Prosperity Georgia Has Concerns About Road Funding Plan 

As the “road funding plan” by Rep. Roberts is considered by lawmakers, Americans for Prosperity State Director Michael Harden issued the following statement:

Americans for Prosperity Georgia recognizes the transportation challenges our state faces and supports the legislature in addressing them.

On behalf of our 64,000 activists around the state, we have concerns about the net tax increase, harmful double-taxation, and excessive borrowing included in the current plan. Before asking for an additional dime from taxpayers or further mortgaging our state’s future, lawmakers should put an end to the wasteful spending, over-regulation, and corporate welfare that are costing Georgia taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

AFP-GA believes that transportation infrastructure is best funded primarily by user fees. To that end, we do not believe motorists should be forced to subsidize other modes of transportation, and that taxes paid at the pump should be used exclusively to build and repair the roads and bridges they drive.

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Your Georgia Desk

From Governor Nathan Deal

Deal: Fifth record year for international trade in Georgia  

Gov. Nathan Deal today announced that the state experienced a record increase in both exports and imports for the fifth consecutive year, with a 4.9 percent increase in exports and 11.5 percent increase in imports over last fiscal year’s numbers.

“With our strong and diverse international presence, Georgia is able to successfully support companies in reaching new markets,” said Deal. “Another record-breaking year in international trade indicates that businesses in our state are growing year-over-year. When combined with the ever-increasing value of Georgia’s exports and imports, I am confident that we will continue the trend of more record-breaking international trade in the future.”

According to the Census Bureau, the state maintained its ranking in exports as the 11th-largest exporting state in 2014. Georgia also moved from the eighth largest importing state to the country’s seventh largest importing state. More than 90 percent of Georgia’s total trade was with Asia, Europe and North America. Georgia has international representation in eight of the state’s top 10 export markets.

“Trade is a vital component of economic development in Georgia,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Chris Carr. “These numbers not only reveal that Georgia companies are staying competitive in the global marketplace, but they also underscore how our outstanding international trade team works to build successful relationships with companies, communities and international partners, which in turn helps create jobs and investment opportunities in Georgia.”

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Your Washington – GA 3 – Desk

From Congressman Lynn Westmoreland

Giving Our Farmers a Helping Hand

As the deadline for filing taxes is approaching, the debate over our tax system has resurfaced across America. There is little tax stability when it comes to our current code, especially for business owners and farmers who are trying to run a profitable business. The tax code is far too complex and many businesses want stability in order to grow.

The farming industry is one of the largest industries in our great state, with over 42,000 farms. Georgia farmers provide jobs, locally grown food, and contribute $72.5 billion annually to Georgia’s economy through trade and commerce. However; some of our state’s smaller farms are still trying to compete, and keeping up requires tractors, irrigation systems, and modern equipment. It is difficult for farmers to plan ahead for large purchases when Congress is renewing tax credits in last minute deals on a yearly basis. It makes it hard to plan for the future when the federal government isn’t providing a stable tax code for businesses to rely on.

This week, the House will address expired tax credits by voting on H.R. 629, the Small Business Tax Extenders Act. It will allow for businesses to permanently expense up to $500,000 in equipment costs and other property under Section 179 of our tax code. Large farm equipment usually falls under this threshold, and this tax credit offers a helping hand for their farms to grow.

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Your Georgia Desk

Interview – LG Casey Cagle 

Your Ga Pundit correspondent spoke with LG Casey Cagle at the DeKalb County Lincoln Day Dinner following his keynote address about forward planning leadership and jobs and the workforce:

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Your Washington Desk

From Senator Johnny Isakson

Isakson Defends Middle Class Americans, Small Business Owners against Administration’s Overreach

Isakson on federal labor board decision: ‘If you take away …incentives for corporations to franchise, or in other words, opportunity to middle America, you’re going to make the big guys bigger and the small guys are going to be out of business.’

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today said a federal labor board’s proposal to change the definition of “joint-employer” could destroy a well-established business model that has allowed middle class Americans to live the dream of business ownership, including the 700,000 U.S. small businesses supporting more than 17 million jobs.

Isakson blasted the proposal by the  National Labor Relations Board, or NLRB, to change the joint employer standard, saying it could “make franchising almost impossible because it would take away the benefits of a small entrepreneur being able to start a small business and grow it using a brand name that was established by a major corporation.”

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Your Washington – Ga 14 – Desk

From Congressman Tom Graves 

Rep. Tom Graves Votes to Free Small Businesses from Unnecessary Government

Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) voted this week in favor of two bills that would reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses: the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 (H.R. 527) and the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act (H.R. 50).

H.R. 527 would give Americans employed by small businesses a voice in the government regulatory process, eliminate loopholes the IRS uses to avoid interacting with small businesses, and require agencies to consider the indirect economic effects of regulations. H.R. 527 passed the House by a vote of 260 to 163.

H.R. 50 would require the federal government to consider the impact of unfunded mandates before passing them to state and local governments or the private sector, bringing more transparency to the costs of these mandates. H.R. 50 passed the House by a vote of 250 to 173.

“Millions of people across the country support their families by working at a small business,” said Rep. Tom Graves. “But these small businesses are suffocating under the weight of federal regulations, which currently cost them a whopping $11,000 per employee. By reducing this regulatory burden, we will free small businesses to hire, grow and invest.”

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Your Washington – GA 3 – Desk

From Congressman Lynn Westmoreland

Increasing Government Transparency for Small Businesses

Today, the House passed H.R. 527, the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015. The bill requires federal agencies to consider the economic effects of regulations on small business before imposing extremely burdensome mandates that hinder growth and job creation. Congressman Westmoreland supported this bill.

“As a former small business owner, I know first-hand the important role that small businesses play in our economy and their responsibility for almost all new net job growth in this country,” stated Westmoreland. “During these tough economic times, it is in our nation’s best interest to ensure that small businesses flourish. Washington should be here to work for the people, not against them.

“I will always support legislation that puts freedom, choice, and control back into the hands of small business owners and out of the hands of the federal government. This bill requires federal agencies to receive small businesses’ input before implementing rules, and to examine the cost of new regulations on the owners. I will continue to fight for legislation that removes costly regulations, increases transparency, and cuts through the bureaucratic red tape to help grow small businesses and our nation’s economy.”

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Your Georgia Desk

From The Senate Press Office 

Senators Form Atlanta Delegation

Orrock, Tate to serve as co-chairs

Seven state Senators, concerned about the lack of representation of in-town constituency needs, have formed the Atlanta Senate Delegation.

In their first order of business, the delegation elected Sens. Nan Orrock (D – Atlanta) and Horacena Tate (D – Atlanta) as Co-Chairs and Sen. Elena Parent (D – Atlanta) as Secretary.

“Ensuring the interests of in-town Atlanta citizens are well represented is critical. The creation of the Atlanta Delegation will allow those of us who represent districts within the City of Atlanta to focus on and address the specialized of our urban citizens,” said Sen. Orrock.  “Atlanta is the economic engine of the state and we’ll be engaged in upholding the best interests of Atlanta under the Gold Dome.”

“The formation of this delegation provides us an opportunity to share good ideas and work collaboratively with Senate and House colleagues on local issues. It provides us an additional opportunity to talk through proposed legislation with a specific lens of Atlanta,” said Sen. Tate.

The delegation’s next meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 10 with the Atlanta House Delegation.

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Your Georgia Desk

From The Georgia Ports Authority

A silver Hyundai Genesis rolling down the ramp of the Wallenius Wilhelmsen vessel Isolde became the 5 millionth vehicle handled by International Auto Processing at the Port of Brunswick.

“On behalf of the GPA, I would like to congratulate IAP, a long-time partner at the Port of Brunswick,” said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz. “This important milestone exemplifies IAP’s reliability and the trust automakers have in their service.”

International Auto Processing began its Colonel’s Island operation in 1986, with its first shipment of 567 Yugos (all in red).

“Over the years, more and more carmakers have seen the value in using Colonel’s Island as a gateway to the Southeastern U.S. market, helping IAP and the Port of Brunswick to achieve phenomenal growth over three decades as a ro/ro facility,” said Robert Miller, president and CEO of International Auto Processing.

Having grown to employ 250 full-time workers and up to 100 in flexible staffing, IAP now serves Audi, Bentley, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen. In addition to receiving and storing new vehicles, IAP acts as an extension of the factory floor. The company performs quality checks, installs over 100 various accessories, and washes and prepares the vehicles for transportation to dealers.

“In 2014, we handled more than 450,000 vehicles,” Miller said. “Most of the import vehicles handled by IAP are delivered to the six-state Southeast area, although some customers serve dealerships as far west as Texas and as far north as the mid-Atlantic states.”

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