Turner Hosts Biz Roundtable With Russo

February 14, 2012 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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MARINE PARK — Congressman Bob Turner (R-Southeast Brooklyn/Queens) hosted a Brooklyn small business roundtable with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and local business owners at Brennan & Carr Restaurant, Nostrand Avenue and Avenue U, Tuesday.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. If we don’t help small business growth, we are holding ourselves back from a full economic recovery and resurgence,” Turner said.

“The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and Acting President Rick Russo are doing an exceptional job of recognizing the need for local small business owners to come together and discuss mutual issues facing their businesses and how they can overcome them. I appreciate their efforts in helping to coordinate this important discussion today,” Turner said.

Russo said, “The Brooklyn Chamber would like to thank Congressman Bob Turner for convening this meeting for member businesses for a frank and honest discussion about how we can move the economy forward. This type of dialogue is vital for business leaders and elected officials alike, and we look forward to working with the congressman in the future.”

During the discussion, Turner noted that during his long business career, he found that increased access to capital for businesses and a reduction in government regulation are what is needed to stimulate job growth.

The participants discussed a wide range of issues such as the need to foster homeownership, the need to reduce onerous government regulations, President Obama’s health care program, and the long-term survival of Social Security and Medicare.

Turner noted that according to the Small Business Administration, small businesses (those who employ fewer than 500 employees) employ more than half of all private sector employees and have generated 64 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years.

“It costs small businesses with fewer than 20 employees an estimated $10,585 per employee to comply with federal regulations annually. Nearly two-thirds of the job growth in this country comes from small businesses,” said Turner.

“Currently, there are 4,000 federal regulations in the pipeline to be implemented. This has a dramatic impact on the decision to hire a new employee,” the congressman added. “We must reform the regulatory process and reduce the burdens they place on our small businesses if we are going to get our economy back on track and create jobs.”

Among the other attendees were Bradley Korn of Continuum Health Partners; Gil Cygler, owner of AllCar rent-a-car and co-chair of the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee; Jim Cafiero of Telecom Tech Services; Daryl Finn, general manager of Kings Plaza Shopping Center; Adam Giodano of the Marine Park Golf Course; Jeff Cohen, owner of Top Liquors in Marine Park; and Tom Sullivan of Brennan & Carr’s.