Letter: Legislation could hurt economy
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There is a draft of federal legislation currently being discussed that could have a devastating impact on consumer choice and our nation’s economy.
The FDA Globalization Act of 2008 is aimed at giving the Food and Drug Administration authority to promulgate new regulations that are supposed to protect consumers and also provide the funding the agency needs to enforce existing laws in a global market.
While no one would argue the importance of protecting consumers, the requirements of this proposed federal legislation will put undue hardship on the small-business owner, forcing many to close their doors.
A recent study commissioned by the U.S. Small Business Administration states that small firms pay 45 percent more to comply with federal mandates than their larger counterparts.
In 2006, the SBA held a conference in New Orleans to discuss the role of small business in rebuilding the economy of the Gulf Coast region after Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Katrina. All noted that entrepreneurial small businesses would play a crucial role in the rebuilding the Gulf Coast region.
I am a small-business owner. If I am forced to pay these unfair and exorbitant fees as suggested in the FDA Globalization Act of 2008, I will have no choice but to go out of business.
If this legislation is passed in its current form, it will have cataclysmic effect not only on my local economy but that of the entire nation.
Should this draft legislation become law, it would take away consumer choice; consumers could only choose between a few huge, big-box stores and brands for their cosmetics and personal-care products. And as we have seen time and time again, fewer consumer choices lead to higher prices.
Elizabeth Hill
small-business owner
Port Allen
The FDA Globalization Act of 2008 is aimed at giving the Food and Drug Administration authority to promulgate new regulations that are supposed to protect consumers and also provide the funding the agency needs to enforce existing laws in a global market.
While no one would argue the importance of protecting consumers, the requirements of this proposed federal legislation will put undue hardship on the small-business owner, forcing many to close their doors.
A recent study commissioned by the U.S. Small Business Administration states that small firms pay 45 percent more to comply with federal mandates than their larger counterparts.
In 2006, the SBA held a conference in New Orleans to discuss the role of small business in rebuilding the economy of the Gulf Coast region after Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Katrina. All noted that entrepreneurial small businesses would play a crucial role in the rebuilding the Gulf Coast region.
I am a small-business owner. If I am forced to pay these unfair and exorbitant fees as suggested in the FDA Globalization Act of 2008, I will have no choice but to go out of business.
If this legislation is passed in its current form, it will have cataclysmic effect not only on my local economy but that of the entire nation.
Should this draft legislation become law, it would take away consumer choice; consumers could only choose between a few huge, big-box stores and brands for their cosmetics and personal-care products. And as we have seen time and time again, fewer consumer choices lead to higher prices.
Elizabeth Hill
small-business owner
Port Allen
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