As a small business owner myself, I am honored to have earned a high score on the NFIB scorecard, demonstrating that I have fought hard against job-killing measures that will make the cost of doing business in California more expensive, Gaines said. One of my main priorities in 2010 is improving the economic climate in California for job-creating small businesses and bringing jobs back to our state.
The National Federal of Independent Business is the leading advocate for small businesses in California and across the country. The 2009 NFIB legislative scorecard ranked the voting records of state lawmakers on issues of importance to small businesses in California, such as imposing expensive new mandates and higher costs and taxes that make it more expensive for small businesses to stay in operation and retain jobs here.
Small businesses account for 99.2 percent of the employers in California. In their most recent survey, the Small Business and Entrepreneurial Council found that California has the fifth-worst tax system for entrepreneurship and small businesses in the entire nation. Forbes magazine rated California as being the state with the highest business costs in the entire country.

Only by passing policies that lower costs for small businesses struggling to keep their heads above water will our troubled economy begin to recover, Gaines said. In the weeks ahead, I will be working with my colleagues in both the Assembly and Senate to put California jobs first by proposing several common-sense measures to help stop oppressive regulations and lower costs and put in place incentives to encourage small businesses to come back to California.

To review the National Federation of Independent Business 2009 legislative scorecard, visit http://www.nfib.com/Portals/0/PDF/AllUsers/states/CA/CA2009VR02-23-2010.pdf.
Assemblyman Ted Gaines represents the 4th Assembly District, which includes portions of Placer, El Dorado, Sacramento and Alpine Counties.