Digital Future Brings Opportunities for Jobs, Education, Health Care
URBANA, Illinois – Jobs, education and the challenges of bringing broadband to rural Illinois will be among the topics of the Central Illinois Regional Broadband Summit on Wednesday, October 12 at the University of Illinois.
National and statewide leaders and elected officials will come together at the summit, sponsored by Partnership for a Connected Illinois (PCI), to review public and private investment in broadband and high-speed internet, and to discuss opportunities for the future. Representatives of two broadband projects in central Illinois, the Illinois Century Network and Urbana Champaign Big Broadband (UC2B), will share progress reports and detail the ways the investments can make a significant difference in the lives of people both locally and statewide.
Companies that have made significant investments in broadband will also participate in the summit, including AT&T, Champaign Telephone Company, Comcast, Consolidated Communications, and Frontier Communications. Representatives of each company will highlight their investments in broadband and discuss their views on how citizens and communities can benefit from access to broadband and high-speed internet.
Featured speakers will include Rep. Connie Howard (D-Chicago) the sponsor of legislation creating the Illinois Century Network; Sen. Mike Frerichs (D-Champaign); Rep. Naomi Jakobsson (D-Urbana); and Kevin Johnson of the office of U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson (R-IL). At the summit, Representative Howard will be recognized for her leadership efforts to eliminate the digital divide in Illinois.
“Illinois is in a race with other states and nations to develop broadband and high-speed internet in our communities,” said Drew Clark, executive director of PCI.
“Broadband and high speed internet are among the most significant infrastructure investments of our time, equating to improved health care, more jobs and a better education for our citizens,” said Clark. “Better broadband means better lives,” Clark added. ”Investments in broadband are vital to help our communities prosper, to help people live longer and healthier lives, and to bring essential education programs to areas that are currently economically disadvantaged.”
The Central Illinois Regional Broadband Summit will be held on Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), 1205 W. Clark St., Urbana, on the campus of the University of Illinois. PCI held similar earlier this year in Naperville and Carbondale. Following is a schedule of related events, all of which will be at the NCSA:
9:00 a.m - Noon – Research Symposium featuring Broadband Researchers
1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. – Central Illinois Regional Broadband Summit
On Thursday morning, the Governor’s Broadband Deployment Council will meet from 9:00 a.m. until Noon, also at the NCSA. Two remote participation sites for the BDC meeting are also open to the public, one in Springfield and the other in Chicago.
Both days events will be streamed live on the internet via PCI's website.
Additional information about the summit and related events, including registration information, can be found on PCI’s website, http://www.broadbandillinois.org. The registration page is http://broadbandillinois.org/calendar/1.
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Showing posts with label small business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small business. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Rep Aaron Schock Schock Introduces Jobs Bill Aimed at Helping Veterans
from Rep Schock's office..
Legislation will help Veterans Realize American Dream of Starting a Small Business
Washington, DC – Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) has introduced legislation that will help veterans purchase small businesses. The Help Veterans Own Franchises Act, H.R. 2888, helps a veteran reduce the cost of owning a franchise by offering a tax discount to offset the associated franchise fees.
“There are close to 900,000 unemployed veterans in the United States. These individuals are highly skilled, well trained and motivated; qualities that make successful business owners. These veterans can provide the type of leadership we need to help create jobs and lead us toward an economic recovery,” said Schock, a member of the Ways and Means committee, the chief tax writing committee in the House. “By providing this financial incentive to veterans who want to open a franchise, we can grow our nation’s small businesses and stimulate economic growth.”
Schock first introduced his veterans’ jobs legislation last Congress as a member of the small business committee. He has again introduced the legislation with his colleague from Iowa, Democrat Leonard Boswell, a twenty year Army veteran and helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He was encouraged to reintroduce the legislation again this year because of the large number of veterans who have already returned home and who are scheduled to return by the end of the year from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While the unemployment rate among post-9/11 veterans has improved in recent months, from a high of 13.3 percent in July down to 9.8 percent in August, it’s still above the national average of 9.1 percent, and Schock stresses more can and must be done for returning veterans.
According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for veterans who served in the military at any time since September 2001 was 11.5 percent in 2010. Nearly 2.5 million men and women have left active duty in the Armed Forces since September 2001, accounting for 11 percent of the total U.S. veterans’ population. In Illinois, the unemployment rate among veterans was 9.8 percent in 2010. Many are concerned that while the economy continues to struggle, returning veterans will be faced with the daunting task of finding a job or seeking the training needed to find employment in the citizen world, and this problem is only expected to worsen.
Every year 200,000 active Armed Forces members are discharged and become veterans. Those numbers are only projected to increase as tens of thousands of service men and women return from deployment in Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations around the world. Every year, 100,000 guard and reserve forces come back and are entering the workforce looking for a job. Veterans aged 18-24 are hit particularly hard with an unemployment rate of over 30 percent and those 25-29 have an unemployment rate of over 12 percent. A new report from the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC) entitled, “Meeting the Needs of Veterans in Today’s Labor Force,” finds that veterans who have served on active duty since September 2001 face the highest unemployment rate among all veterans. Schock uses this report as a prime example for the need for additional congressional action to help veterans transition from military service to the civilian workforce.
The Help Veterans Own Franchises Act encourages veteran small business franchise ownership by providing a tax credit to veterans worth 25% of the franchise fees associated with the opening up of a new franchise, up to $100,000.
A recent report from the Small Business Administration (SBA) found that military service is highly correlated with self employment and business ownership and that veterans are at least 45 percent more likely to be self employed business owners than the general population. Another study found that one out of every seven franchise businesses are owned and operated by a veteran; this translates into more than 66,000 veteran owned businesses providing 815,000 jobs and roughly $41 billion in GDP. Overall there are roughly 2.5 million veteran owned firms employing almost six million people.
“Our veterans of all generations have been asked to make untold sacrifices in service to our country,” said Schock. “As the economy continues to struggle and our unemployment rate is stubbornly stuck above nine percent, we should be doing all we can to help incentivize the development and growth of small businesses. I believe this bill sends a strong message not only to our veterans that we are looking out for them when they return home, but that Washington is serious about job creation. This is the type of signal Congress can send to show that we want to put job creation in the hands of those who know how to do it best, and that’s not the federal government.”
This week, Senator Robert Casey of Pennsylvania introduced similar legislation in the Senate. Schock’s legislation has been referred to the House Ways and Means committee for further consideration, and he is hopeful the committee will take action on his legislation in the near future.
Legislation will help Veterans Realize American Dream of Starting a Small Business
Washington, DC – Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) has introduced legislation that will help veterans purchase small businesses. The Help Veterans Own Franchises Act, H.R. 2888, helps a veteran reduce the cost of owning a franchise by offering a tax discount to offset the associated franchise fees.
“There are close to 900,000 unemployed veterans in the United States. These individuals are highly skilled, well trained and motivated; qualities that make successful business owners. These veterans can provide the type of leadership we need to help create jobs and lead us toward an economic recovery,” said Schock, a member of the Ways and Means committee, the chief tax writing committee in the House. “By providing this financial incentive to veterans who want to open a franchise, we can grow our nation’s small businesses and stimulate economic growth.”
Schock first introduced his veterans’ jobs legislation last Congress as a member of the small business committee. He has again introduced the legislation with his colleague from Iowa, Democrat Leonard Boswell, a twenty year Army veteran and helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He was encouraged to reintroduce the legislation again this year because of the large number of veterans who have already returned home and who are scheduled to return by the end of the year from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While the unemployment rate among post-9/11 veterans has improved in recent months, from a high of 13.3 percent in July down to 9.8 percent in August, it’s still above the national average of 9.1 percent, and Schock stresses more can and must be done for returning veterans.
According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for veterans who served in the military at any time since September 2001 was 11.5 percent in 2010. Nearly 2.5 million men and women have left active duty in the Armed Forces since September 2001, accounting for 11 percent of the total U.S. veterans’ population. In Illinois, the unemployment rate among veterans was 9.8 percent in 2010. Many are concerned that while the economy continues to struggle, returning veterans will be faced with the daunting task of finding a job or seeking the training needed to find employment in the citizen world, and this problem is only expected to worsen.
Every year 200,000 active Armed Forces members are discharged and become veterans. Those numbers are only projected to increase as tens of thousands of service men and women return from deployment in Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations around the world. Every year, 100,000 guard and reserve forces come back and are entering the workforce looking for a job. Veterans aged 18-24 are hit particularly hard with an unemployment rate of over 30 percent and those 25-29 have an unemployment rate of over 12 percent. A new report from the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC) entitled, “Meeting the Needs of Veterans in Today’s Labor Force,” finds that veterans who have served on active duty since September 2001 face the highest unemployment rate among all veterans. Schock uses this report as a prime example for the need for additional congressional action to help veterans transition from military service to the civilian workforce.
The Help Veterans Own Franchises Act encourages veteran small business franchise ownership by providing a tax credit to veterans worth 25% of the franchise fees associated with the opening up of a new franchise, up to $100,000.
A recent report from the Small Business Administration (SBA) found that military service is highly correlated with self employment and business ownership and that veterans are at least 45 percent more likely to be self employed business owners than the general population. Another study found that one out of every seven franchise businesses are owned and operated by a veteran; this translates into more than 66,000 veteran owned businesses providing 815,000 jobs and roughly $41 billion in GDP. Overall there are roughly 2.5 million veteran owned firms employing almost six million people.
“Our veterans of all generations have been asked to make untold sacrifices in service to our country,” said Schock. “As the economy continues to struggle and our unemployment rate is stubbornly stuck above nine percent, we should be doing all we can to help incentivize the development and growth of small businesses. I believe this bill sends a strong message not only to our veterans that we are looking out for them when they return home, but that Washington is serious about job creation. This is the type of signal Congress can send to show that we want to put job creation in the hands of those who know how to do it best, and that’s not the federal government.”
This week, Senator Robert Casey of Pennsylvania introduced similar legislation in the Senate. Schock’s legislation has been referred to the House Ways and Means committee for further consideration, and he is hopeful the committee will take action on his legislation in the near future.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Report Shows Small Businesses Lack Choices in Health Insurance Market
From the Office of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin
[WASHINGTON D.C.] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senators Olympia J. Snowe, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Christopher S. Bond (R-Mo.) and Blanche L. Lincoln (D-Ark.) today announced the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that highlighted a lack of competition in the small group health insurance market, leaving American small businesses with few choices when it comes to securing meaningful, affordable health care coverage options for their employees. The lawmakers requested the report from GAO, which confirmed the consolidation of the small group health insurance marketplace has increased markedly. Specifically, the report found that the five largest carriers in the small group market, when combined, represented at least three-quarters of the market in 34 of the 39 states responding to the survey, and they represent 90 percent or more in 23 of these states.
“Competition is crucial to making health insurance more affordable for small businesses,” said Senator Durbin. “But in my home state of Illinois, competition is scarce – the five largest insurance companies own eighty-two percent of the market. Nationwide, this problem is growing and health insurance is becoming increasingly unaffordable for small business owners. I plan to join with Senators Snowe and Lincoln to reintroduce legislation – The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Act – that will increase competition and bring down the cost of health insurance for small businesses. As uncertainty about our economic future remains, I hope Congress will make this legislation a priority during the health care reform debate.”
“Access to affordable health insurance remains a top concern for small businesses in Maine and across the country, and this GAO report provides stark data highlighting the challenges we still face in confronting this crisis,” said Senator Snowe. “The sad truth remains that small group insurance markets continue to lack real competition among insurers. No competition means higher costs, and higher costs translate to no health insurance. That’s why I am working with Senators Durbin, Lincoln, and others to re-introduce the Small Business Health Options Program Act, or SHOP Act. This legislation would inject much-needed competition into dysfunctional insurance markets, and provide a range of affordable new coverage options for small businesses and the self-employed.”
“It’s Economics 101, less competition in health insurance will mean fewer choices and higher costs,” said Senator Bond. “Congress should act now to make it easier for our small businesses to provide workers and their families with health insurance.”
“The majority of uninsured Americans are self-employed individuals and employees of small businesses,” Senator Lincoln said. “I’ve heard from several small business owners in Arkansas who desperately want to offer health insurance to their employees because they know it helps with recruitment, retention, employee performance, and the overall success of the business, but they have found it increasingly unaffordable. Our bipartisan SHOP bill will allow us to begin to address the needs of the millions of working uninsured Americans whose top priority is access to quality and affordable health care for their families.”
The GAO report found that:
[WASHINGTON D.C.] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senators Olympia J. Snowe, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Christopher S. Bond (R-Mo.) and Blanche L. Lincoln (D-Ark.) today announced the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that highlighted a lack of competition in the small group health insurance market, leaving American small businesses with few choices when it comes to securing meaningful, affordable health care coverage options for their employees. The lawmakers requested the report from GAO, which confirmed the consolidation of the small group health insurance marketplace has increased markedly. Specifically, the report found that the five largest carriers in the small group market, when combined, represented at least three-quarters of the market in 34 of the 39 states responding to the survey, and they represent 90 percent or more in 23 of these states.
“Competition is crucial to making health insurance more affordable for small businesses,” said Senator Durbin. “But in my home state of Illinois, competition is scarce – the five largest insurance companies own eighty-two percent of the market. Nationwide, this problem is growing and health insurance is becoming increasingly unaffordable for small business owners. I plan to join with Senators Snowe and Lincoln to reintroduce legislation – The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Act – that will increase competition and bring down the cost of health insurance for small businesses. As uncertainty about our economic future remains, I hope Congress will make this legislation a priority during the health care reform debate.”
“Access to affordable health insurance remains a top concern for small businesses in Maine and across the country, and this GAO report provides stark data highlighting the challenges we still face in confronting this crisis,” said Senator Snowe. “The sad truth remains that small group insurance markets continue to lack real competition among insurers. No competition means higher costs, and higher costs translate to no health insurance. That’s why I am working with Senators Durbin, Lincoln, and others to re-introduce the Small Business Health Options Program Act, or SHOP Act. This legislation would inject much-needed competition into dysfunctional insurance markets, and provide a range of affordable new coverage options for small businesses and the self-employed.”
“It’s Economics 101, less competition in health insurance will mean fewer choices and higher costs,” said Senator Bond. “Congress should act now to make it easier for our small businesses to provide workers and their families with health insurance.”
“The majority of uninsured Americans are self-employed individuals and employees of small businesses,” Senator Lincoln said. “I’ve heard from several small business owners in Arkansas who desperately want to offer health insurance to their employees because they know it helps with recruitment, retention, employee performance, and the overall success of the business, but they have found it increasingly unaffordable. Our bipartisan SHOP bill will allow us to begin to address the needs of the millions of working uninsured Americans whose top priority is access to quality and affordable health care for their families.”
The GAO report found that:
- The median market share of the largest small group carrier has increased to about 47 percent in 2008 from the 43 percent reported in 2005 and the 33 percent reported in 2002. Twenty-four of the 29 states providing information in both 2002 and 2008 saw increases in the market share of the top carrier that ranged from about 2 to 39 percentage points.
- The number of states with a combined market share of the five largest carriers of 75 percent or more has also increased since our 2002 survey. The combined market share of the five largest small group carriers represented three-quarters or more of the market in 34 of 39 states, compared to 26 of 34 states reported in 2005 and 19 of 34 states reported in 2002.
- Finally, the median market share of all the Blue Cross and Blue Shield carriers in 38 states reporting this information in 2008 was about 51 percent, compared to the 44 percent reported in 2005 and the 34 percent reported in 2002 for the 34 states supplying information in each of these years.
To view a complete copy of the report visit: www.gao.gov.
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