More than a year after the passage of the financial reform, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau still doesn’t have a director at the helm. Robert Cordray, former Ohio Attorney General, awaits confirmation, now stalled by Senate Republicans more interested in abetting the banks and gutting the bureau than in protecting consumers. This is bad notContinue reading “Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Lacks Director: Small Businesses Economy Suffers”
Tag Archives: small businesses
Rate Review Victory for Consumers, Small Businesses
New rules for health insurance rate increases took effect on September 1st. By giving consumers access to more information about why insurers are raising their rates – and whether experts deem the increases reasonable – the new rules aim to put downward pressure on health insurance premiums.
Association Health Plans: Good or Bad for Small Business?
Changes are finally coming to states’ health insurance marketplaces. For small businesses, these changes can’t come soon enough. New rules prohibiting discrimination and strengthening oversight of rate increases will protect small businesses from rate shocks. A guaranteed essential benefits package will provide assurance of a minimum level of coverage. And new state insurance exchanges willContinue reading “Association Health Plans: Good or Bad for Small Business?”
E-verify Hurts Local Economies
Main Street Alliance members Edgar Andrade of Bushwick, Brooklyn and Jim Houser of Portland, Oregon were joined on a press call Wednesday by Mayor Paul Bridges of Uvalda, GA to address the drastic ramifications of state-based, enforcement-only immigration laws. These laws are being enacted in states across the country, starting in Arizona and spreading toContinue reading “E-verify Hurts Local Economies”
Main Street Takes on Wall Street…And Wins!
Big bank lobbyists have been putting on a full-court press in Washington, D.C. to roll back components of the financial overhaul passed last year and free Wall Street to go back to the “business as usual” that led to the financial crisis in 2008. The bankers are gunning for the new Consumer Protection Bureau andContinue reading “Main Street Takes on Wall Street…And Wins!”
Main Street Alliance Leader Don Orange Shares His Story in Washington, D.C.
On March 17, Main Street Alliance leader Don Orange, owner of Hoesly ECO Auto & Tire in Vancouver, Washington, joined House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress at a press conference highlighting how the new health care law is already benefiting millions of small businesses and consumers as its one year anniversaryContinue reading “Main Street Alliance Leader Don Orange Shares His Story in Washington, D.C.”
Health Insurer Lobbying, Sopranos Style
It’s been public knowledge for a while now that the health insurance industry secretly funneled money to the US Chamber of Commerce to fund its smear campaign against health care reform in 2009. What we didn’t know, though, was just how much money. Now, thanks to some good investigative reporting by Bloomberg News, we do.Continue reading “Health Insurer Lobbying, Sopranos Style”
Establishing State Exchanges that Serve People, Not Insurance Profits
Health care reform, if fully realized, will provide health insurance coverage for an additional 30 million people in America. One of the main ways this will happen is through the creation of centralized health insurance marketplaces, or “state exchanges.” If set up properly and well, people without insurance will be able to go to theirContinue reading “Establishing State Exchanges that Serve People, Not Insurance Profits”
Oregon Small Business Leader Joins Sen. Jeff Merkley to Call For End to High-Income Tax Cuts
As reported on the blog of the Main Street Alliance, NWFCO’s national coalition of small business owners, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley hosted a press conference call with state and national small business leaders on Wednesday, November 17. The purpose was to discuss the small business case for ending the Bush tax cuts for the topContinue reading “Oregon Small Business Leader Joins Sen. Jeff Merkley to Call For End to High-Income Tax Cuts”
Colorado Progressive Coalition Teams with Members of Congress To Educate Public On New Health Care Law
September 23rd will mark the six-month anniversary of the passage of Health Care Reform. As the anniversary approaches, members and leaders of the Colorado Progressive Coalition (CPC) have been partnering with members of Congress for a series of forums across the state that highlight what the new health care law will mean for Coloradans.