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Fix the insurance marketplace
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Dan Danner
Guest Columnist
Updated: Oct 8, 2009, 8:56 PM
Published: Oct 8, 2009, 8:57 PM

Whether they’re young or old, entrepreneurs always have a hunger to come up with the next big idea, or to do something better than anyone else. That’s the spirit that lives in each and every small business owner. That’s what drives them to create jobs and continue to build our economy.

There are, however, many challenges that new and even well-established businesses face — in particular, the rising cost of healthcare and health insurance. The inability to affect or reduce health insurance premiums from year to year continues to be the greatest challenge for small business owners, along with the lack of competition and choice in the marketplace.

For these reasons, small business should be the focus of the healthcare debate. It’s baffling that small business owners need to reiterate why they need reform. They continue to see examples of how big businesses like Safeway and General Mills are doing great things for their workforce, driving down costs, and just want the same. But here’s a newsflash: Under current laws and regulations, small businesses can’t do it.  

So their message is simple: Fix the broken marketplace. For decades, small employers and the self-employed have been forced to bob and weave between the individual and small-group marketplace. These two markets either deny individuals the coverage they need, or they raise rates so high, employers can’t afford to keep coverage. Something is wrong with this picture.

The Senate and the House of Representatives have been striving to craft an acceptable healthcare reform bill. As they work, they need to know what’s not acceptable to small business owners:

• An employer mandate: Some proposals require employers to offer healthcare to full-time and part-time employees. Research shows an employer mandate could cost 1.6 million jobs, with more than 1 million lost in the small business sector. The greatest effect will be on low-income workers, who will pay through depressed wages and lost jobs.

• A payroll tax: The House would charge a payroll tax of up to 8 percent on all employers with a payroll of $500,000 or more, if they don’t provide “qualified” health insurance to their employees. The tax would apply no matter whether the business makes a profit or not.

• A public option: Some bills establish a government-run public option. As advocates for competition and choice, we’re deeply concerned that a public option would further compromise the viability of private insurance and eventually would restrict choice to a single plan: the government-run plan.

After 15 years of loudly shouting at Congress about this issue, small business owners should be steaming mad that it’s taken this long to get a real discussion going about real reform. Maybe that has something to do with the power and money that comes from the insurance lobby. Maybe now that Congress is seriously engaged, they’ll listen to their real constituency, not those who can afford to pad their pockets.

Here’s something every voter needs to know: Small business owners need and want reform. To that end, we support market reforms that will increase access to insurance plans and drive more competition and lower costs, not a bunch of new taxes and confusing rhetoric. That’s the only way we’ll get more Americans covered at lower costs.

Americans in general, and small business owners in particular, should contact their representatives and urge them to pass the reforms that truly help small businesses and their employees.
 
Dan Danner is president and CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business in Washington, D.C.
In Effingham County, Progress Starts With a Plan
Guest Editorial by Susan Kraut, President/CEO of Effingham County Chamber of Commerce
Susan Kraut column
A sold-out crowd of more than 150 business and community leaders gathered at Effingham’s New Ebenezer Retreat Center Sept. 24 for the Chamber of Commerce’s annual State of the County Luncheon, hearing updates on economic growth, education, and infrastructure across Effingham County. (Submitted photo)
Susan Kraut
Updated: Oct 1, 2025, 2:41 PM
Published: Oct 1, 2025, 2:36 PM

At last Wednesday’s sold-out State of the County luncheon, more than 150 business and community leaders heard a message that resonated throughout the program: We have a plan, and we’re sticking to it.

Effingham County City Manager Tim Callanan opened his remarks with that thought. It was simple, but powerful. In an era when news feeds churn with controversy and change, it served as a reminder that behind the scenes, steady planning is happening – and those plans are beginning to bear fruit.

Businesses and residents often express frustration about roads, zoning, parks, schools or economic development, feeling that growth is outpacing action. The truth, as Callanan underscored, is that many of those actions are already underway, rooted in master plans that cover everything from transportation and stormwater to parks, communications and public safety.

The challenge is that plans only matter if people know they exist. Too often, businesses and citizens forget these plans are in place, don’t know where to find them or don’t realize how to weigh in at the right moments. When that happens, the community loses the chance to shape its own future and to express the value of those plans – why they matter and why they’re worth supporting.

Planning delivers progress

Last week’s luncheon highlighted how “plans” translate into progress. Mayor Kevin Exley shared Rincon’s ranking as one of Georgia’s safest cities and the city’s launch of the Citizen Central app – a small but meaningful step toward accessible local government. Springfield’s new city manager, Lauren Eargle, outlined a capital improvement plan that includes sidewalks, drainage and playgrounds, along with the less glamorous but vital work of a $35 million wastewater plant upgrade. Guyton’s city manager, Bill Lindsey, discussed contracting with planning consultants, winning grants for sidewalks, and reinvesting in Bazemore Park and downtown revitalization. These aren’t random acts; they’re evidence of intentional planning.

The school district provided another example when Superintendent Yancy Ford noted that Effingham now serves nearly 14,500 students speaking 33 languages. That diversity is an asset – but it also requires careful, proactive investment to maintain the high standards families expect. His most powerful point concerned ESPLOST, the 1-cent Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. Thanks to community support over the years, ESPLOST has built classrooms, purchased buses, enhanced safety measures, provided Chromebooks to all students, added security cameras and access-control systems, created inclusive playgrounds and athletic facilities open to the community, supported hands-on learning spaces like Honey Ridge, and established the College & Career Academy – a facility credited by Ford as helping lift the district’s graduation rate above 90% and expanding career pathways for a rapidly diversifying student body. And it has done so without incurring long-term debt.

Why ESPLOST matters

Among these examples of planning, none is clearer than ESPLOST — a long-term, voter-approved blueprint for funding education, renewed every five years to stay ahead of growth. The November ballot will again include the ESPLOST renewal, giving voters the opportunity to continue this proven approach to funding school facilities, technology, safety, transportation, inclusive playgrounds and community-accessible athletic fields. Renewing ESPLOST does not create a new tax; it simply extends the existing 1-cent sales tax, allowing residents, visitors and businesses to contribute to improvements that benefit every student. Without it, many of the projects parents and community members count on – such as new buses, safer schools, modern classrooms, career pathways and accessible playgrounds – would stall or require long-term debt.

Renewing ESPLOST is about more than bricks and mortar. It is not a reactionary measure but part of an intentional, ongoing plan to manage growth and maintain education – reinforcing the theme that plans become progress. As the district’s population becomes increasingly diverse and enrollment continues to rise, sustained ESPLOST funding is crucial to scaling programs, expanding facilities and maintaining the high graduation rates and opportunities that families expect. It is about protecting Effingham County’s tradition of educational excellence, maintaining property values and ensuring the workforce being prepared in our schools is ready to meet the needs of local employers. It is an investment in students, families and the future of our communities.

A call to the community

Effingham County is growing. Growth brings challenges, but it also brings opportunities. As the luncheon demonstrated, leaders at every level are working to guide that growth thoughtfully. The next step belongs to business owners, parents and neighbors – to lean in, stay informed and participate.

When hearing about a master plan, a referendum or a public meeting, don’t assume it is someone else’s job. Look up the plan, attend the forum, ask questions and cast a vote. That is how plans become progress – and how a yes vote on ESPLOST reaffirms and continues the community’s long-term plan for educational excellence, reinvesting in Effingham County’s future.