Lois Campbell

Derby Four Wheel Drive, Sauk Rapids

An unfair tax will again be harming small businesses, and it's time for our elected officials to take action. Big companies won't be paying for the effects of the Health Insurance Tax, or HIT, while little ones will be again.

That's not fair, especially when you consider that small business owners, employees and their families can get saddled with nearly $500 per year in higher premiums "thanks" to the HIT.

Rep. Tom Emmer must vote in favor of the Health Insurance Tax Relief Act of 2019 and take this burden off of small business owners' shoulders.

When health coverage costs increased due to the HIT, we finally just couldn't afford it. It was either issue payroll checks or pay health insurance, so we had to stop offering our employees health coverage altogether. Small businesses like ours need premiums to go down, not up due to the HIT! Every extra dollar small businesses have to pay out makes it less likely that they'll be able to continue.

Small businesses that offer health coverage are sure to struggle due to the HIT. Owners will have to reduce costs to compensate, whether it be equipment or employees. If you lose employees, then they go on unemployment, the government has to take care of them, and we all pay. Additionally, life gets tougher for remaining employees, as they have to cover their health care costs themselves. It's an endless spiral that affects us all.

Entrepreneurs helped build the United States. The tradition of small businesses needs to be protected. Government policy should not support big business while penalizing small business. Fewer small businesses means fewer opportunities and fewer choices. The HIT is unfair by its very nature, and it should be stopped. Congress needs to pass the Health Insurance Tax Relief Act of 2019.