Hopefully our local congressional delegation was listening when the National Federation of Independent Businesses held a gathering of Youngstown owners speaking out for ''sensible regulation and job growth'' and against the ''tidal wave of federal regulations'' looming.
The small-business owners gathered at City Machine Technologies, Inc., where Claudia Kovach, the company's owner, joined the chorus of concern over the ways ''these excessive, burdensome federal regulations hurt small businesses, hold back economic growth, and hamper private-sector job creation.''
NFIB/Ohio Legislative Director Chris Ferruso said small businesses face more than 4,100 possible new regulations and that the federation and its members are simply asking Washington to use common sense.
More than a thousand businesses and associations have joined the Small Businesses for Sensible Regulations coalition. According to the coalition, proposed regulations are estimated to cost the economy more than half a trillion dollars nationwide.
U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, and David P. Joyce, R-Russell, each having a stake in how the Mahoning Valley economy continues its strong rebound, should echo the coalition's chorus in Washington. Joyce's district includes the northern two tiers of Trumbull County and Johnson's district stretches into southern Mahoning County. Ryan represents everything in between.
That region is experiencing a powerful economic recovery, partly on the rebirth of manufacturing and partly on the optimistic outlook for oil and natural gas exploration. Senseless regulations could dampen the economic impact.