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U.S. Senate candidate Rossi visits Rotarians, blames Murray for businesses’ woes

He says uncertainty over regulations, tax rates has paralyzing effect

By Kathie Durbin
Published: September 30, 2010, 12:00am

Republican Dino Rossi brought his U.S. Senate campaign to the Vancouver Rotary on Wednesday, declaring that small businesses are paralyzed by uncertainty about potential changes in federal tax rates and regulations — and laying the blame squarely with his Democratic opponent, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, who is seeking a fourth Senate term.

Rossi said that in conversations with business owners during campaign stops, “Consistently I’m hearing, ‘I could expand my business and hire a couple more people, but I don’t know what my government is going to do to me next week.’”

Business owners worry about how they’ll be affected by the new health reform law and by the pending expiration of the Bush administration tax cuts, he said.

“Sen. Murray has us slated for the largest tax increase in history by the end of the year,” he said, referring to the Democratic leadership’s proposal to extend the expiring tax cuts for middle-class taxpayers but not for those in the highest income bracket, individuals who make more than $200,000 and couples who earn more than $250,000.

As for the impacts of health reform legislation, Rossi noted that Boeing Co. has estimated the measure will cost it $150 million per year.

“This piece of legislation is going to kill tens of thousands of jobs,” he predicted.

Rossi called for repealing the health care bill and replacing it with “better ideas,” such as allowing insurance companies to sell health insurance across state lines and letting people establish health savings accounts so they can choose their own health care providers. Both are among the proposals the GOP put forth last week in its “Pledge to America.”

He also called for requiring a two-thirds vote to pass federal tax increases and for a ban on budget earmarks, saying they’re “bankrupting America.” Rossi has consistently attacked Murray for her use of earmarks to deliver federal largesse to the state, a record she has staunchly defended.

The next time Murray visits to tout her role in winning funding for a local project, Rossi said, voters should ask her, “Where did you get the money? The Chinese? The Saudis? Or did you print it?”

That comment prompted a question from former Clark County Commissioner Betty Sue Morris, a Democrat, who asked Rossi whether, if he had an opportunity as a U.S. senator to support a federal budget earmark that would pay a substantial share of the cost of a new Columbia Crossing, “would you do it?’’’

Rossi responded by saying, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing in the main budget.”

Julie Edwards, a spokeswoman for the Murray campaign, said Rossi doesn’t understand how the Senate budget process works if he thinks senators can secretly insert spending for pet projects.

“Targeted local investments do go through the budgeting process,” she said. “Members have to post on their websites exactly what they are asking for and why. Every single targeted appropriation has the name of the sponsor on the bill.”

On the larger issue of helping to revive the state’s lagging economy, Rossi said Murray “has a very narrow, government-centered view of the world. She thinks government creates jobs.”

In fact, he said, what businesses want from the federal government is “modest taxation, fair and reasonable regulation, and when they’re successful, you don’t punish them for their success.”

Buoyed by an endorsement Wednesday from former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Rossi said in a brief interview that he supports a redo of the new financial reform law. He said that though the bill does some positive things, like improving the transparency of Wall Street financial transactions, most economists believe it will limit the ability of community banks to lend money to businesses.

Regarding the new consumer protection watchdog agency established under the law, Rossi said, “I don’t know that we need another layer of government. The reality is that we need to enforce the laws we already have in place.”

The Washington Senate race is a dead heat, according to a new poll commissioned for FOX News.

The poll of 1,000 likely voters, conducted Sept. 25, showed Murray leading Rossi 48 percent to 47 percent, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

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