Chamber Chief Urges Involvement Says Political Pressure Crucial To Winning Essential Reforms

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce chairman urged Spokane’s business community Friday to support government deregulation, a balanced budget amendment and a reduction of punitive damages awarded in lawsuits.

The U.S. Chamber represents about three million business. The organization’s 14 full-time lobbyists in Washington, D.C., push Congress to support business-friendly policies.

“We’re a totally political animal,” Michael Starnes told about 100 people gathered at a Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce breakfast Friday morning.

If Congress isn’t forced to balance the budget, it won’t, which threatens the country’s economy, Starnes said.

“I don’t believe Congress has got the guts to stand up and do that if there’s not an amendment,” he said.

Also dangerous to business are the awards being doled out as punitive damages in lawsuits, Starnes said. He ticked off several examples of million and billion dollar damage awards which businesses paid.

“We’re suing ourselves to death,” said Starnes. “We’ve got way too many lawyers.”

Another issue the U.S. Chamber pushes for is government deregulation. Over-regulation in areas such as air quality standards hurt business, he said.

“I think they’re gone to the extreme. We all want clean air, but there’s a limit to what we can do,” Starnes said. “It’s up to business people like you to draw attention to these issues.”

Starnes is chief executive of M.S. Carriers, a nationwide trucking company which he started from his home in 1978. The company has grown to a fleet of 3,000 trucks that clocks seven million miles a week.

If government over-regulation continues, Starnes said, fewer people will start businesses.

“The day that happens is the day this country starts downhill because those are the people creating the jobs,” Starnes said. He added that 90 percent of the U.S. Chamber’s members are businesses that employ fewer than 25 people.

Starnes also wants to see better worker training programs. Only 55 percent of high school students nationwide go to college, he said. The remaining 45 percent should begin vocational training in high school so they’ll be prepared to enter the work force when they graduate, he said.

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