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Representative Bill Owens introduced his first bill into Congress
this week, and not surprisingly he’s focusing on job creation here
in the North Country.
Owens, a Democrat, represents New York’s 23rd
Congressional District. While campaigning for the seat last year, he
said spurring job growth here would be his primary focus when he
reached Washington.
“We
talked a lot about this during the campaign,” Owens said. “We felt
that a jobs credit bill was very important to helping the economy
back on track and reducing unemployment in the district. This bill
applies literally to every corner of the district; it’s something
which we believe is going to spur employers to increase their
payrolls and increase employment.”
Owens
told WNBZ that the Rural Jobs Tax Credit Act will extend benefits to
employers throughout his district.
“Every community here qualifies as rural,” he said. “And as long as
businesses are creating jobs for people in this region, they are
eligible for these tax credits.”
The
bill credits employers for up to 15 percent of any salary expansions
above the inflation rate for 2010. In 2011, that credit would drop
to 10 percent.
“They’ll get the credit on a quarterly basis,” Owens said. “So, they
will receive that money quickly, they won’t have to wait until the
end of the year when they file their tax return.”
With
three regional prisons slated for closure and more state cuts
pending, spurring private sector growth is becoming a matter of
necessity upstate. WNBZ asked Owens how effective his bill would be
in making that growth a reality.
“Obviously we hope that it will spur growth in the private sector,”
he said. “That’s where this bill is directed – at private sector
employers. We think this is very important generally; we always want
to be growing jobs in the district. I spent a good portion of my
career before becoming a Congressman helping to create jobs in the
North Country – this is just a continuation of that process.”
Only
time will tell whether providing tax credits to employers will
reverse job loss in New York, a state that saw its unemployment rate
hit 10.4 percent at the end of last year.
-Chris Morris, 2-5-10 |