| Spokane Entrepreneur Named Small-Business Champion of the Year |
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CONTACT: Carolyn Logue, 360-786-8675 or Stacy Jenkins, 360-870-7749 Getting the most for his clients results in just one thing: Jobs for people OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Spokane entrepreneur Curtis Fackler was named Small-Business Champion of the Year by America's leading small-business group, the National Federation of Independent Business/Washington. The national honor was conferred upon him by the Leadership Council of NFIB/Washington. Each year, NFIB singles out a small-business owner in all 50 states for special recognition and honors him or her with its prestigious "Small-Business Champion" award. This is the fourth year the national group has recognized small-business owners who go the extra mile for mom-and-pop enterprises. Last year's winner was Chuck Mott of Edmonds. In 2005 the award went to Betty Neighbors of Everett and in 2004 to Scottie Marable of Bellevue. From 1992 to 2001, Fackler owned and operated Payroll Plus, which managed more than $100 million in payrolls for 100 businesses in 12 states. After selling Payroll Plus, Fackler started U.S. Tax Credit Services, which looks for state and federal programs that clients can use to hire additional workers. Those programs include Welfare to Work, Work Opportunity, Enterprise Zones, B&O tax credits for transportation, and even tax credits for the hiring of recently release felons. For NFIB/Washington, Fackler is a Leadership Council member, a member of its Political Action Committee, and the chairman of its education committee, as well as a Leadership Council member leader of its Spokane Area Action Council. He also has attended the past three NFIB National Small-Business Summits. His commitment to his community runs deep. He is the Washington Department of Labor & Industries' small-business representative for its Center for Occupation, Health & Education (COHE) and a member of the Health Care Committee of the Spokane Chamber of Commerce. He has been a Boy Scout Master, foster parent, and still remains active as a parent volunteer for Spokane schools and a treasurer for the Boys & Girls Club of Spokane County. He also served as an election observer for the county. When not contributing to his community, Fackler is at work for his nation, serving as a board member for the Selective Service System of the U.S. Department of Defense. "You would be hard pressed to find many other people who know the aspirations and struggles of small-business owners as well as Curtis Fackler does," said Carolyn Logue, NFIB/Washington state director. "Whether advising them directly or publicly advocating on their behalf, Curtis Fackler is in every way a small-business champion." Fackler can be reached for comment at 509-467-7392. |
Spokane Entrepreneur Named Small-Business Champion of the YearMore Issues and Answers
First, we need to propose legislation limiting the amount of surplus (this is money beyond claims reserves) of large, domestic, not-for-profit health insurers can have on hand to two months of paid claims. This would result in a refund of $1.5 billion, mostly to individuals, small employers and school districts. In effect, this would amount to a huge, targeted tax-cut.
Second, we need to repeal the Democrat imposed (in 1994) premium tax on not-for-profit health insurers. This would result in a reduction in premiums of approximately $150 million the first year and would remove a reason for employers to adopt self-funded plans.
Third, we need to propose legislation that would eliminate the subsidy of those with health care coverage by those who are uninsured. This would be accomplished by requiring health care providers to charge their "best" or lowest (excluding governmental plans such as Medicare, Medicaid and workers' compensation) prices to patients paying cash.
Fourth, we need to propose legislation that would require plans covering state and local governmental employees to file financial information with the Office of Financial Management. This is already the case for self-funded plans, but not for insured plans. As discussed, there is one very large plan that has never revealed its financing.
Fifth, we need to pass legislation that would cover every employed person in the State for health care. The plan would cover so-called catastrophic conditions allowing employers and individuals to self-insure or buy insurance for amounts beneath a specific deductible. The premium(s) would be collected quarterly by either L&I or another agency from employers, self-employed individuals and from unemployment insurance. At $10 per month per adult and $5 per child, the deductible might be $100,000.
