Bills helps small shops

Dear Editor,

Since my appointment as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator at The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in April this year, I have traveled the Mid-Atlantic Region meeting small business owners in all facets of industries – from a hair salon in Denton, Md., to ship repair and maintenance provider in Suffolk, Virginia, to a dairy farm in Pennsylvania. Whether I’m in a rural area in West Virginia or an urban area in Delaware, one thing remains the same – taxes are one of the top issues for small businesses.

The One Big Beautiful Bill extends the 199A passthrough deduction, which will generate $750 billion in economic growth and create over one million new Main Street jobs. There are an estimated 183 thousand firms in Pennsylvania which could be eligible for the deduction, or about 43 percent of all firms.

In addition, the One Big Beautiful Bill boosts take-home pay for the typical hardworking family. It is estimated to increase wages in Pennsylvania from $3,700 to $6,700 and protect 252,000 full-time equivalent jobs over the next four years if the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act had been allowed to expire.

The One Big Beautiful Bill delivers tax cuts to working families and job creators. The SBA stands ready to empower entrepreneurs to start and grow their small businesses. Visit www.sba.gov to learn more about the SBA.

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

Jim Spencer,

SBA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator

What matters

Dear Editor,

Character matters. Integrity matters. Humility matters. Decency matters. Kindness matters. Morality matters. Humanity matters.

Extreme narcissism. Racial biases. Seeks revenge for the lightest of slights. Cheats workers, on financial returns and golf, etc. Obsessed with authoritarianism. Assaults honesty. Breaks promises: “to drain the swamp,” etc. Unable to tolerate shame. Revels in his cruelty and subjugating others. Has contempt for widely accepted values that make our society civilized. Convicted of sexually assaulting women, is a felon. Cheated on his wives, “I love (lust) women.” Epstein. Rolled back human rights. Disassembling our government and institutions. Etc. etc. etc.

He is who he is and his supporters need to realize there are younger members in their families and that our children are watching.

Poem by Thomas Lickona, child psychologist and author.

Don Scott,

North Warren