Prairie State Wire

Jim Dodge insists the findings of a new national survey that brands Illinois as “least accommodating to small businesses” reaffirms what he regularly hears from voters.

“The findings make perfect sense and are exactly what I’m hearing when I talk to small business owners every day,” Dodge told the Prairie State Wire. “Bloated bureaucracy, red tape for everything and sky-high property taxes are all part of how we’ve created this hostile environment for job creators. It’s amazing that Democrats have the gall to run around questioning why job growth has slowed the way it has.”

Dodge, the Republican candidate for state treasurer, is running against incumbent Mike Frerichs in the November general election.

Mike Frerichs

In addition to the least accommodating label, the Thumbtack Small Business Friendly Survey gives Illinois a failing grade for its level of friendliness and regulations, the Illinois Policy Institute states.

The online services company's survey of local entrepreneurs and small business owners also blasts state government websites for their inefficiencies in such pivotal areas as training and network programs, and for assistance in launching a new business.

“All these so-called feel-good politics and gestures coming out of Springfield that are horrible for everyone else have to be stopped,” Dodge said. “This upcoming election is all about the choice of paths going forward and the different ideas from the two sides couldn’t be clearer. It’s all in the hands of the voters.”

The reform agenda put forth by Republicans that focuses on getting the state’s finances in order, workman’s compensation and property tax reforms would be a start in putting the state back on course, Dodge said.  

“It is conducive to business for the government to continue on the path of shrinking government,” he said. “It seems that leftists are always the last ones to get the clue that you can’t punish job creators and still expect people to have good jobs.”