Congresswoman Walorski Visits Chamber to Discuss Business Growth, Job Creation
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Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Second District congresswoman Jackie Walorski visited the Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce Tuesday to discuss federal issues impacting local companies and the economy. The stop was part of her 10-county chambers visit “Building Better Business Tour” to hear current challenges and concerns affecting Hoosier business growth and job creation. Walorski met with Mark Dobson, Warsaw-Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce president, and Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer. She also met with a dozen members of the Warsaw-Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce, representing a cross section of local companies, particularly from the orthopedic industry. Chamber members voiced concern over federal legislation, like Obamacare, that enforces an employer mandate and new health insurances taxes they say weigh down small businesses. The 2.3 percent medical device tax is also affecting local companies who have delayed expansion and warned patients of rising costs as a result of the newly enacted law. Walorski said the tax on medical devices is a job killer in Indiana. “As the tax compounds and by the time an artificial knee enters a person’s body thats an 8 to 10 percent tax,” Walorski said. Walorski said she is leading the way for the medical device tax repeal and continuing to work with her colleagues to repeal the tax. Walorski also discussed the need for a qualified workforce. She said Obamacare is creating an uncertainty that is hampering job creators. “There is a question on the timing of the rollout of Obamacare that creates uncertainty for local businesses,” Walorski said. She said she is looking at programs at the federal level and job training programs that communities can tap into. “A lot of employers are looking at common sense solutions and not waiting for the federal government to come in and bail them out,” Walorski said.
