This past Saturday the Washington Post ran a front page story titled "The real reason companies aren't hiring."  I was interviewed for that story resulting in the following paragraphs:

"Congress has been very tough on businesses," said Jason Speer, chief executive of Quality Float Works of Schaumburg, Ill., which makes the industrial equivalent of toilet ball floats, items that sell for up to $1,200 and are used to measure water levels in farm and industrial equipment. The company also makes the metal balls that go on the top of flagpoles. Fundamentally, executives objected to Obama's policies on the grounds they would make the United States a less competitive place to operate in the long run.

But when Speer and other executives were pressed on the role that tax and regulatory policies play in hiring, they drew only vague connections. Speer said his decision whether to hire is driven primarily by demand for his products. Orders are coming in strong enough that he is running about 20 hours a week of overtime. So he is weighing whether to hire two or three additional manufacturing workers. None of the executives interviewed linked a specific new government initiative with a specific decision to refrain from hiring.

While it is certainly true that demand for our products is the primary driver for hiring decisions, in the interview conducted with the Washington Post reporter, I specifically listed three legislative efforts also affecting our hiring decisions that were left out of the article:

1. Possible health insurance cost increases due to the health care bill, which could equal one year’s pay for a new employee.
2. The cost of planning for and insurance on the reimposition of the "Death Tax"
3. The 1099 reporting provisions in the health care bill which will increase compliance time and add possible software and accountant costs -- money that could be spent on growth.

Economic uncertainty is a driving factor in business decisions, as are regulatory uncertainty and tax uncertainty. Congress needs to be mindful of all three as they are considering legislation. Given the state of the country right now, our economic growth can’t withstand these political roadblocks.

Jason Speer is the Vice President and General Manger of Quality Float Works, a third and fourth generation family owned small business located in Suburban Chicago.