Far-Reaching, Unclear Government Mandates Slowing N.C. Economic Recovery

JLF budget experts says business owners, entrepreneurs wary of new rules

RALEIGH (By Carolina Journal Online) — Business owners trying to navigate the maze of new government mandates and restrictions are not racing to add new jobs in North Carolina. The John Locke Foundation's top budget expert offers that assessment as the state releases its latest unemployment data.

"From ObamaCare to financial regulation reform to the various stimulus bills oozing out of Washington, D.C., Congress has created new sets of rules and regulations that will have a major impact on businesses' bottom line," said Joseph Coletti, JLF Director of Health and Fiscal Policy Studies. "And that's not all. These new laws allow bureaucrats to write even more rules and regulations -- hundreds of them."

"Like a driver who pulls onto a highway and isn't sure of the speed limit, most business owners will proceed with some extra caution until they get a good sense of the rules of the road," Coletti added. "That means bad news for efforts to boost the number of new jobs in North Carolina."