BUSINESS CONFERENCE ISSUES DISCUSSED AT FORUM

Taxation, regulation and paperwork are expected to be top issues at the White House Conference on Small Business.

"A number of views will be presented to the Clinton administration and Congress following the five-day conference," Troy Wilson said during a small-business forum at the Holiday Inn Wednesday.

Wilson, chief executive officer of First National Bank of Sikeston, has been selected to participate in the June 11-15 conference. He was in Cape Girardeau to solicit input for the national conference.

Since being named to attend the conference, Wilson has collected a stack of comments and suggestions from Southeast Missouri business people.

"This conference allows small businesses an opportunity to affect government policy on taxation, capital formation, international trade, environment policy and other issues," said Wilson.

During informal forums such as the one in Cape Girardeau, hundreds of small-business owners, corporate officers and employees come together to increase awareness of the critical role small businesses play in the national and global economy.

The forum attracted a small group, which included representatives from large and small businesses and chamber officials. All were asked to participate in a survey to suggest recommendations on a number of issues.

"Delegates at the national conference will rank each of the suggestions and develop a small-business action agenda to present to Congress.

Tom Schulte, representing the offices of Sens. Christopher "Kit" Bond and John Ashcroft, said the national conference provides "golden opportunities" to help improve small business.

Lloyd Smith of U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson's office told the group that with all the new changes in the White House the "time appears right for getting some things done in Congress."

"One of the good problems is that of the local employment situation," said John Mehner, president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. "We have a shortage of workers; it's difficult to find and keep employees."

An education-labor partnership is important, said Buz Sutherland, director of the small-business center at Southeast Missouri State University. "Low-skill jobs are out of here now," said Sutherland. "We must get our work force more skilled."

Frank Adams of Thorngate Ltd. cited too many government-imposed requirements on the operation of businesses, which result in mounds of paperwork and record-keeping, "We just have too much government intervention," said Adams.

The general consensus of the group was that some government regulations could be curbed.

Although it wasn't discussed at length at the Wednesday meeting, the issue of taxation is a big one for small business, said Wilson.

"Most small businesses have to keep up with extensive and complex tax laws," Wilson said. "Taxes will be one of the top issue at the national conference."

Taxation by federal, state and local governments represent one of the most significant costs to small and growing businesses. The feeling of many small businesses is that the growth of the economy depends in part on a tax system that meets necessary goals without unduly burdening the smallest businesses.

Wilson, who has had the experience of working for big business (Xerox) and small business, said there are as many as 20 million small businesses and 1,000 big businesses in the U.S.

"Both area vital to the nation," he said. "Small businesses today provide 95 percent of all new jobs."