Paul Coverdell: “I do have a few more things to say about the hearing that was held in Georgia. The Georgia Public Policy Foundation…”

“I do have a few more things to say about the hearing that was held in Georgia. The Georgia Public Policy Foundation conducted a survey on behalf of my own small business advisory task force and found the following: The estimated cost of regulation as a percentage of sales was approximately 1.5 percent; 24 percent of these businesses have been involved in regulation-related lawsuits. That means that one in four companies, one in four small businesses in our State has had to be involved in a lawsuit, a lawsuit and all the expenses associated with that, over regulation; 53 percent of the respondents indicated--and this is the most important fact--53 percent, over half, responded that they would hire additional employees in the last 3 years if it had not been for the costs of regulation. So, once again, as I said a moment ago, regulation itself and the extent of it and the size of it and scope of it is causing people to not get hired because the money is going to manage the regulations and not to pay the salary of a person who is looking for a job.”