NJ Biz Owners On Tonight’s State Of The Union

President Barack Obama is expected to focus the lion’s share of his prime-time State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress tonight on the economy and job creation.

Small business owners from the New Jersey Main Street Alliance, a statewide network of local, independent small businesses are already speaking out on what they’d like to hear.

“I believe the President should focus on strengthening the economy and creating jobs, and the first step to do that is to avert the damaging sequester cuts that will siphon billions of dollars out of local economies,” Kelly Conklin, owner of Foley Waite Associates in Bloomfield. “We need to get more revenue into the equation through corporate tax reform and ending special deductions for high-end taxpayers.”

Kim Drone owner of Family Tree and Turf in Marlboro says, “I also hope the President talks about ending corporate loopholes and offshore tax havens. As a small business owner, I know my taxes go to support roads and bridges, city services, educating the workforce. I’m willing to pay my fair share……..We give away billions in revenue to stupendously profitable corporations through tax breaks and loopholes and we wonder why we have a budget deficit?”

Other small business owners in New Jersey are hoping the President also addresses immigration reform and the environment.

Obama is expected to call for more spending on infrastructure and manufacturing, while also announcing the withdrawal of 34,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan within a year.

North Korea claims it successfully detonated a nuclear device yesterday in defiance of U.N. warnings, and the White House says Obama will also make the case tonight that the nuclear program had only further isolated North Korea.