The second key message of my candidacy is to be an advocate for our local businesses. Small businesses are the ones who support our community and are the job creators, not government. Small business represents your friends, neighbors, our coaches and teachers. They own our grocery stores, our gift shops and restaurants.
Our local businesses are the first ones our community groups go to support our local causes, to help reach their fundraising goals, to support dreams like Paw Meadow Park, or provide recycling at events, to buy an ad in a Little League booklet or community theater program.
They honor our veterans by providing the funding to hang flags along Hopmeadow Street or support Social Services and programs at the Senior Center. They support Simsbury Celebrates, Septemberfest and the Home Improvement Show.
Our local business is the backbone of our community. They hire our children, share in the burden of taxes, they are the volunteers that help clean up the river, work a ticket booth and march in our local parades. They unfailingly support our schools, churches and synagogues. If this is a “special interest”, I will be proud to fight for our Simsbury businesses at the State Legislature.
There needs to be a cultural change in Hartford. It’s time to stop out of control spending and stand up for our small business. We need to look at ways to reduce regulations and mandates.
I am the candidate with over twenty years of running a small business, managing budgets, staff, working with board of directors and hundreds of member companies who are my customers. Under my management the Simsbury Chamber is fiscally sound and a respected proven leader of chambers in the Hartford region.
I am proud to have received the endorsement from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). The NFIB states that “Ms. Folk has demonstrated a strong commitment to the needs of thousands of Main Street small businesses and their employees in Connecticut. NFIB supports candidates in both federal and state elections who stand up for small business.” Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of its members to own, operate and grow their business. For more information on NFIB, go to www.NFIB.com.
For more information about my candidacy, to watch a video of my platform or a video of my daughter Gretchen’s endorsement, go to www.charityforsimsbury.com.
