NJ Main Street Alliance
Small Business Owners. Small Business Values.
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About the New Jersey Main Street Alliance
The NJ Main Street Alliance (NJMSA) is a coalition of over 1400 small business owners and sole-proprietors throughout the state who are working to create opportunities to speak for themselves on important policy issues. The NJMSA, is a project of NJ Citizen Action and a member of the National Main Street Alliance, a network of small business coalitions in 15 states with over 10,000 members nationwide. Since its inception in August 2008, this coalition has successfully influenced the federal policy debate over health care reform and is now expanding to have a voice on issues such as financial reform, responsible taxes, clean energy, job creation, and economic recovery.
Our coalition is governed by a seven person Steering Committee and is currently establishing a 35-member Advisory Council. The Steering Committee is charged with setting policies and making decisions for the members based on the recommendations of the Advisory Council. The Advisory Council is responsible for electing the members of the Steering Committee and helping to identify campaign issues.
Through personal stories, surveys and reports — the NJ Main Street Alliance is dedicated to educating the public and New Jersey's elected officials about the need to advance policies that work for small business, our employees, families, and communities. NJMSA members have been featured on television networks such as MSNBC and CNN, in dozens of newspapers including the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, have testified before Congress in Washington, DC and have been invited to meet with White House staff on several occasions.
For more information, please contact: Corinne Horowitz at 732-246-4772 x25 or corinne@njcitizenaction.org.
NEW! Read the New Jersey Main Street Alliance Blog for more information about issues, research, and the latest developments!
Health Care Reform Law Benefits Business
On Tuesday January 18, 2011, small business owner and NJ Main Street Alliance Steering Committee member Dr. Odette Cohen testified before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, chaired by Leader Nancy Pelosi, to explain how the new health care reform law is benefitting her business.
Odette explained how the new health care tax credits available beginning this year are helping her to grow her medical practice and support her local economy. She also shared a very personal story illustrating how, without equal access to affordable health care, the choice to work for a small employer versus a big business can be a life or death decision.
View the C-Span video of Odette's testimony — PLEASE NOTE that there is no direct "jump link" to Odette, so go to the left-side section named "TRANSCRIPT" and scroll down to 00:44:37 for the seven-minute segment "Cohen, Odette M.D. — Pediatrician, Willingboro."
You can also view photos of the event on Flickr.
Later that afternoon, Leader Pelosi referenced Odette's story in her statement on the floor of the House of Representatives during the debate leading up to the health care repeal vote. Read Leader Pelosi's statement.
On March 23, 2010 President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law. The bill will give healthcare to 32 million Americans and save over 30,000 lives per year. For full details on the bill, click here.
Small businesses have much to gain from health reform. The final health reform package makes small businesses big winners by ending discrimination, promoting affordability, expanding choice and containing costs. Find out 5 things every small business should know about health care reform here.
Thank you to all of the members of the NJ Main Street Alliance for helping to win this historic victory!
Facts
Links
- About the NJ Main Street Alliance (above).
- Small Business Health Care Principles & Petition to Congress for Real Choice in Health Care (Principles, Sign-on & Petition in one PDF)
- Small Business Health Care Sign-on (Sign-on Only)
- Petition to Congress for Real Health Care Change (Petition Only)
- National Main Street Alliance Website.
Our National Survey Report "Taking the Pulse of Main Street"
On January 15, 2009, at the Trenton Statehouse, the NJ Main Street Alliance released its national survey report, Taking the Pulse of Main Street: Small Businesses, Health Insurance, and Priorities for Reform (7.4MB download).
This report was conducted on nearly 1,200 small business owners and self-employed individuals in 12 states throughout the country. It focuses on small business owners' perspective on health care — their current health care experiences and preferred methods of reform.
What Can Small Business Owners Do to Fix the Current Broken System?
Small business owners are the experts on the broken health care system. No one knows as well as small business owners do how badly our health care system is broken. Small businesses are routinely left vulnerable to the premium hikes, benefit cuts, coverage denials and administrative nightmares that are commonplace in the health care system today.
The voices of New Jersey's small business owners need to be heard. No small business owner acting alone can surmount these challenges. But together, we can make a difference. It will take hard work and commitment, but together we can do our part. That is the promise of a united voice of small business owners across New Jersey coming together to fix the broken health care system.
Why Care About Small Businesses and Health Care?
Small businesses are the heart of New Jersey's economy and the heart of our communities.
- New Jersey businesses with fewer than 100 employees employed 1.3 million workers in 2005. This constituted 37 percent of New Jersey's private sector jobs in 2005, above the national average. (U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, based on data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau)
- Over the past decade, small businesses have created 60–80 percent of net new jobs nationwide. (U.S. SBA website, citing U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, app1.sba.gov/faqs/faqIndexAll.cfm?areaid=24)
- Percent of New Jersey Businesses Offering Health Insurance in 2005: Less than 50 workers: 62.3% / 50 or more workers: 94.4%. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends. 2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey- Insurance Component)
New Jersey small businesses are struggling to get affordable health insurance — and losing the battle.
From 2000 to 2007, the percentage of businesses with fewer than 200 employees offering health benefits dropped from 68 to 59 percent nationwide; businesses with fewer than 50 workers dropped the most. (Kaiser/HRET Employer Health Benefits 2007 Survey, Ex 2.2, www.kff.org/insurance/7672/sections/ehbs07-2-2.cfm)
- By 2005, just over three out of five New Jersey businesses with fewer than 50 workers offered health insurance, compared to nearly 19 out of 20 businesses with 50 or more workers.
- Insurance premiums for small businesses have increased at a faster rate than those of large businesses, and the quality of coverage they receive is lower. (Jon R. Gabel and Jeremy D. Pickreign, "Risky Business: When Mom and Pop Buy Health Insurance for Their Employees," Health Research and Educational Trust, April 2004, p. 2)
Media
- "Small Business Health Care Birthday Event in New Jersey" (My9 WWOR TV — March 23, 2011 VIDEO NEWS INTERVIEW)
- "Health Care Reform On Its First Anniversary" (WBAI Evening News — March 22, 2011 AUDIO NEWS INTERVIEW)
- "Rally To Support Investing In Local Jobs, Not Tax Cuts For The Rich" (WBAI Evening News — November 10, 2010 AUDIO NEWS INTERVIEW)
- "What's At Stake In Congress? Jobs, Income, Financial Security!" (WBAI Evening News — November 3, 2010 AUDIO NEWS INTERVIEW)
- "Healthcare Reform and Election 2010" (New Jersey Now / My9News — October 31 VIDEO NEWS SEGMENT)
- "How Basel III Will Affect Bankers And Consumers" (American Public Media — September 30, 2010 with AUDIO NEWS SEGMENT)
- "Healthcare Reform And Small Business" (WBAI Evening Wakeup Call — September 2, 2009 AUDIO NEWS INTERVIEW)
- "Small Businesses and Health Care Reform" (MSNBC – August 30, 2009 VIDEO NEWS INTERVIEW)
- VIDEO: Clips of the Q&A from Kelly’s Testimony at the Ways & Means Committee Hearing on April 29, 2009:
- VIDEO: Kelly Conklin testifies to the House Ways & Means Committee on April 29, 2009
- "Small Biz Pushes For Health Reform" (WHYY News — April 29, 2009 — both article and AUDIO NEWS INTERVIEW)
- VIDEO: Dr. Melba Bonnelli speaks about the need for health care reform at the White House roundtable on April 24, 2009
- VIDEO: NJMSA Message to Congressman John Adler (D – 3rd Congressional District), on April 17, 2009, about small business owners' struggle to find quality, affordable health care
- VIDEO: WMBC-TV news coverage of the NJ Main Street Alliance Coalition Launch on December 18, 2008.
Contact
Corinne Horowitz
Main Street Alliance
75 Raritan Avenue, Suite 200
Highland Park, NJ 08904
Phone: 732-246-4772 x25
Fax: 732-214-8385
Email: corinne@njcitizenaction.org