TRAVERSE CITY SMALL BUSINESS TELLS EVANS THAT ECONOMIC FORECAST IS BRIGHTER BECAUSE OF PRESIDENT’S ECONOMIC PLAN

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Don Evans, calling the President’s economic plan “exactly the right plan at the right time” tapped into his 20 years of experience in the private sector today as he discussed the plan’s benefits with the employees of a small business. Evans and U.S. Rep. Dave Camp (MI-4) paid a visit to I & W Industries, a small manufacturer of automotive tubing, to highlight the elements of President Bush’s plan that target small businesses for economic growth and job creation. Evans pointed out that 50% of Michigan’s workers are employed by small businesses, and said that because small businesses are responsible for 70% of new jobs in America, they stand at the heart of the President’s plan to grow the economy and create new jobs for the American people.

During their meeting with Evans and Camp, Dodd Russell and Jerry Carlson, co-owners of I & W, expressed their support for the President’s plan.

“Small businesses are the engine that drive the American economy and are at the heart of the President’s plan to grow this economy and create new, better paying jobs for the American people,” said Evans. “By lowering taxes, the President’s plan gives small businesses the tools they need to purchase new equipment, hire new employees and grow the economy this year and many years into the future.”

“President Bush's economic plan sets the course for a stronger economy,” Camp said. “Small businesses can play a significant role in getting the American economy back on track, and the president's plan utilizes their capability to invest more money back into their businesses, resulting in job creation and economic growth.”

As they toured the facility, Evans and Camp discussed the tax cuts individuals would receive under the plan with I & W employees. Evans told them that 92 million Americans would receive an average of $1,083 in 2003 with more to come in the years ahead. Evans went on to say that under Bush’s plan, 46 million couples would receive an average of $1,716 and 34 million families with children would receive an average tax cut of $1,473.

Evans’ visit here is the first stop of a two-day, three-state tour designed to take the President’s plan directly to the people that it benefits the most; small business owners and the people they employ. Evans will also visit small businesses in Lansing, Mich., Minneapolis, Minn. and Milwaukee, Wis. to hear how the President’s plan will add to their bottom line.