Scott: Needless Federal Regulations Hurting Business

U.S. Rep. Tim Scott, R-SC, visited several Lowcountry businesses Tuesday morning to talk about federal regulations and their impact on business.

At each stop on his "Regulations Tour," Scott brought along a single message: Government can't create jobs, but government can destroy jobs.

And that's not just with the big news items like the National Labor Relations Board v. Boeing, Scott said.

"The Boeing company isn't the only place where the government is destroying jobs," Scott said. 

Scott cited a statistic that said 41 percent of small business owners said government was the No. 1 obstacle in turning a profit.

Scott spent the trip learning from the business owners and industry leaders.

"We're getting an education from the people living underneath the regulations," Scott said of the tour. "It gives me more passion and energy to fight the good fight in D.C."

He's encouraging other House members to do the same type of tour across the nation "to create an amplification of our efforts to stymie the regulatory environment," Scott said. "We need a lot of help."

Stable Homes in Summerville was the first stop on Scott's whirlwind tour. He spoke in front of Scott Ouellett's future home being built in The Ponds. 

There, Scott debunked the idea that the economy can recover without the housing market leading the way, which is why he wanted to visit the building site first, he said.

"This is a great place to start a regulations tour, frankly," Scott said. "If we're in the midst of a recovery, it is a pretty sad recovery."

Scott fingered the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act as one of the many legislative items holding back economic recovery for housing and, ultimately, the nation. He pushed against the idea that Dodd-Frank prevented unqualified buyers from obtaining home loans.

He said some people "buy into that," but the regulations now prevent the market from the "self correction" it was already on before government interference. 

At Blue Flame in Mount Pleasant, Scott talked with business owners about propane regulation.

Scott said the U.S. Department of Energy wants to regulate gas logs and gas fireplaces. But industry officials say they're decorative and not the same as a fireplace or a furnace. It is classic regulatory overreach, says Corky Clark of the South Carolina Propane Gas Association.

Business owners and salesmen asked Scott for an update on progress in Washington to combat the Energy Department proposal. Steve Smith, the owner of William Smith Fireplaces, said that his small business and its five employees are at stake.

"This is common sense," Scott said. "Get Washington out of the way."

At Geechie Seafood in Mount Pleasant, Scott and business leaders discussed the seafood industry and new catch limits on recreational fishermen.

Jeremy Burnham, owner of Atlantic Game and Tackle, said the new limits have capped his business. Instead of shopping for tackle and other supplies, customers are coming into his shop to post fliers to sell their boats and fishing equipment.

"When we put together our business plan, this was not something we forecasted," Burnham said.