Erin Lale Campaign To Hold Campaign Kickoff February Third

Online, January 26, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Erin Lale's campaign for the Henderson City Council Ward 3 seat will hold a campaign kickoff party on February 3rd, 2013, from 1pm-3pm at Total Promotions Company, 10 Pacific Avenue, Henderson, Nevada. The City Council race is nonpartisan. Although the city is divided into 4 wards, each of which must be represented by a councilman who lives in that ward, any voter in the city of Henderson can vote in the Ward 3 race. Primary Election Day is April 2nd, and early voting begins March 16th.

Lale says, "As an expert on frugality, I believe I can save the city a lot of money. For the most part, the Council is not a legislative body, which is why the Council election is non-partisan. However, there are some issues that I would work on if I were on the Council.

"1. Grow the local economy by removing barriers to starting a business. With the local official unemployment rate in double digits for the third year in a row, it is time that we remove artificial government barriers to job creation.

"Increasing freedom of opportunity will help our economy.
Microbusiness is a proven model to help people lift themselves up out of poverty. A microbusiness is defined as a business that can be started for under $200. The structure of licenses and fees to city, county, and state government in Nevada puts the cost of starting a business legally over that amount, except for internet-based businesses. That means only internet based businesses can be legally started as microbusinesses here.

"Even that narrow avenue of opportunity is closing, as the state is now taxing internet sales via the governor's mandate even though the voters of Nevada rejected an internet tax initiative. New businesses do not simply start collecting tax on actual sales; they have to buy a sales tax permit to collect sales tax, and it is expensive. The last thing we need to do is add more economic barriers on top of that by also charging business startup fees at the city and county level.

"I propose that we legalize microbusiness by having a total tax, fee, and license fee holiday for all new business startups during the crucial period of a business's first three years. This will help businesses of all sizes to revitalize our economy. It will have an outsized positive effect on the smallest of new businesses, providing an engine for economic growth in our city.

"2. Fill empty buildings to revitalize abandoned commercial districts and vacant shopping centers. One of the things I accomplished as the founding Chairman of City Lights Artists' Co-op was to fill an empty city-owned building on Water Street that had been boarded up for decades. We were so successful in drawing other businesses to the area that the gallery had to relocate to a side street. I am hoping to replicate that success by encouraging owners of empty commercial properties to fill their empty units with artists' studios, city government depts., local nonprofit agencies, civic groups, and microbusinesses. I will encourage the city to fill city-owned empty buildings and to use existing commercial space for any necessary expansion or relocation of city departments instead of building new buildings from scratch, until the local commercial vacancy rate drops to a normal level.

"3. Eliminate Work Cards. Like Clark County and the other two major cities within in, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, Henderson requires people wanting to work in some jobs to buy permission to work in the form of a Work Card, also known as a Sheriff's Card. Originally the work card system was intended to keep the Mafia out of our local casinos. Work cards were supposed to be required only for "key" casino employees. Over the years, work cards got mission creep. Today many jobs that have nothing to do with casinos require work cards. The only function of the work card system is to be a barrier to employment. It keeps qualified workers from accessing jobs. Exchanging one's labor to earn a living is a natural right recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1915. Workers and businesses have a right to contract with each other for any work that is legal, without interference from government. Workers have a right to apply for jobs without having to buy permission from the government. I respect your right to earn a living and will work to reform or eliminate the work card system."

The deadline to register to vote in the municipal election is March 12th. Voters can register at City Hall at 240 Water Street.