REINS bad for small businesses

Friday, January 6, 2012

To the Editor:

In the editorial pages of the Merrimack Journal last Friday, Frank Guinta touted his sponsorship of the REINS act. He and Charlie Bass, have framed REINS (and a similar bill, RAA) with the populist but misleading message that the bills will cut back on “unnecessary regulations” and “red tape” for small business.

In fact, the bill protects large food distributors should their products make people sick by neutering government agencies’ ability to respond to a crisis.

REINS is not business-friendly from the perspective of small local restaurant owners and grocers who rely on large out-of-state vendors for safe products.

Small restaurant and shop owners who understand the ramifications of the legislation are horrified at the possibility that the food they’d serve could be subject to less stringent safety protections if REINS passes. Parents and consumers worry that the safety regulations in juice and meat products will be rolled back even farther, even as we see reports of the dangers posed by so much of our food coming from overseas.

Congressman Bass should have considered the fact that the REINS Act won’t create a single Granite State job, but its potential impact on the local food industry could be devastating. Senator Ayotte must vote against REINS when it hits the Senate floor.

ADDIE SHANKLE

Milford