Billionaires and mega-corporations are stealing from all of us. For decades, politicians have promised relief while quietly shifting the tax burden away from the ultra-wealthy and onto working people. The result? Stagnant wages, skyrocketing costs, and a system rigged against everyday Iowans.
Nowhere is this more obvious than in small business. When COVID-19 hit, Walmart and Amazon stayed open while small businesses were forced to shut down. When big chains get massive tax breaks, small business owners are stuck paying full price. While billionaires speculate on real estate, local businesses struggle to find affordable locations.
It’s time to level the playing field. I will fight for fair regulations, tax justice, local reinvestment, and an end to real estate speculation that makes it harder for small businesses to survive.
Small businesses get hit with red tape while big corporations get special treatment. During COVID-19, big box stores stayed open while small retailers were forced to close. That wasn’t about safety—it was about corporate lobbying.
I will push for common-sense regulations that don’t punish small businesses while letting billion-dollar chains do whatever they want. If a rule applies to mom-and-pop shops, it should apply to Walmart, too.
Big corporations exploit every tax loophole imaginable while small business owners get no breaks. Giant companies move profits offshore, claim losses they never had, and lobby for special tax deals while local businesses pay full freight.
I will close corporate tax loopholes so big businesses actually pay their fair share. If small businesses have to pay their taxes, so should Amazon.
Big box stores suck money out of local economies. They undercut local businesses, pay low wages, and ship profits out of the state instead of reinvesting in the community. Meanwhile, small business owners struggle to compete.
I will introduce a Big Box Tax—an extra tax on massive retail chains that will be reinvested into local small business programs, grants, and infrastructure. If these corporations want to profit off Iowa, they need to give back.
Hedge funds, investors, and out-of-state landlords buy up commercial real estate and let it sit empty, driving up rents and pushing out local businesses. They don’t care about building a community—they just want to watch their property values rise.
I will introduce higher taxes on vacant commercial buildings and empty lots. If you’re sitting on a property and refusing to rent it out or develop it, you should be paying extra for the privilege of hoarding valuable space.
Zoning laws make it harder for entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses. Want to run a small accounting office out of your home? Too bad—local zoning laws probably won’t allow it. Want to open a shop in an area that needs one? You might have to fight the city for years.
I will push to loosen zoning laws so that small businesses can operate where they make sense. If you want to run a business out of your own home or put a store where there’s demand, you should be able to do it.
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but politicians have spent decades selling them out to corporate interests. My campaign is about standing up for local business owners—not the billionaires trying to push them out.