The Dayton Region Supports Free Enterprise

Our Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is embarking on a long-term campaign to clarify the role that business and the free enterprise system has in creating business ownership, wealth and jobs for Miami Valley residents and citizens all across America. The American FREE Enterprise. Dream BIG. campaign will help us do just that.

In recent polls, it has become clear that many Americans are unsure of how we are going to turn around our lagging economy and more importantly, who will be the champions of our future economic success. We all understand that government, whether it be local, regional, state or federal, has an important role in providing key services, safety and security, infrastructure, leadership and other needs for our families and government employ many people to provide those services for us.  But we all must also agree that it is the private sector, not government, that will be the economic engine that drives our economy and creates the vast majority of the jobs that sustains the quality of life we all hope, wish and dream of for our children and our children’s children.

Most recently, there seems to be much confusion about the role and importance of business and the free enterprise system in America.  In a recent poll by KRC Research out of Washington, D.C., it stated that 57% of the Americans asked expressed “concern” or “worry” about the future of American free enterprise.  Additionally confusing, in an April 29, 2009 Rasmussen Reports survey, while 77% of all voters said they preferred a “free market economy” over a “government-managed one”; only 53% of American adults believed capitalism was better than socialism.  Worse yet in an April 9^th report by the same national polling firm, Rasmussen delivered a chilling statistic that of adults under 30, only 37% preferred capitalism; 33% socialism; while 30% were undecided as to what was the best economic system for America’s future… a mere 4% difference in support of the world’s greatest economic system ever created and one of the pillars that helped make America this great nation of opportunity that it is today. One must ask why and what should be done to improve businesses’ entrepreneurial image.

These statistics have sent shock waves throughout the nation’s business and academic leadership, demanding that organizations like ours invest in a broad-based campaign to create more awareness and to educate the American public of the long-term and far reaching benefits of American’s free enterprise heritage, success, culture and future. I shutter to imagine the consequences if we don’t do a better job of regaining ground with the American public and our future generations.

“Simply stated, we believe it is imperative to remind, educate and persuade our fellow citizens and leaders that it was a free enterprise system based on individual initiative, hard work and personal responsibility – operating with free trade, free capital markets and reasonable taxes and regulations – that created the greatest economy the world has ever known.  It is free enterprise that will put America back to work”, stated Tom Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

This is why we have joined in partnership with the U.S. Chamber‘s  American FREE Enterprise. Dream BIG. campaign and the strength of our nationwide Chamber of Commerce Federation, more than 3,000,000 businesses strong, in this effort to revitalize the interest and to re- educate our citizens in support of America’s entrepreneurial spirit.  We hope you will join us in support of our efforts to take this message to every person in our community…of all ages or generations and share with them the role and importance of private sector business growth in America…America’s future.

Thank you for your support of our community and our Dayton region’s businesses.

Phillip L. Parker, CAE, CCE
President & CEO
Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce

• For more information on the American FREE Enterprise. Dream BIG. Campaign, please click here
• For more information on regional network partners providing entrepreneurial services,
  please click here
• For more information on the Chamber’s annual entrepreneur award, the Soin Award for Innovation, please click here
• For more information about developing entrepreneurial skills through the Chamber’s ChooseDayton campaign, please click here