The Good Economist 5
He believes the creation of quality job opportunities follows effective policies that promote business growth. Policies, in his opinion, that the City is presently missing. In assessing the current state of affairs, Taubenberger stated, “The City puts the burden on the businesses for a lot of things. … I think successful business people leave the city [because] they feel the opportunity cost of being here is too tedious – especially small businesses.”
What is the cause for this convoluted regulatory climate? A lack of legislative review was cited as a principal factor. Many ordinances are passed to address temporary problems and fail to be reevaluated to assess continued need. The result is a considerable number of unnecessary laws on the books. A possible means of addressing this, suggested by some experts, is to include a requirement for regular, periodic reviews after three or more years. While open to that idea, Taubenberger offered slowing the pace at which new rules proliferate as a more effective strategy. He suggested completing an economic impact assessment before enacting them.
Inconsistent enforcement practices is another repeatedly-cited cause. Unstandardized policies and practices lead to dramatically different interactions depending on the representative. The resulting lack of confidence in reliable and consistent service leads to heightened stress and frustration when business owners must encounter government.
The Councilman appeared enamored by the potential of a business owner’s bill of rights to bring greater accountability and transparency to the process. He committed his office to exploring the concept at length with L&I over the summer in the hopes of introducing legislation in the fall. In broad terms, the Business Owner’s Bill of Rights protects rights to fairness, transparency, and accountability. A business owner's bill of rights for Philadelphia - as recommended in SBN’s Good Economy Challenge - would serve to encourage more constructive interactions between local business owners and the City. This articulated list of rights and responsibilities would standardize best practices to ensure consistency across all interactions.
Taubenberger concluded the Roundtable by stressing the need for purposeful advocacy for common-sense improvements: “Businesses lobby for lots of things that are controversial like handouts from the taxpayer, handicaps imposed on their rivals. But it is hard to find fault in their plea for simpler rules, swifter bureaucratic decisions, government websites that a normal person can navigate and officials who actually answer the phone.”
The Councilman appeared enamored by the potential of a business owner’s bill of rights
The Entrepreneurs' Roundtable reconvenes on Wednesday, July 20th with Christine Knapp, Director, Office of Sustainability, for a discussion on
The Synergy of Business & Environmental Sustainability.