Gov. Bev Perdue wants the state's members of Congress to support measures she said would ease the credit crisis facing small business.
"Small businesses are the backbone of North Carolina’s economy,” Perdue said in a news release. "It is critical that we get credit flowing back to small businesses to work our way out of this economic and financial crisis."
In a letter to the state's congressional delegation, Perdue said the federal government should support the state's efforts to increase lending. Specifically, Perdue says, the federal government should:
— Identify money that can be distributed to banks specifically for small business lending.
— Extend the availability of certain Small Business Administration-backed loans and ease the regulatory pressures applied to lenders.
— Consider tax incentives for small businesses that create jobs as a result of federally-backed loans.
In 2006, small businesses accounted for 98 percent of employers and 49 percent of private-sector employees in North Carolina, according to Perdue's office.
