BILL GAITHER/The Register-Mail

Andrea Zinga, Republican candidate for the 17th Congressional Distrcit seat, speaks Wednesday afternoon at the Hawthorne Centre. Zinga was endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Zinga earns chamber backing

Permanent tax cuts part of Republican's pro-business stance

Thursday, September 21, 2006

By JOHN R. PULLIAM

The Register-Mail

Melanie Bassett, the executive director of the Great Lakes Regional Office of the Chamber, said, "we looked very carefully at this race and it was very clear to us who was the pro-business candidate in this race."

Zinga, R-Milan, is locked in a tight race with Democrat Phil Hare, also of the Quad Cities, for the seat Congressman Lane Evans has held since 1982. Evans dropped out of the election after the March 21 primary due to continuing health problems.

"I can't tell you how pleased I am to receive this endorsement," Zinga said, speaking in a small room of the second floor of the former Spencer Business Center in Hawthorne Centre. "Small business accounts for 75 percent of the workforce in the United States."

Bassett said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce represents 3 million businesses, with 97 percent of the members being in the small business category.

Zinga used the occasion to talk about the economy. She said she supports tax cuts as a way to improve the business climate.

"In Congress, I will vote to make these tax cuts permanent," she said of the current "temporary" cuts.

Zinga also promised to abolish the estate tax, also known as the death tax. She said she does not understand why eliminating the tax should be controversial, because it is not a large source of revenue and breaks apart small family farms and family businesses.

The subject of the day was jobs, though. Zinga wants to cut regulations, control spending and "create the type of economy that creates hope for our citizens."

Zinga offered hope for Galesburg.

"You are a rail hub and there is expansion in the rail industry," she said, adding that the increasing development of renewable fuels also should be an economic boon to the area.

She blamed "huge" fee hikes enacted by Gov. Rod Blagojevich for Illinois business losses, especially in the trucking industry, and said Illinois is lagging near the bottom nationally in job growth.

Bassett said the U.S. Chamber determines endorsements of incumbents based upon voting records. In races such as the 17th District with two newcomers, "We do have a questionnaire that outlines issues that are important to us and we ask the candidates their positions."

After Bassett has one-on-one interviews with candidates, she makes a recommendation to the Public Affairs Committee, which is made up of chamber members. That committee makes a recommendation to the board of directors, which makes the final decision. Bassett said Hare was sent a questionnaire, but did not return it.