Greencastle business leaders among congressman's economic advisers

Thursday, December 13, 2007
Bob York

Indiana Congressman Brad Ellsworth has tapped two Greencastle business gurus to advise him on how to foster small business growth across the country, the District Eight representative announced Wednesday.

Greencastle City Council member-elect Jinsie Bingham and car dealership owner Bob York are part of the 18-member Small Business Advisory Committee that will act as a sounding board for Ellsworth on issues like government regulation and funding for small businesses, said Press Secretary Liz Farrar. The former Vanderburgh County Sheriff is a member of the House Small Business Committee.

The advisory committee had its first meeting with Ellsworth Wednesday via teleconference. During the call, the congressman discussed a bill he will formally introduce Thursday that seeks to require federal agencies to take into account the impact that regulations could have on small businesses. The bill also would make the government take steps to reduce the burden of new regulation on mom and pop shops.

Jinsie Bingham

York, who owns four dealerships -- two in Greencastle, one in Brazil and one in Crawfordsville, said he wants to impress on Ellsworth the importance of lessening Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations and other restrictions on small business.

"I think we're all regulated to death," York said.

York also said he hopes Ellsworth can help mitigate the harm that major retailers like Wal-Mart do to small businesses across the country.

Bingham was the first woman in the state of Indiana to have sole ownership of a radio station.

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