RIDLEY PARK — Republican Congressional candidate Pat Meehan joined state Rep. Nick Miccarelli, R-162, of Ridley Park, for a tour of the borough’s business district Thursday.

“You see how small business really works on such small margins,” said Meehan after stopping into several stores in the horse-shoe of West Hinckley and East Sellers avenues.

“I’ve been talking to folks about what it is that allows them to keep people employed, and one of the concerns we have is that you have small businesses that are on the margins,” he said.

Meehan said instead of policies that provide tax incentives for hiring new employees, most business owners he’s talked to are just trying to hold on to the employees they already have.

“I’ve been promoting the concept of a payroll tax holiday on a short-term basis that would help allow these kinds of business owners to put that tax difference back into their business and allow more people here to spend real dollars in stores like this,” he said, indicating the 7-Eleven where the two streets intersect.

Bill Graham, owner of Bill Graham’s Service Station, said health care and kick-starting the economy were high on the list of concerns he’s heard.

“Evidently the stimulus package didn’t do it,” he said. “Money needs to go to small business and the banks to lend to small business. That’s what my impression was it was going to do, but it never transpired.”

But one encouraging sign came during a visit with M&T Bank manager Jack Reilley, who said he is having a banner year in terms of small business loans.

“It’s looking pretty good from our perspective,” said Reilley.

Down the street, Larry Langguth, owner of Langguth’s Card and Gift Shop, said retailers like himself have been disappearing from the landscape.

“We’re down to three, out of 33,” said Langguth, who is nearly 81 years old and has operated his store for about 50 years.

Langguth said his best period came in the 1980s during the administration of President Ronald Reagan.

“I had almost a million-dollar store and that’s unheard of in a small strip center,” he said. “Since then, it’s just been going down.”

“The bottom line is this is really where jobs are created,” said Meehan. “It’s great to have the Boeings in the backyard, and we’re blessed to have that in our region. But the real impact is going to be by helping folks like this take on one or two more employees.”

Meehan, a former Delaware County district attorney and former U.S. attorney, faces state Rep. Bryan Lentz, D-161, of Swarthmore, in the November general election. Miccarelli faces Sharon Hill Councilman Scott Macneil.