U.S. jewelers have an urgent plea for the new president and Congress: Lower the taxes! And, while they're at it, make health insurance affordable so small-business owners can insure their workers and themselves. These are some results of a recent JCK survey of hundreds of U.S. jewelers who were asked to name the big issues affecting them. The three biggest were taxes, the economy, and health insurance. Taxes. The most frequently cited issue is what many called the “tax burden” on small businesses. “Self-employment, state, local, property, and federal taxes are killing my small business,” said Michael Cowing, of Crownsville, Md. A Davenport, Wash., jeweler urged Congress to “make sure [small businesses] aren't taxed to death, so they can survive.” One in three called on President Obama and Congress to lower business taxes or provide more tax breaks for small businesses