Bush's SBA has been summarily denying small biz's access to disaster loans

[blm]

More bad Bush dealings the corporate media doesn't like to discuss with the American people.

The whole notion that Republicans are better for small businesses is about as honest as the meme that they are strong on national security. MANUFACTURED LIES.


Kerry Renews Fight to Assist Small Businesses Hurt by Drought

July 22nd, 2005
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), lead Democrat on the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, yesterday re-introduced the Small Business Drought Relief Act to provide emergency aid to non-farm-related small businesses suffering economically from the severe drought conditions throughout the nation. The small businesses assisted by this legislation are struggling businesses that have been denied access to disaster loans through the Small Business Administration (SBA).

“Farmers and ranchers are not the only small business owners whose livelihoods are at risk when a drought hits their communities,” Kerry said. “The impact can be just as devastating to rafting businesses, marinas, and bait and tackle shops. Sadly, these small-businesses owners cannot get help through the SBA’s disaster loan program because of something taxpayers hate about government — bureaucracy.”

MORE - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=39

[MH1]

1. Republicans are definitely unfriendly to small business

Bush tried to cut Microloan this year,
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2005/02/21/smallb2.html

But even last year the budget he proposed included huge cuts to the Small Business Administration:
http://sbc.senate.gov/democrat/record.cfm?id=218150

Yep, the only business the R's are friendly to is BIG business. The bigger, the better, as far as R's are concerned.

[blm]

2. Yet, the media always tells the general public the exact opposite.

.

[MH1]

3. Too be fair, one criticism I have of the Dem Party,

and by extension Kerry's campaign, is that they didn't make a big enough deal about the small business angle. I think small business issues would have had more resonance with a significant subset of voters in my area, than for example, environment or pro-choice.

I have no idea if Kerry pursued small business issues as vigorously before 2005 as he's doing now, butI hope his current focus is a good sign for future campaigns.

[blm]

4. Actually, Kerry has been on the SB Com. for years pushing their issues.

He drafted legislation a few years back that would allocate at least one third of government contracts be opened up to small business to bid on the work. His point was that small businesses CREATE more jobs than the big corporations.

His record was stellar, and his healthcare bill would have benefitted small business GREATLY.

He talked about it alot. The media left it on the editing room floor, along with his healthcare proposal and environmental plans and his strategy for Iraq.

[MH1]

5. That's kind of what I thought, but

I didn't know.

Still, I think not only the media left it on the cutting room floor, but also the folks preparing campaign literature and ads. Or maybe I just missed it? Anyway, that's my criticism, that the campaign didn't talk it up very well. I think I do remember a talking point on the health care plan benefiting small business, but that was it, at least as far as I can remember.