Obama Small Business Conference Draws Criticism

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2010

Petaluma, Calif. – On Monday, June 14, the Obama Administration suddenly announced that it will hold a small business forum in Washington D.C. on June 28. Obama Administration officials claim the purpose of the forum is to collect public input on the administration's recently established Interagency Task Force on Small Business. (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-14144.pdf)

Small business groups and owners around the country are concerned about the short notice the Obama Administration has given members of the small business community regarding the meeting. The American Small Business League (ASBL) believes the Obama Administration opted to hold the meeting in Washington D.C. on short notice to minimize comments from angry small businesses over the administration's failed small business track record. (http://www.asbl.com/documents/20100526_ASBL_AnalysisObamaSB.pdf)

During the 2008 campaign President Obama made a wide variety of promises to the small business community, including a promise to, "end the diversion of federal small business contracts to corporate giants." To date, President Obama has refused to honor those promises.
(http://www.barackobama.com/2008/02/26/the_american_small_business_le.php)

In the most egregious example, President Obama has allowed the continued diversion of more than $100 billion a year in federal small business contracts to Fortune 500 firms and even some of the largest corporations in the world. Since 2003, over a dozen federal investigations have uncovered the diversion of billions of dollars in small business contracts to corporate giants. (http://www.asbl.com/documentlibrary.html)

The ASBL has launched a national campaign to rally small business groups and small business owners around the country to attend the meeting and send comments to the small business task force. The public has until Monday, June 21 to register to attend the event and Wednesday, June 30 to submit comments. (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-14144.pdf)

"I'm predicting that the Obama Administration will use its 'small business task force,' and this sham meeting on June 28, to push anti-small business policies like: changing the definition of small business to include larger firms, increasing small business size standards or dismantling the SBA by combining it with the U.S. Department of Commerce," ASBL President Lloyd Chapman said. "If President Obama really wanted to help small businesses he would quit diverting small business funds to Fortune 500 firms. Small business owners around the country need to prepare themselves to oppose any new Obama Administration policy that will actually weaken federal small business contracting programs under the guise of helping small businesses."

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Contact:
Christopher Gunn
Communications Director
American Small Business League
cgunn@asbl.com
(707) 789-9575