Petaluma, Calif. - After losing its fifth federal lawsuit to the American Small Business League (ASBL), the Bush Administration has been forced to release more than 10,000 pages of documents that list the recipients of federal small business contracts for fiscal years 2005 and 2006. Bush Administration officials at the Small Business Administration (SBA) fought the release of the information, but United States District Court Judge Marilyn H. Patel ruled in favor of the ASBL and ordered that the information be released.
The information turned over by the SBA proves the ASBL's long-standing claim that the Bush Administration has fabricated small business contracting data and lied to the public, Congress and the media about the diversion of federal small business contracts to some of the largest firms in the United States and Europe.
"Our goal was to prove before President Bush left office that his administration had fabricated reports and lied to the public, Congress and the media. This information proves that the Bush Administration is responsible for the diversion of more than $100 billion a year in federal small business contracts away from middle-class America and into the hands of some of the largest companies in the world," ASBL President Lloyd Chapman said.
To read more, click here
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
Small Business Numbers May be Falsely Inflated
A story titled "Are small-biz counts too good to be true?" was published today in Federal Computer Week, written by Matthew Weigelt. The story outlines how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal agencies can use a single contract to represent multiple categories when it comes to meeting their small business contracting goals. For example, DHS can count a single contract that goes to a veteran-owned HUBZone small business as counting towards three subcategories: veteran-owned, HUBZone, and small business.
This practice is documented in a report that was released by the House Homeland Security Committee on May 20. Lawmakers have commented that this practice creates an inaccurate picture that artificially inflates the number of small, minority, and disadvantaged businesses that work with the federal government. This practice of double counting can be damaging for small businesses because federal agencies are able to meet their small business contracting goals while working with fewer small businesses.
To read the full story, click here
Source:
Thursday, May 29, 2008
SBA Moves to Include Big Business in Small Business Programs
Petaluma, Calif. - On Tuesday, May 27, the Small Business Administration (SBA) surprised small business owners around the country by announcing they will hold crucial public meetings regarding a comprehensive review of small business size standards in Washington D.C. on June 3rd. Small business size standards are one of the most important topics concerning small federal contractors because they will determine which companies will be able to participate in federal small business contracting programs.
SBA critics believe the extreme short notice of the meetings is no accident, and was designed to make it more difficult for firms and organizations outside of the Washington D.C. area to be in attendance. Notice of such meetings is normally given months in advance. With such short notice, the input from the meetings will be dominated by subsidiaries of Fortune 1000 firms and large firms in the D.C. area that currently receive a major portion of all federal small business contracts. Lobbyists and trade groups that support large businesses in the IT industry are also expected to attend.
To read more, please click here: http://www.asbl.com/showmedia.php?id=1055
SBA critics believe the extreme short notice of the meetings is no accident, and was designed to make it more difficult for firms and organizations outside of the Washington D.C. area to be in attendance. Notice of such meetings is normally given months in advance. With such short notice, the input from the meetings will be dominated by subsidiaries of Fortune 1000 firms and large firms in the D.C. area that currently receive a major portion of all federal small business contracts. Lobbyists and trade groups that support large businesses in the IT industry are also expected to attend.
To read more, please click here: http://www.asbl.com/showmedia.php?id=1055
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
SBA Budget Dropped from $2.23 Billion in FY 2006 to $571.8 Million in FY 2007, According to Businessweek.com
As many of you may have seen, on Friday, May 23, Amy S. Choi with Businessweek.com reported,
"The budget for the SBA dropped to $571.8 million in fiscal 2007, from $2.23 billion in fiscal 2006, including all supplemental funding and congressional earmarks, reported the SBA."
Excluding all supplemental funding and congressional earmarks the SBA's budget has been cut more than any other federal agency since the Bush Administration took office. In fact according to Fred Hochberg at Huffingtonpost.com, "Under the Bush Administration, the SBA has sustained the largest budget cut - 40 percent - of any federal agency." Hochberg notes that Congressional Democrats have been able to restore 15% of the cut, reducing the total budget cut to 25%. However, he also notes that 25% still represents the largest cut of any federal agency.
Sources:
www.businessweek.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fred-hochberg/small-businesses-create-j_b_101601.html
"The budget for the SBA dropped to $571.8 million in fiscal 2007, from $2.23 billion in fiscal 2006, including all supplemental funding and congressional earmarks, reported the SBA."
Excluding all supplemental funding and congressional earmarks the SBA's budget has been cut more than any other federal agency since the Bush Administration took office. In fact according to Fred Hochberg at Huffingtonpost.com, "Under the Bush Administration, the SBA has sustained the largest budget cut - 40 percent - of any federal agency." Hochberg notes that Congressional Democrats have been able to restore 15% of the cut, reducing the total budget cut to 25%. However, he also notes that 25% still represents the largest cut of any federal agency.
Sources:
www.businessweek.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fred-hochberg/small-businesses-create-j_b_101601.html
Friday, May 23, 2008
Judge: SBA Must Disclose Contract Recipients
This brief on our recent victory over the Small Business Administration in Federal District Court ran in the Worchester Business Journal.
A California federal judge has ruled against the U.S. Small Business Administration and required it to reveal what companies have received small business contracts for 2005 and 2006.
The American Small Business League brought the lawsuit, which it filed under the Freedom of Information Act, and the judge ruled that the SBA has two weeks to provide the information to the league.
To read more, please visit: http://wbjournal.com
A California federal judge has ruled against the U.S. Small Business Administration and required it to reveal what companies have received small business contracts for 2005 and 2006.
The American Small Business League brought the lawsuit, which it filed under the Freedom of Information Act, and the judge ruled that the SBA has two weeks to provide the information to the league.
To read more, please visit: http://wbjournal.com
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
SBA ordered to reveal names of companies that got federal small business contracts
Today, the Central Valley Business Times issued this report and audio clip regarding the ASBL's Tuesday legal victory against the Small Business Administration.
Click here to listen or download (asbl-sba.mp3, 6.40 MB)
• Federal judge gives SBA two weeks to comply
• American Small Business League suspects money really went to biggest corporations
• Updated at 11:50 a.m. with audio interview
The Small Business Administration has two weeks to release the names of the companies that got federal small business contracts in 2005 and 2006, says a federal judge.
U.S. District Court Judge Marilyn Patel issued her ruling Tuesday evening in a Freedom of Information lawsuit filed by the American Small Business League of Petaluma.
It’s the fourth time the ASBL has sued the SBA over releasing information and the fourth time it has won, the organization says.
(ASBL President Lloyd Chapman talks about the suit and why he sees it as important to America in a CVBT Audio Interview. Please click on the link below to listen or to download the MP3 audio file to your computer or iPod)
In the latest lawsuit, the ASBL wants the specific names of the firms that were coded as small businesses for fiscal year 2005 and the specific dollar amounts that were awarded to those firms.
The contract total for firms from FY 2005 should total $75.1 billion as released by the Small Business Administration, the ASBL says.
It also wants the specific names of firms that were coded as small businesses for fiscal year 2006 and the specific dollar volume of contracts that were awarded to those firms.
The contract for firms from FY 2006 should total $77.7 billion as released by the Small Business Administration, ASBL says.
“We believe that this information will prove that billions of dollars in federal small business contracts actually went to many of the largest corporations in the United States and Europe during those years,” the ASBL says.
ASBL filed suit against the SBA after the agency refused to comply with the Freedom of Information Act request.
The SBA did not immediately respond to an e-mail request for comment.
Source: http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=8802
Click here to listen or download (asbl-sba.mp3, 6.40 MB)
• Federal judge gives SBA two weeks to comply
• American Small Business League suspects money really went to biggest corporations
• Updated at 11:50 a.m. with audio interview
The Small Business Administration has two weeks to release the names of the companies that got federal small business contracts in 2005 and 2006, says a federal judge.
U.S. District Court Judge Marilyn Patel issued her ruling Tuesday evening in a Freedom of Information lawsuit filed by the American Small Business League of Petaluma.
It’s the fourth time the ASBL has sued the SBA over releasing information and the fourth time it has won, the organization says.
(ASBL President Lloyd Chapman talks about the suit and why he sees it as important to America in a CVBT Audio Interview. Please click on the link below to listen or to download the MP3 audio file to your computer or iPod)
In the latest lawsuit, the ASBL wants the specific names of the firms that were coded as small businesses for fiscal year 2005 and the specific dollar amounts that were awarded to those firms.
The contract total for firms from FY 2005 should total $75.1 billion as released by the Small Business Administration, the ASBL says.
It also wants the specific names of firms that were coded as small businesses for fiscal year 2006 and the specific dollar volume of contracts that were awarded to those firms.
The contract for firms from FY 2006 should total $77.7 billion as released by the Small Business Administration, ASBL says.
“We believe that this information will prove that billions of dollars in federal small business contracts actually went to many of the largest corporations in the United States and Europe during those years,” the ASBL says.
ASBL filed suit against the SBA after the agency refused to comply with the Freedom of Information Act request.
The SBA did not immediately respond to an e-mail request for comment.
Source: http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=8802
Monday, May 19, 2008
Venture Capital Wants Back Into Small Business Research Grants | CQ Politics
By Shawn Zeller
May 17, 2008
In late April, the House passed an apparently routine bill to reauthorize research grants for small businesses. But the appearance of “small business as usual” was deceiving: The action actually capped a fierce lobbying battle that pitched wealthy venture capitalists’ pet research projects against more modestly funded enterprises in the pursuit of more than $2 billion in federal grant money.
New York Democrat Nydia M. Velazquez, who chairs the House Small Business Committee, sponsored the measure. Should the Senate go along with it, Vel?!zquez’s bill would extend grants and contracts for innovation research and technology transfer through 2010, and in the process allow small businesses backed by venture capital firms to qualify, as long as no single investment firm owned 50 percent or more of a business. Multiple investment firms could collectively own more than half.
Two small-business groups, the American Small Business League and the Small Business Technology Council, charge that Velazquez’s adjustments to grant-funding protocols effectively would bar their members from competing for the annual $2.3 billion of federal outlays in grants and contracts for technology research. Most of the grants come from the Defense Department and the National Institutes of Health.
“This is an attempt by the National Venture Capital Association to buy a piece of legislation for financial gain, and Velazquez and her committee have sold out to them,” complains Lloyd Chapman, president of the American Small Business League.
To read more, please visit: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=weeklyreport-000002877968
May 17, 2008
In late April, the House passed an apparently routine bill to reauthorize research grants for small businesses. But the appearance of “small business as usual” was deceiving: The action actually capped a fierce lobbying battle that pitched wealthy venture capitalists’ pet research projects against more modestly funded enterprises in the pursuit of more than $2 billion in federal grant money.
New York Democrat Nydia M. Velazquez, who chairs the House Small Business Committee, sponsored the measure. Should the Senate go along with it, Vel?!zquez’s bill would extend grants and contracts for innovation research and technology transfer through 2010, and in the process allow small businesses backed by venture capital firms to qualify, as long as no single investment firm owned 50 percent or more of a business. Multiple investment firms could collectively own more than half.
Two small-business groups, the American Small Business League and the Small Business Technology Council, charge that Velazquez’s adjustments to grant-funding protocols effectively would bar their members from competing for the annual $2.3 billion of federal outlays in grants and contracts for technology research. Most of the grants come from the Defense Department and the National Institutes of Health.
“This is an attempt by the National Venture Capital Association to buy a piece of legislation for financial gain, and Velazquez and her committee have sold out to them,” complains Lloyd Chapman, president of the American Small Business League.
To read more, please visit: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=weeklyreport-000002877968
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