Kerry Questions SBA Spending on President's Social Security Tour

[paineinthearse]

Kerry Questions SBA Spending on President's Social Security Tour

4/11/2005 5:08:00 PM


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To: National Desk

Contact: Marc R. Comer of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 202-224-8496

WASHINGTON, April 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Sen. John F. Kerry (D- Mass.), the top Democrat on the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, recently sent a letter to the head of the Small Business Administration (SBA), Hector Barreto, asking for information on the SBA's spending to promote President Bush's Social Security ideas.

"The Administration has cut the SBA and its resources to our small businesses 36 percent since 2001, the most of any Federal Agency, and spending scarce funding to market the President's Social Security proposals would raise serious concerns for this Committee," Kerry wrote.

Kerry wrote to the SBA after learning that it is one of several federal agencies that has tapped its budget to fund the travel of high-level employees as part of President Bush's "60 Stops in 60 Days" tour to promote his Social Security proposals. SBA officials have already traveled to California, Connecticut, Florida, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia as part of the tour.

In the letter, Kerry expressed concern that the SBA was using resources to garner support for the President's Social Security ideas potentially to the detriment of other SBA programs suffering from a lack of funding. Kerry requested a full account of the SBA's spending and travel related to the President's Social Security tour.

A copy of the letter is available on the Committee's website at http://sbc.senate.gov/democrat/correspondence.cfm.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

[blm]

1. Kerry and Waxman may be on to something.

But, will the GOP congress ever let the truth be heard?

[paineinthearse]

3. nope

I'm holding my breath until January, 2007.

[whistle]

2. I think the figure will come in between $60 million to $100 million

...when all is totaled and accounted for. That would equate to 67,000 to 112,000 social security disability checks. Bush has no intention of taking any benefits away from current social security recipients, he is just going to out-spend them, that's all.

[sandnsea]

4. How many agencies?

Does anybody know how many agencies are spending money to promote privatization? Glad Kerry is going after this too. Nothing like having your own tax dollars used to screw you over.

[FloridaPat]

5. This has been going on for 4 years by our idiot incommand.

Everything he has pushed has been political and paid by the tax payer. How many more times before the Democrats really do something. I tired about hearing how the repubs run everything so there can't be any investigations ever.

[paineinthearse]

6. What do you suggest? nt

[FloridaPat]

10. The repubs are breaking real laws,. not the made up ones they tried

to pin on Clinton. I think the Democrats should be screaming all the time over everything and don't let up. Learn how to fight. They can't even do that. Learn how to attack. Stand up for the people in this country because right now most of these people are walking all over us. The Democrats try to give us a few crumbs. We need big chunks and pieces.

Start with whatever legal manuvers they can find.

[kerrygoddess]

7. Good to see this! Kerry the Small Business champion!

Thanks for posting this. We small business owners really appreciate all JK does in our interest.

[wisteria]

8. I don't know much about SBA,

however using scarce monies to promote personal agenda priorities seems inherently wrong to me. Again, it appears Bush doesn't care what it costs to win-he just wants to win at any cost.

[knitter4democracy]

9. Fight on, Kerry! This is crap!!!

The SBA is seriously underfunded--running out of money to disburse to small companys that actually made it through their paperwork (let me tell ya--make sure the IRS never gets a hold of those forms!!!) twice in the last two years, once for over a month.

If some business makes it through and then can't get money because of that junket, someone's head needs to figuratively roll!!!

Two years ago, I applied to a local business bank for financing for a yarn shop. They made me go through the SBA, and it was painful. Ugh. We finally got approved, only to find out at closing one of the young schmucks (okay, he was probably my age, but still) had made a huge mistake (to the tune of $10K). We had no back-up plan for that one, so we had to fold. It wasn't the SBA's fault, but I still don't like them for the paperwork. I'm going through other channels this time around. Oh, and the young schmuck got promoted and is a VP now. :grr:

[LittleClarkie]

11. Cripes he's busy lately

What next?

[tavalon]

12. So he's willing to stand up for all of these things now

and isn't afraid of being called a sore loser. What was his problem on the day after the fraudulent election?

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that he's coming on board, but man, he is late, late, late.

And yes, I'm still pretty pissed at him for fucking his supporters over the way he did.