Kerry offers small business aid package

[Feanorcurufinwe]

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry on Monday offered a proposal to aid small businesses he said have gotten little more than "a cold should and silence" from President Bush.

Kerry said he would elevate the head of the Small Business Administration to a cabinet-level position and create a new post aimed at giving small businesses a voice in developing trade policy.
He called for an increase in government contracts going to small businesses, aimed at reversing a trend he said is headed in the wrong direction.

"We could be helping a whole bunch of small businesses get a piece of the federal pie," said Kerry.

<snip>
"George Bush is making it tougher for small businesses in this country," said Kerry. "That tells the whole story."

Kerry said he would set a goal getting the small business share of federal contracts to 30 percent of the total. He also said $170 million in equity funding for small businesses would create 850,000 jobs.

Another portion of the package would allow short-term tax deferrals which allows growing businesses to reinvest money.

<snip>
In offering his plan, Kerry sought to cast the issue as one where President Bush favors the powerful.

"His deal is to give to the powerful interests more power, it is to give in to the money and to the most powerful interests in America ... at the expense of the average person," said Kerry.
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/clips/news_2003_1118c.html

[ferg]

1. single payer health care

would help all small businesses.

The other proposals would only help the small proportion of small businesses dependent on federal contracts.

[sandnsea]

3. Single payer isn't happening

And small business doesn't support it anyway. Kerry has a plan to subsidize small business health insurance to employees. And a plan to take out catastrophic cases to reduce premiums which is passed on to the employees. Plans to update the technology for the medical industry to reduce premiums. Insurane more people which will also reduce premiums. These things can pass and will help small business.

And as a small business owner who knows it's a nightmare to do business with the federal government, I applaud anything that would ease that process. Government is a big part of the economy and being able to compete for those contracts would be a real boon for small business. If we want it for Iraqis, why wouldn't we want it for Americans?

[mitchum]

2. kick