Kerry Requests $720 Million for Small Business Hurricane Relief

[kerrygoddess]

John Kerry Requests $720 Million for Small Business Hurricane Relief
October 14th, 2005

John Kerry led a bipartisan group of Senators today in “urging the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to redirect $720 million of the $62 billion already appropriated by Congress for the hurricane recovery effort. The funding would be designated specifically for small business relief.”

Since Hurricane Katrina hit, the Small Business Administration has received nearly 10,500 applications for small business loans. Fewer than 50 have been approved.

“How can the Administration claim to support small businesses without designating a dime of the $62 billion in hurricane relief funds for small businesses?” Kerry said. “Given the administration’s woeful record of delivering loans and assistance to small businesses devastated by the hurricanes, there needs to be real resources provided to ensure small companies get the grants, loans and assistance they so desperately need. It makes no sense leaving billions of dollars lying around when small business owners and the thousands they employ are struggling to make ends meet and put their lives back together.”

According to the latest weekly report from the Department of Homeland Security, $42 billion of the $62 billion appropriated for the relief efforts have not been obligated for specific needs. Of the $720 million the Senators are requesting for small businesses, $450 million would go directly to the affected states, and $270 million would go to strengthen and expand assistance provided by the Small Business Administration and its resource partners.

MORE & LINKS - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=848

[Mass]

1. Kerry's obstination when it comes to issues he cares is something I admire

Be it small businesses, veteran and military families, healthcare for all, or energy and environment, he continues to hammer again and again the truth until he has been heard.

[TayTay]

2. I am so glad that he is doing this

It is frightening to think that this horrible and irresponsible Admin has a blank check for so much money to spend in the Gulf. Congress still refuses to do any oversight at all that would make this stuff transparent to the American people.

I expect that, at some future date, we are going to read about all the ways that this Admin and it's flunkies pissed away the Katrina Relief Money. I know of at least one voice that is being raised against this. I just wish there were a few Repubs with consciences who would listen.

[Island Blue]

3. Senator Kerry is right on target again

It makes me sad to think of what WOULD HAVE been done in the wake of Hurricane Katrina (and other disasters, natural or otherwise) if things had gone differently last year. I know Kerry and many others in the Senate and House are trying as hard as they can to make sure the right things are done, but they really shouldn't even have to ask for things like post-Katrina support for small businesses. Assistance like this should be automatic for any administration.

[Firespirit]

4. They should be automatic for any human being.

That begs a question about the Bushies, of course.

No offense meant toward Floridians, if there are any here, but I'm sure you realized that he was just using your state for photo-ops last year because it was an election year, Florida was a swing state and they needed it "close enough," and the toll of the Florida hurricanes doesn't approach this, in lives lost or in damage. Considering that he was campaigning on being able to protect America during a crisis, I don't think Bush would have been able to get away with this type of response to an epic disaster last year without paying for it in a way that Karl couldn't fix.

It's in that nasty family's genes. His father did the same type thing after Andrew hit Florida, only he was stupid enough to do it in an election year. W. at least saw the benefit of coldbloodedly photo-opping in a swing state, during an election year, after a series of bad-but-not-really-epic disasters. Now he's a lame duck, so his natural response -- "I don't give a damn, I need to pretend to play guitar and photo-op with McCain" -- takes precedence.

:grr:

It's not that I expected anything better of his ass, but it's still such an outrage against humanity that it makes me angry.

[TayTay]

5. He and Brownie screwed up Florida real bad.

They gave money to people in Miami who weren't affected by the storms. They screwed up the Small Business loans and gave them to the wrong people. There are still hundreds of people living in temporary trailers who have no hope of getting out and going back to homes.

Florida was a disaster, it just didn't get reported. We didn't find out about all these problems until the media got their spine back and started reporting on Brownie and what a f*ckup he was. It's sad. If only the media had done their job last yer and reported on this and other stuff.

(Remember, the reporters who were in on PlameGate knew this info last year and didn't let it out. They withheld vital information from the American people that could have had an impact on the election. They knew that Rove and Libby had compromised the identity of a CIA agent and kept it out of the news.)