Kerry: LTTE LA Times 10/12/05

[TayTay]

LA Times: Hurricane Loan Story


When I read the Oct. 7 article, "Small Businesses Feel Lost in Bureaucratic Thicket," I wondered what small-business owner would agree with the Bush administration that the "disaster loan program" is working fine.

As of Oct. 7, six weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit, the Small Business Administration had approved only 25 loans to small businesses.

Despite the Bush administration's excuses, tens of thousands of small business owners still have no way to pay their bills and start rebuilding their lives.

Small businesses can't wait months for the SBA to get its act together.

They need access to grants and loans now.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MASS.)

Small Business and

Entrepreneurship Committee

Washington
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/letters/la-le-subwednesday12.3oct12,0,730397.story?coll=la-news-comment-letters

[whometense]

1. Nice!

Did you listen to Morning Sedition today?? Marc Maron mentioned Kerry (and only Kerry) twice today when they were talking about the right wing's economic "experiment" that's using New Orleans as a lab. He was talking about how Kerry - alone - called them on it. And how Kerry was talking about how this was a real opportunity to make peoples' lives better. The implication was that he was the only prominent dem making noise about this. Made my morning. As you know, the Morning Sedition Marc/ks are not exactly in Kerry's pocket.

They also interviewed Studs Terkel. He spoke admiringly of Kerry and said that he shouldn't have listened to those DLCers Biden and Hillary Clinton (yes, he used that term) in the way he talked about Iraq. I don't know how accurate that it, but that was his take. A good Kerry morning, though, on AAR.

[TayTay]

2. Did you read the 43p report I found yesterday?

There will be a test, you know. Okay, but seriously, Kerry knows this stuff. He knows (I bet cold) what his numbers were last year, where he pulled and where he didn't. I think it just gave him yet more of a desire to go with his gut instinct: pursue a path that helps the middle class. (His heart is here anyway, so get rid of the folks who are telling him to pander to the 'conservative' voting blocks, since they aren't right anyway.)

Kerry has been pursing a consistent and logical path this year that helps small business (he and Snowe are trying to work out the AHP thing and then they should have a bang-up health care plan for small business. Query for more info and what's wrong with the AHP plan as written.) This is huge and is in addition to the Kids First bill. He has spoken out about how to genuinely fix things after Katrina with both logic and compassion. He just proposed an extension and straightening of the Earned Income Tax credit. He has been putting together a consistent and wonderful series of programs that are solidly for middle-class people with compassion for lower-income people. This is something that he (and all) Democrats can run on.

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming."

[whometense]

3. No, not yet

:blush: No town meeting to tie me to a chair. ;-)

But you're right. It's just lovely to see him getting some recognition for his fine and steady work. It's not very flashy - I guess I was surprised that someone other than us noticed.

[TayTay]

4. Oh, you don't have to read it.

This group can only handle so many geeky people who live to read statistics and arcane analysis and shit. (I should be the one with the :blush: ) I could read that stuff all day long. (Cuz there's something wrong with me, obviously.)

You already knew this without reading a 43p report: Kerry is going with his heart, and doing what he thinks is right. No report can put it better. (But they are abslutely fascinating to read, if you are geeky. I am reading the book The Republican War on Science right now. I love stuff like that. Then I'm gonna read a fluffy romance/fanstasy cuz I'm getting stuffy again.)

[whometense]

5. I may have asked you this before,

and it's TOTALLY OT, but have you ever seen the movie Next Stop Wonderland? It's a must see for anyone who loves the Boston area and likes their romantic movies kind of dry and unsappy. And if you enjoy bossa nova - well, the soundtrack is sublime.

I recommend it highly as a wonk antidote. :-)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/6305803765/002-4364517-9908027?v=glance&n=130&n=507846&s=dvd&v=glance

[TayTay]

6. Ooooh, a trip to the video store is in order.

I haven't seen it yet. I did see Fever Pitch and that struck a bit home. :blush:

I will give it a look/see. Thanks!