Does the SBA Help Small Business?

Before Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) even announced his agenda for an April 6 oversight hearing of SBA programs, rumors were spreading across the Internet and through phone lines regarding its content, and the intention of the Senator in hosting the hearing. One group, the American Small Business League (ASBL), surmised that the focus would be on abolishing the SBA and attacked the Senator.

Mr. Coburn shot back calling the ASBL’s description of the hearing a

“false and deliberate distortion.”

“It is dishonest and unethical for a business organization that represents the very community that should care most about the effectiveness of the SBA to mischaracterize the nature of a congressional hearing before it is even announced,” said Senator Coburn in a release.

What are your thoughts – does the U.S. small business sector need the SBA? Are they helping small business? While Senator Coburn said that his hearing would be to determine if the agency is operating effectively (similar to other oversight hearing he has had on government programs), would the small business community miss the SBA if it went away?

Share your thoughts on Cap Chat.

Karen Kerrigan

President & CEO

SBE Council

April 3, 2006

Comments

[Chris Kerry]

I wish small business advocates would get as upset about our need for tax relief and reform as they do about reforming the SBA.

[Karen Kerrigan]

The following link outlines the content of the April 26, 2:30 p.m. hearing:

http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=342

You may view the proceedings, live, by accessing the following link from the Subcommittee’s website:

. View Live Committee Hearings

[Raul Espinosa]

Some of the SBA programs, specially those involving government contracting, do not work. One way to improve them is to make them accountable for their effectiveness. Another is to transfer their operation to the private sector. The SBA can be more effective providing oversight and making sure ALL government programs aimed at small, minority and socio-economic groups work as Congress intended them to.

[Rawlein Soberano]

For the past 6 years, many small businesses have fallen by the wayside from the neglect of their needs by this administration and for giving them nothing more than lip service. What is appalling is its support, oftentimes shrouded under questionable circumstances, e.g., sole source for large businesses, criteria (or lack of them) for contract awards, etc. SBA is supposed to monitor federal procurement activities to ensure that small businesses are protected from neglect, abuse, mismanagement and capricious actions from federal agencies. It's time to force SBA into doing this job or replace their involvment with a more effective mechanism (e.g., private sector) or agency to protect the survival and promote the growth of small businesses. The scheduled hearings on April 6 is a must. Our thanks and gratitude to Sen. Tom Coburn.

Asian American Business Roundtable

[Roger Campos]

The SBA has failed to get government agencies to follow ethical and disciplinary standards in government contracting and they must to support its consituencies. Congress must force an end to the fraud and the abuse so that the SBA's constituencies can rightfully gain access to government contracts and grow their business.

Minority Business Round Table

[Anthony Robinson]

The SBA has failed to maintain the integrity of the government’s small business
development programs. To continue in the present course, without Congress oversight in this arena is to allow large companies to effectively conspire with the
government in lynching the type of companies the Small Business Act intends to
protect.

MBELDEF

[Bill Archides]

Congress must help the SBA re-invent itself by giving them NEW program funding linked to measurable results, and also enforcement powers, (or actual access to such powers) with which to protect its constituencies and help them grow their business.”