ASBL, 'Obama and McCain Have Policies Joe the Plumber Isn't Going to Like'

The following press release was dropped by the American Small Business League (ASBL) today regarding the small business plans that have been presented by Senators Barack Obama and John McCain, as well as the potential impact of those plans on, "Joe the Plumber."

The release is also available by clicking http://www.asbl.com/showmedia.php?id=1175.

Obama and McCain Have Policies Joe the Plumber Isn't Going to Like

Obama and McCain Small Business Policies Will Shock Joe the Plumber

Petaluma, Calif. - Joe the Plumber talked about wanting to buy the company he was working for. If he was thinking about getting a Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed loan like thousands of small business owners do every year, he had better vote for Senator Obama. Senator McCain will maintain Bush Administration anti-small business policies, close the SBA, and end all federal programs designed for small businesses, and firms owned by women, minorities and veterans, including all the loan programs.

After Joe the plumber starts his own small business, he might want to think about trying to bid on federal small business contracts. The United States government is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world. He could get a small business contract selling plumbing fixtures and supplies to the government or government contractors. He could get a service contract to do plumbing work on the various federal buildings in the area around Toledo, Ohio.

If Joe does start to try and bid on government small business contracts he is going to be stunned when he finds out that under current Bush Administration policy, he will have to compete head-to-head with Fortune 1000 corporations, their subsidiaries and thousands of other large businesses for even the smallest orders for goods and services. He might even find himself competing with the U.S. subsidiaries of many of the largest corporations in Europe.

I'm not sure who Joe should vote for if he wants to try and land government small business contracts, because neither Senator McCain, nor Senator Obama have come out publicly and said they would do anything to address this problem. There have now been 15 federal investigations released since 2003, which have found that billions of dollars in federal small business contracts have been diverted to Fortune 1000 firms. It has been estimated that up to $100 billion a year in government small business contracts actually go to many of the largest companies in the United States and Europe.

Today, it would be easier for Joe to find Jimmy Hoffa's body than it would be to find anything on either Senator Obama or Senator McCain's websites regarding their plans to stop the diversion of federal small business contracts to corporate giants.

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Comments

[Ave-Gabrielle]

10:30 AM on 10/17/2008

Joe the plumber? Sam (Ohio) the unlicensed contractor­! Guy was planted to do one of Sarah Palin's complaints "gotcha journalism­!" on Barack. Joe the plumber, who is not a plumber, and his name is Sam and he does contract work but does not have a license to do contract work. A republican catching Barack, who is gracious and will talk to the public with cameras (unlike Palin). Joe the plumber said he wanted to open a $250,000 plumbing business and that Barack's proposal will harm and cut into his business. Fact #1: Sam the unlicensed contractor makes $40,000 a year, and he is not a plumber. Fact# 2: Sam is NOT opening up his own business and even his own boss was surprised to hear that Sam could or would do that, because the guy is unlicensed AND Fact# 3: Joe/Sam did not pay taxes for 2007, and, there is a lean and judgment against him. Sam swaggering on his cell phone as TV crews followed him again, he said to the cameras "I hate social security, don't want my taxes paying for it." HUH? Bet his retired parents need SS. Joe tricked us for 15 minutes of fame. Sam the nobody caught Barack, and, repubs and McCain ate it up. Again, Joe, vote for your guy, oh, and when the not paying your taxes comes back to bite you--you might need the other guy, Barack, an attorney, to suggest a good tax lawyer.

[boophus]

03:15 AM on 10/17/2008

My son who has been a republican has left the party because he is a small business owner who has gotten slammed by corporatio­ns to the point he is nearly out of business. Corporatio­ns are a huge problem and they don't provide most of the jobs in the US. My sister who makes $14000 pays more taxes than most corporatio­ns and they get more subsidies and welfare than anyone I know.