Obama's First 100 Days Disappoints Women, Minorities and Small Businesses
President Obama's first 100 days in office have failed to live up to his campaign promises, and the expectations of millions of women, minorities and other small business owners who enthusiastically supported his campaign.
Based on numerous campaign promises from President Obama that were carefully crafted to generate support within those groups, millions of Americans believed they had finally found a Presidential candidate that truly cared about them.
For countless former Obama devotees, reality is beginning to rear its ugly head. Obama supporters across the country have become severely disillusioned and disappointed as the Grand Canyon sized chasm between President Obama's campaign promises and the actual policies of his administration become more and more evident.
Millions of African Americans were moved to tears when President Obama's victory in the Presidential campaign was announced. Minority groups from coast to coast rejoiced. Now, many of President Obama's supporters within the minority community are crying again, but this time it's because they're losing their businesses. Minority business owners are now stunned to see America's first African American President allowing the Pentagon to systematically dismantle federal economic stimulus programs for minorities in the midst of a severe recession. Thousands of minority-owned firms will be forced to close their doors. The Pentagon has begun to terminate federal programs that award 5 percent of contracts to minority-owned firms. Neither President Obama nor America's first African American Attorney general, Eric Holder, have lifted a finger to stop them.
During the campaign, President Obama promised to fully implement a federal law passed over eight years ago establishing a government wide 5 percent set-aside contracting goal for women-owned firms. The program has never been implemented, and woman-owned firms have lost billions of dollars in federal contracts as a result. To date, President Obama has not implemented the 5 percent set-aside goal for women-owned firms and there is no indication he ever will.
Since 2003, over a dozen federal investigations have been released which found hundreds of billions of dollars in federal small business contracts were diverted to Fortune 500 firms and thousands of other large businesses around the world. Thousands of middle class firms across the country have been forced to close their doors as they fail in their futile struggle to compete head-to-head with corporate giants for even the smallest government orders for goods and services.
In 2005, the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General released Report 5-15 which stated, "One of the most important challenges facing the Small Business Administration and the entire Federal government today is that large businesses are receiving small business procurement awards and agencies are receiving credit for these awards."
Investigative stories by every major newspaper in the country along with ABC, CBS and CNN have reported thousands of firms such as AT&T, Verizon, Rolls-Royce, Wal-Mart, Xerox, Dell, Home Depot and British Aerospace (BAE) had all received millions of dollars in federal small business contracts.
In February of 2008, small business owners across America were ecstatic when President Obama stated, "It is time to end the diversion of federal small business contracts to corporate giants."
Elation has turned into staggering disappointment for thousands of small business owners who once believed President Obama would deliver them from more than eight years of rampant fraud and abuse in federal small business contracting programs.
Not only has President Obama consistently refused to adopt even a single policy to stem the flow of billions of dollars in federal small business contracts to "corporate giants," he even modified his website to remove his campaign promise to end the abuses.
On President Obama's 100th day in office, women-owned small businesses will still not have the paltry 5 percent set-aside contracting goal signed into law over eight years ago. Thousands of minority-owned firms that were already struggling to deal with the financial challenges of the recession are now feeling the dramatic impact of the Pentagon campaign to eliminate economic stimulus programs to assist minority-owned firms.
On the 100th day of the administration that promised us "change we can believe in," Fortune 500 firms will still be receiving billions of dollars in U.S. government small business contracts, just as they have for over eight years.
For millions of women, minorities and small business owners all across America it has become painfully clear, President Obama's promise to bring "an end to business as usual in Washington" may not include them.
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Obama said he'd assist with small business but all the money is going to big business. Democrats always state they are for women but in reality the Democratic party has done little to none to achieve equality for women. I suppose they think that allowing abortions is enough to support women. The one thing that separates American from the rest of the world is the ability of people to start a small business and strive towards the American dream. This administration, through taxes and control, will remove the single vehicle to build the American dream. Look to the failed "everybody should own a home" program as an example of this failure.
I guess it depends on who you as in refrence to women... although i would like to see more done for small businesses. If there is something being done it should be made more public
This just proves that you can't believe everything everyone says. Obama obviously said the things he did in his campaigning to get the votes and people put their trust in him, and he let those people down. All politicians are the same and lie to get what they want. He is just digging himself a deeper hole and definitely is not following through with the promises that he made to the people of The United States.
Way to go Lloyd Chapman! I couldn't agree with you more!
100 days and automakers, banks and large corporations have lined up and received help from President Obama. And help for for small businesses that are trying to stay afloat? It seems they are being told to wait at the end of the line until the big boys get back on their feet. So much for stimulating the sector of business that directly touches the heart of America.
CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE!!!
That's what I heard. That's what I was promised. What has changed? Let's take a look.... the presidents home state has moved from Texas to Illinois, effectively moving from the 2nd most politically corrupt state to the first. That's change. I no longer think I am smarter than the President. That's change. (I don't think the first thing Obama did when he entered the White House was to jump on all the beds, but Bush might have.)
What has changed for the Small Business owner? NOTHING! Where is the oil change that the engine that drives the American society so richly deserves?
The Bush administration tried to dismantle the SBA, while the Obama administration is trying to act like a seal trainer and keep America distracted from the real issues using a series of subtle clicks and hand gestures.
Both Bush's liked to distract attention from real issues by starting wars.
Maybe Obama is using the Swine Flu to distract America from the real demons we are facing.
If he can somehow convince the American people that the swine flu is coming from Mexico strapped on the back of the killer bees, it might be just enough to dismantle all the programs designed to help small business.
If I were a HUB Zone small business, I'd get my Flu shots now. You are the first to go.
You really would think that of all times, this would be the time to follow through on his promises to small business. All this focus put on big business and failing giant banks... He could look like a genius stepping up and taking a stand for the little guys, of which almost all of us are. And as a minority himself with 2 daughters, you would think he would do better to support the efforts of hardworking people who are trying to make a small business flourish against the odds.
I have been seeing stories in the media for years about the government giving small business contracts to Fortune 500 companies. I don't get why this is still happening.
It's bad for the economy and it looks like its illegal. This would seem like a no-brainer for President Obama, especially when you consider we are in a recession and small business create all of the new jobs in America. Why in the world would President Obama not do something to stop government small business contracts from going to big businesses. I was a big supporter of President Obama and it concerns me he may have gone back on his promises to the women, minorities and small businesses that helped et him elected.
I don't think anyone expects President Obama to fix every little problem and satisfy everyone. However, promises he made to small businesses, now more than ever, is not a little problem, its the biggest problem facing our economy today. It sounds like disadvantaged small businesses are not asking for much, just 5% of government procurement that already exists by enforcing current legislation.
Also, women and minorities in general were very strong supporters during his campaign and the least the president could do is keep their businesses afloat not only for them but for America's economy.
"The Pentagon has begun to terminate federal programs that award 5 percent of contracts to minority-owned firms. Neither President Obama nor America's first African American Attorney general, Eric Holder, have lifted a finger to stop them."
It just doesn’t seem right. It seems like no one really understands that small businesses are the way to stimulate the economy. If we could divert more funds, as opposed to taking the already meager 5% away from SMBs, the economy would start coming back to its feet. Why are we instead pulling all the funding from small businesses and giving the contracts to big business that doesn’t help anyone? I also voted for President Obama, but if things don’t shape up soon, I cant promise that as hopeful as I am that things will change, I would give him another vote.
It just seems like Obama keeps shooting himself in the foot. How many opportunities has he missed to address these small business issues? He issued a memorandum last month about cleaning up federal contracting and it did not even mention small businesses, or the fact that billions of dollars every year in small business contracts go to large companies. The federal contracting system is a mess, but instead, all we hear is how he is supporting small businesses while doing nothing to really help, that is the same thing we got from Bush for eight years. If Obama really wants to do something to help small businesses and help our economy, then he will address this issue NOW, just as he promised to do during the campaign.
How many people here saw the article on the protest, where 91 people, some in wheelchairs were arrested or given citations to appear in court for chaining themself to a fence outside the white house?
Obama has completely failed the disabled population of this country, and I suspect a large number of the 19.3% of the US population (according to Y2K US Census bureau statistics) who are disabled very well may not support him in 2012. I know I'm likely to vote independant myself, or use the much under used "None of the above" option
what was the issue? But what can you aspect to happen when you chain yourself to the fence...of course your going to get arrested or issued a sitation. If they were peacfuly prtesting on the street and then attacked for no reason by securtiy then I could see you point.
They were a group of about 500 disabled and disability advocates who were protesting after being implicitly told that their main concern, a bill called The Community Choice Act would be left out of the health care reform bill. The Community Choice Act would essentially prevent the current plan that is being proposed that would all but force the elderly and disabled who are on Medicare/Medicaid to be institutionalized in state run facilities if they wanted to keep their insurance coverage given by the government. It would be a dramatic blow to the independence movement of the elderly and disabled, and all but force them to be Wards of the state, many of whom have fought all our lives to not be considered wards of the state or welfare cases. It is a matter of being forced to sacrifice dignity and respect to save a few $$$$
I don't know how you could go 100 days without addressing this problem. Small businesses are the backbone of our nation's economy. It seems like there is a serious disconnect between what our legislators say, and what our legislators do.
Don't forget reforming the failed war on drugs which has wasted over a trillion dollars of OUR taxes so far and continues to waste more every day. All this does is continue to fund the Prison Industrial Complex, along with funding the drug cartels south of our nation. An estimated 14 billion dollars annually in potential tax revenues is also wasted from cannabis alone. AG Holder promised to lay off the legal medical Cannabis dispensaries in the 13 States which have legalized medical Cannabis. All those afflicted with debilitating disease breathed easier, only to find out that those promises were broken as fast as they were made, with raids continuing in San Francisco.
I voted for President Obama, but if he continues to pander to special interests, he'll undoubtably will be a one term President. His handling of domestic problems and appointments leave a lot to be desired. The only place where he has excelled is in foreign policy, but that does little when our Nation is slowly bleeding to death. Geithner and Summers are obviously not up to the task and Secretary Napolitano continues along the ssame path that has been a dismal failure under the last administration.
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