MBE's in the Nati

Young Chinese use computers at an Internet cafe in Beijing. More than 100 million people in the country are online, second only to the United States, with 135 million. The net population is near 950 million by the end of January 2006.

There is nothing small about small business - there are 25 million of them. The [SBA's] Office of Advocacy estimates that small business produces 52% of the gross output of the economy, so 52% of all products and services come from small business.

Ninety-eight percent of all companies have less than 100 employees, 89% have less than 20, and the average American business has 10 to 12 employees. That is why Congress passed the Small Business Act after the Korean War, to direct government contracts to where Americans work.

Cincinnati Change believes that small business is one of the engines that fuels the economy, another is housing (mostly small businesses). We support programs of the Small Business Adminstration (SBA) and look forward to expanding them in the region.

Cincinnati Change believes that the numbers don't lie, and since the beginning of the Bush Administration the things that the SBA is doing are at historic levels. A third of SBA loans go to minority businesses, and minority businesses represent 15% of all businesses.

The mission of SBA is to maintain and strengthen the Nation’s economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses and by assisting in the economic recovery of communities after disasters.

To fulfill this mission, the SBA has three programmatic Strategic Goals that broadly define what the Agency and its programs are trying to accomplish. A fourth Strategic Goal defines the responsibility of the Agency’s executive leadership and support functions to help accomplish the programmatic goals.

SBA Strategic Goals:
1. Improve the economic environment for small businesses.
2. Increase small business success by bridging competitive opportunity gaps facing entrepreneurs.
3. Restore homes and business affected by disaster.
4. Ensure that all SBA programs operate at maximum efficiency and effectiveness by providing them with high quality executive leadership and support services.

President Bush has said, “The role of government is not to create wealth, but to create an environment where entrepreneurs can thrive, flourish, take risks and achieve the American Dream.”

According to SBA Administrator Hector Barreto, "When this Administration started, the SBA was doing $9.5 billion in loan guarantees, and we did 50,000 loans. Last year, the SBA and it's partners did over 100,000 loans and over $20 billion in loan guarantees."

Futhermore Mr. Barreto said, "One-third went to the fastest-growing areas of women and minorities.When we started four and a half years ago, the SBA was training 1.4 million businesses; last year 2.6 million got access to technology and educational assistance. Lastly, four and a half years ago the federal government bought $50 billion worth of goods and services from small businesses; last year they bought $69 billion. That is almost a 40% increase."

[In regard to Katrina loans, the SBA Adminstrator had this to say], we did $1 billion worth of loans to small businesses affected in the Gulf areas and we've done over $3 billion to victims throughout the area. We will surpass $4 billion in loans.

Mr. Baretto has said, "We're still not satisfied. We are producing $70 million in loans a day. We are working seven days a week in two shifts. The bottom line is that this is the biggest response that the U.S. has ever [undertaken]."

"[In terms of the budget], nothing is further from the truth[the story about the Bush adminstration wanting to shut down the SBA]. We have the 2006 budget in place, and I am already working on the 2007 budget and after that the 2008 budget. "

The SBA submitted request for funding for section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, during fiscal year 2006 commitments to guarantee loans under section 503 of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, shall not exceed $5,500,000,000: Provided, That during fiscal year 2006 commitments for general business loans authorized under section 7(a) of the Small Business Act, shall not exceed $16,500,000,000: Provided further, That during fiscal year 2006 commitments to guarantee loans for debentures under section 303(b) of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, shall not exceed $3,000,000,000: Provided further, That during fiscal year 2006 guarantees of trust certificates authorized by section 5(g) of the Small Business Act shall not exceed a principle amount of $12,000,000,000

Cincinnati Change plans to take advanatage of the the statutory authority for the SBA to enter into cooperative agreements with any coalition of private or public entities to: (1) expand business to business relationships; and (2) provide businesses with online information and a database of companies that are interested in mentor-protégé programs or community-based, statewide, or local business development programs.

Working with this as a base of possiable federal SBA lending Cincinnati Change is working to create 1,000 greater Cincinnati based companies in co-operation with partners.

The Greater Cincinnati Water Works has been a municipally owned and operated utility since it was purchased by the City of Cincinnati in 1839. We believe the future mission of this city owned organization whose revenues are over 90 million dollars year is to be sold.

It provides about 136 million gallons of water a day through 3,000 miles of water mains to most of Hamilton County and parts of Butler and Warren Counties in Ohio, and to Boone County in Kentucky.

The net profits should go to housing in the city, supporting business development, public saftey and health along with improving public infrastructure so that it is the residents of the city who it will be helping first.

After that we like the rest of the region will share in the cost of the water we drink.

Cincinnati Change thinks it is worth $400M and will hire an engineer to find out.

Let us state for the record that we support the concept of a coalition of schools to provide for the education of those who identify themselves as African Americans that has sunset provistions - lets say 40 years.

We believe that Fayetteville State University (FSU) who was cited as one of 20 schools nationwide that create a campus culture that fosters student success is such a school and has made the transition into a school that does a good job of educating students.

It was featured in a listing of colleges appeared in the August 29 edition of USA Today.

Fayetteville State University is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina and the second-oldest public institution of higher education in the state.

Founded in 1867 as the Howard School for the education of African Americans, today FSU serves a growing student body of more than 5,300 and ranks among the nation’s most diverse campus communities. Enrollment is projected to grow to 6,000 by 2008, and a $45.5-million campus construction and renovation campaign is underway to accommodate additional students.

The university offers 39 undergraduate and 20 master’s degree programs in the arts and sciences, business and economics, and education. New degree programs also have been established, including FSU's first doctoral program in Educational Leadership. And leadership is where our questions start. This was recently posted on the schools web site:


2005-2006 Chancellor's Distinguished Speaker and Fine Arts Series

Chancellor T.J Bryan and the Department of Performing and Fine Arts at Fayetteville State University (FSU), announce its 2005-06 Chancellor's Distinguished Speaker and Fine Arts Series.

All events for the Chancellor's Distinguished Speaker and Fine Arts Series are free and open to the public. For information concerning the Fine Arts Series, contact Dr. Marvin Curtis at (910) 672-1276. For information regarding the Chancellor's Distinguished Speaker Series, please call (910) 672-1474.

Julian Bond
February 1 at 7:00 p.m.

Seabrook Auditorium

Chairman of the NAACP, Julian Bond will be guest speaker on February 1, 2006 to coincide with the Black History Month Kick-off. Mr. Bond was a founder in 1960 of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) while a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

In 1965, he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives but was prevented from taking his seat by members who objected to his opposition to the Vietnam War. He was re-elected to his own vacant seat only to be un-seated again and eventually seated after a third election and a unanimous decision of the United States Supreme Court.

He was co-chair of a challenge delegation from Georgia to the 1968 Democratic Convention which led to the successful unseating of Georgia's regular Democrats. He became the first Black to be nominated for Vice-President by any major political party but declined because he was too young.

He is a commentator on America's Black Forum and has narrated documentaries including the Academy Award-winning A Time for Justice and the prize-winning acclaimed series Eyes on the Prize.

and recently

Press Release

02/03/06

Fayetteville State University Responds to Speaker's Comments
Julian Bond, Civil Rights Activist and chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), denied comments attributed to him during a speech made at Fayetteville State University (FSU).

Bond was the guest speaker during the Chancellor's Distinguished Speaker Series Feb. 1 in J.W. Seabrook Auditorium. The following day, nationwide media reported that Bond equated the Republican Party with the Nazi Party, and referred to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and her predecessor, Colin Powell, as "tokens".

"I didn't say these things I'm alleged to have said," Bond told FSU. "There is no one in the audience who can say I said them. The reporter from the Fayetteville newspaper did not report I said them. I have denied I said them and refuse to engage in a back and forth about what I did say. This is an irresponsible attack by a right-wing blog - a partisan blog - and these kinds of attacks should be expected and dismissed for what they are."

FSU officials reviewed a tape of Bond's speech to verify the alleged comments. Based on the review, it was determined that nowhere during Bond's speech was reference made to the Nazi Party, nor was the word "token" used.

"We received numerous calls and emails from concerned individuals about Mr. Bond's presentation, so we felt compelled to review the tape in an effort to address their concerns," said Jeffery Womble, director of public relations at Fayetteville State University. "After a close review, we have concluded that the comments attributed to Mr. Bond about the Republican Party, Dr. Rice, and Mr. Colin Powell were not made."

Fayetteville State University is a member institution of The University of North Carolina, which says it is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants, students, or employees based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability."