Blue Dog Relief Tally Reaches $750,000 for Katrina-Soaked Groups; Congress Acts to Help Keep Disaster-Stricken Communities, Small Businesses Afloat

As GoodBiz113 reported last October ["Louisiana Artist Brings Post-Katrina [Blue Dog] Relief to New Orleans"], George Rodrigue -- AKA the world-renowned "Blue Dog artist" -- has created a fund-raising initiative, Blue Dog Relief: George Rodrigue Art Campaign for Recovery, to help groups devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

To date, a portion of print sales -- i.e., We Will Rise Again, To Stay Alive We Need Levee 5, Throw Me Something FEMA [see image, above right], Cut Through the Red Tape, You Can't Drown the Blues and We Are Marching Again -- have channelled $750,000 to four not-for-profits:
* New Orleans Museum of Art [NOMA]
* Southeast Louisiana Chapter of the American Red Cross [ARCNO]
* United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area
* United Way of America

Wendy Rodrigue, George's wife, divulged to GoodBiz113 that another large gift -- as much as $100,000 -- is in the offing soon for NOMA, which is currently at 10% of its pre-Katrina attendance. "They have an incredible two-month show curated by the director of the Louvre, called 'Femme Femme Femme: Paintings of Women in French Society from Daumier to Picasso from the Museums of France,' opening on March 3," she said. "We will probably present the check opening night."

110th Congress Committed to Improving Fed Response to Major Disasters
Legislation aimed at addressing the problems exposed by Hurricane Katrina has become a hot topic in the new Congress. More than 35 bills have been introduced so far -- ranging from overhaul of the Small Business Administration [SBA] and Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA], to appointment of a presidential commission to review the government's response to the storm and its aftermath.

It's difficult to handicap the bills' chances. But the new Democratic leadership of the House and Senate say they are committed to improving SBA's disaster loan process, making FEMA more responsive, approving critical Corps of Engineers flood-control and hurricane-protection work, and increasing the availability of rental housing in New Orleans.

The 2005 hurricanes received no mention in President Bush's State of the Union speech last month. Still, Donald Powell, the president's coordinator of Gulf Coast recovery, said that Bush remains committed to rebuilding the region "stronger and better than it was before Katrina and Rita." Powell added that it will take a "long time" to finish the work. So far, the administration hasn't embraced any of the bills related to Hurricane Katrina, which slammed into Louisiana and Mississippi in August 2005 -- nearly 18 months ago.

Here's a sampling of the bills introduced during the opening weeks of the 110th Congress. The measures would:

* Establish a presidential commission to chronicle the trajectory of Hurricane Katrina and the responses made by federal, state and local governments; estimate the loss of life, and physical and structural damage; and recommend corrective actions. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas., the bill's sponsor, said a commission with subpoena power could issue a credible report that will help avert failures the next time government faces a disaster like Katrina.

* Require SBA to extend to 18 months the time that a small business affected by a catastrophic event has to participate in a federally sponsored business-development program. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., said many businesses were forced to shut down or scale back operations after Katrina, and shouldn't be barred from continuing in SBA programs when they are ready to do so.

* Revamp the process for handling SBA disaster loans -- including increased use of private contractors -- so that future applicants don't face the huge delays encountered by Katrina victims along the Gulf Coast.

* Require FEMA to forgive $570 million in disaster loans given to communities such as New Orleans, which needed the cash to continue providing public services at a time when tax bases were decimated by hurricane damage. In past disasters, many such loans were forgiven, but the previous GOP-led Congress insisted that the Katrina and Rita loans be repaid.

* Authorize Army Corps of Engineers work on a hurricane-protection project between Morganza, La., and the Gulf, and the closure of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, blamed for adding to the storm surge that inundated New Orleans.

* Establish a commission on "catastrophic disaster risk and insurance" to ensure that residents and businesses in vulnerable communities have continued access to insurance.

* Encourage nationwide availability of a 2-1-1 telephone service, by which volunteers and those who need volunteer help can learn of opportunities by dialing the three-digit number. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., said the service can provide information about available food, shelter and vital services during emergencies -- especially when 911 systems are down.

Some bills are still being drafted -- including legislation by the House Financial Services Committee that would use profits from government-backed mortgage buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for rebuilding affordable rental housing in New Orleans. Another bill expected to be reintroduced soon -- after it failed to pass last year -- would authorize dozens of water projects, including more than $1 billion worth of flood-control and hurricane-protection work in Louisiana.

Sources: Newhouse News Service, Politico.com
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Small Business Scores During 110th Congress' First 100 Hours; Politico.com Debuts Today

Last Friday marked the end of the House Democratic leadership's 100-hour agenda. Within just two and-a-half weeks, the do-something 110th Congress passed all eight of its top priorities:

1] We will start by cleaning up Congress, ending the link between lobbyists and legislation. H.Res. 6, Title II, "Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the One Hundred Tenth Congress." Passed 430-1, Jan. 4th, 2007

GoodBiz113's stance: Now that Corporate America's direct link to lawmakers has been broken, the federal-contracting playing field should finally begin to level for small businesses. We've noticed that, since last Nov. 7, some prime contractors and federally funded agencies and institutions are now being more transparent and inclusive in their supplier-diversity and subcontracting practices.

2] We will commit to pay-as-you-go, no new deficit spending. H.Res. 6, Title IV, "Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the One Hundred Tenth Congress." Passed 280-152, Jan. 5th, 2007

GoodBiz113's stance: This is a long-overdue, win-win-win for everyone. [How many of us -- as families, individuals, small-biz owners, entrepreneurs, etc. -- could continually budget our lives and businesses in the red?]

3] We will make our nation safer by implementing the recommendations of the independent, bipartisan 9/11 Commission. H.R. 1, "Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007." Passed 299-128, Jan. 9th, 2007

GoodBiz113's stance: Again, a win-win-win for everyone -- blue, red and "purple" alike.

4] We will make our economy fairer, and start by raising the minimum wage. We will not pass a pay raise for Congress until there is an increase in the minimum wage. H.R. 2, "Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007." Passed 315-116, Jan. 10th, 2007

GoodBiz113's stance: Decently paid employees are happier employees. In the long run, that has a positive "trickle-up effect" on business owners' bottom lines.

5] We will promote stem cell research to offer real hope to the millions of American families who suffer from devastating diseases. H.R. 3, "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act." Passed 253-174, Jan. 11th, 2007

GoodBiz113's stance: It's a healthy move for everybody. Thank you, Michael J. Fox, for thoughtfully, generously and courageously promoting stem cell research -- even in the face of unthinkably mean-spirited ridicule.

6] We will make health care more affordable for all Americans, and we will begin by fixing the Medicare prescription drug program, putting seniors first by negotiating lower drug prices. H.R. 4, "Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act." Passed 255-170, Jan. 12th, 2007

GoodBiz113's stance: Healthy employees are more productive employees. Lower drug prices will help seniors stay healthy -- and, perhaps, free up some consumer dollars to spend.

7] We will broaden college opportunity, and we will begin by cutting interest rates for student loans in half. H.R. 5, "College Student Relief Act of 2007." Passed 356-71, Jan. 17th, 2007

GoodBiz113's stance: Well-educated students means well-educated professionals propelling our growing communities, technologies, businesses, schools, hospitals, not-for-profit groups, public agencies, etc. The more educated our citizenry is, the better it is for everyone.

8] We will energize America by achieving energy independence, and we will begin by rolling back the multi-billion dollar subsidies for Big Oil. H.R. 6, "Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act." Passed 264-163, Jan. 18th, 2007

GoodBiz113's stance: Aside from the fact that Big Oil should never have had subsidies in the first place [!], this move will help grow businesses that are committed to developing efficient and affordable alternative energy technologies [e.g., hybrid, solar, wind, biofuels, ethanol, hydrogen] AND reduce our deadly dependence on foreign oil.

Next up: tax reform. When U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked about taxes on ''Face the Nation,'' she replied that any tax increase would be limited to the wealthy. Taking back ''tax cuts for those making over a certain amount of money -- $500,000 a year -- might be more important to the American people than ignoring the educational and health needs of America's children,'' said Pelosi.

''We're not going to start with repealing tax cuts, but they certainly are not off the table for people making over half a million dollars a year," Pelosi noted. "It's an option; it's not a first resort.''

The Politico/Politico.com Debuts Today

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GoodBiz113 Drafts Small-Biz Wish List for 110th Congress

On this, the eve of the Democrat-controlled, do-something 110th Congress, we small-biz champions at GoodBiz113 have a Lettermanesque Top 10 wish list for U.S. Senators and House representatives alike:

10] Ensure that federal contracts set aside for small businesses are, in fact, awarded to small businesses. Earlier this week, the New York Times reported that many studies have shown that hundreds of government contracts set aside for small business are being awarded to large corporations.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., incoming chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, has proposed giving the Small Business Administration more time to complete size determinations and to help prevent big businesses from slipping under the radar of a bureaucratic contracting process. The SBA recently required businesses to report their size every five years. Kerry's proposal would make the reports annual.

"The protest process is supposed to keep the system honest, but what's the point of protesting a contract if nothing happens?" Kerry said.

Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., the incoming chairwoman of the House Small Business Committee, said she would work to rectify the problems faced by small businesses by ensuring that there is an effective protest system in place. She also wants to make sure that penalties are enforced.

"The fact that large businesses are being awarded with small-business contracts, and that there is no system in place with penalties or consequences for this, is extremely concerning," Velazquez said.

9] Require that federal contract-bidding and -award processes are totally transparent, and that all recipients of federal funds [e.g., public agencies, prime contractors, educational institutions] can instantly account for how dollars are being spent re compliance with small-biz and supplier-diversity statutory goals.

8] Hold federal agencies and prime contractors accountable for meeting small-business and supplier-diversity subcontracting statutory goals.

7] Require prime contractors and small businesses to endure the rigors of bidding on federal contracts. Read: No more multibillion-dollar, no-bid contracts -- e.g., for disaster relief, military/war-related products and services -- to be handed to corporate cronies of elected officials and/or administrators of federal agencies.

6] Boost small-business loan availability via SBA.

5] Overhaul No Child Left Behind. Academically, a lot of kids are getting left behind -- kids who will need to fill the jobs being vacated in droves by retiring baby boomers.

Physical education? Foreign languages? Art? Music? Drama? Sports? From coast to coast, those "complementary" body-, mind-, character- and spirit-shaping classes and activities have fallen by the wayside in far too many school districts.

Employers -- small and large alike -- need smart, articulate, well-rounded people to create, market and deliver products and services. Every child of every ethnic group, geographic location, socioeconomic background, religion, sexual orientation, physical ability, thinking style, etc., deserves a fair shot at being one of those people who can effectively contribute to society.

4] Simultaneously promote energy independence and rural economic development. According to Jackie Gleason, rural business administrator at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the United States will spend $300 billion this year on importing oil — exceeding the entire U.S. farm output for the year. If farmers can successfully capture even 20 percent of that oil revenue, he said, it will yield revenue "greater than the total of net farm income" for the nation.

Incoming U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said promoting energy independence is her "No. 1 priority." Incoming U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., said renewable energy offers the promise of keeping "the viability of our rural areas."

3] Make college more affordable by reducing interest rates on student loans. In order to grow our economy and be viable players in the global economy, we need well-educated women and men in all industries and sectors -- preferably, folks who don't have to stress about repaying student loans for years after earning their sheepskins.

2] Provide incentives for small-business owners to help make health care more affordable for their employees. Since Day One, Starbucks founder and CEO Howard Schultz has provided health insurance for all his employees -- including full-time and part-time baristas. Success leaves clues...

1] Raise the minimum wage ASAP. Yes, we know that a fair number of small-business owners will bristle [curse?] at this notion. To those folks we say, just note how prosperous Horst Rechelbacher [Aveda, Intelligent Nutrients], Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield [Ben & Jerry's] and other entrepreneurs have become by sharing the wealth with their employees. Beyond being the right thing to do, it's a karmic thing; i.e., what you put out comes back at least tenfold.

Incoming House Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H., who's been assigned to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, can hardly wait to cast her vote during the 110th's first 100 hours. "I'm honored to be able to vote for raising the minimum wage," she told New Hampshire's Portsmouth Herald News. "All of the research I've read says this is not only good for workers, but small-business owners, too. If people have more money, they will spend it in the local economy."

Happy New Year, 110th Congress! Best wishes for the most productive, peaceful, fair-minded and prosperous year this country has seen in, well, too long a while.