President Obama Announces New Jobs Initiatives for Rural America; Investments Boost Small-Biz Access to Capital, Job Training and Health-Care Services

Today, at the White House Rural Economic Forum, President Obama [pictured above, during yesterday's town hall meeting in front of the Seed Savers Exchange, in Decorah, Iowa] will announce new jobs initiatives recommended by the White House Rural Council for growing the economy and creating jobs in rural America.

The Council’s recommendations focus on key areas of need in rural communities -- including helping rural small businesses access capital; expanding rural job-search and training services; and increasing rural access to health-care workers and technology.

“These are tough times for a lot of Americans -- including those who live in our rural communities,” said President Obama. “That’s why my Administration has put a special focus on helping rural families find jobs, grow their businesses, and regain a sense of economic security.”

“Creating jobs and economic opportunity in rural America is a priority for the Obama Administration, and the White House Rural Council has used an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to leverage resources across the federal government to achieve that goal,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “By bringing new capital, job training and additional investments to our rural communities, we are working to ensure the people who live in these towns have a better, brighter future.”

“SBA is pleased to announce that we will be doubling the capital going to rural businesses through the Small Business Investment Company program, with no cost to taxpayers,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said yesterday. “Small businesses of all kinds are thriving in rural areas, where they are creating jobs of the future and helping ensure the economic stability of the middle class.

“Half the people who work in America either own or work for a small business, and two out of three new private-sector jobs are created by small businesses. The Obama Administration and SBA have been committed to supporting rural businesses, which drive economic growth across the country and will continue to do so through the programs announced today.”

The Council’s recommendations, which leverage existing programs and funding, include committing $350 million in SBA funding to rural small businesses over the next five years; launching a series of conferences to connect private equity and venture-capital investors with rural start-ups; creating capital marketing teams to pitch federal funding opportunities to private investors interested in making rural investments; making job-search information available at 2,800 local USDA offices nationwide; making HHS loans available to help more than 1,300 Critical Access Hospitals recruit additional staff; and helping rural hospitals purchase software and hardware to implement health IT.

NEW INITIATIVES

Helping Rural Small Businesses Access Capital
* Doubling SBA Investment Funds for Rural Small Businesses Over the Next Five Years: As part of the Startup America Initiative, SBA recently announced the creation of a $1 billion Impact Investment Fund through its Small Business Investment Company [SBIC] Program. The Impact Fund will invest in distressed areas as well as in emerging sectors such as clean energy. SBA provides up to a 2:1 match to private capital raised by this fund, partnering with private investors to target “impact” investments. SBA and USDA will partner together to drive $350 million of investment capital through the Impact Fund and existing SBICs into rural small businesses over the next five years -- effectively doubling the current rate of investment.

* Connecting Rural Small Businesses with Private Investment Capital: To further achieve this goal, SBA and USDA will launch a series of Rural Private Equity and Venture Capital conferences nationwide to provide a platform for connecting private equity and venture capital investors with rural start-ups. USDA, SBA, Treasury, Interior and other relevant agencies will also create rural capital “marketing teams” that pitch federal funding opportunities to private investors. These “marketing teams” will leverage existing personnel with expertise about rural funding sources across all federal departments and agencies.

Expanding Rural Job Search and Training Services
* Expanding DOL Job Search and Training Services to 2,800 USDA Sites Nationwide: USDA and DOL will partner to increase access to existing job-search and training information for rural job-seekers by providing DOL employment information at 2,800 USDA field offices nationwide. This will significantly reduce the distance that rural Americans need to travel in order to access DOL job-search employment information.

Increasing Rural Access to Health Care Workers and Technology
* Increasing Physician Recruitment at Critical Access Hospitals: HHS will issue guidance to expand eligibility for the National Health Service Corps loan repayment program so that Critical Access Hospitals [those with 25 beds or fewer] can use these loans to recruit new physicians. This program will help more than 1,300 CAHs across the country recruit needed staff. The addition of one primary care physician in a rural community generates approximately $1.5 million in annual revenue and creates 23 jobs annually. The average CAH creates 107 jobs and generates $4.8 million in payroll annually.

* Expanding Health Information Technology [IT] in Rural America: USDA and HHS will sign an agreement linking rural hospitals and clinicians to existing capital loan programs that enable them to purchase software and hardware needed to implement health information technology [HIT]. Under current conditions, rural health care providers face challenges in harnessing the benefits of HIT due to limited access to capital and workforce challenges. Rural hospitals tend to have lower financial operating margins and limited capital to make the investments needed to purchase hardware, software and other equipment.

BACKSTORY: THE WHITE HOUSE RURAL COUNCIL

On June 9, President Obama signed an Executive Order establishing the first White House Rural Council to accelerate the ongoing work of promoting economic growth in rural America. The Council is focused on increasing rural access to capital; spurring agricultural innovation; expanding digital and physical infrastructure in rural areas; and creating economic opportunities through conservation and outdoor recreation.

On Aug. 12, the White House Rural Council released a new report, entitled Jobs and Economic Security for Rural America, which lays out the economic landscape rural Americans face today and highlights the Administration’s key accomplishments in rural communities. The Jobs and Economic Security for Rural America report focuses on five critical areas: creating jobs and promoting economic growth; improving access to quality health care and education; fostering innovation; expanding outdoor opportunities; and supporting veterans and military families. Link to full report here.

Today, President Obama and members of the White House Rural Council will host the White House Rural Economic Forum at Northeast Iowa Community College in Peosta, Iowa, as part of the President’s three-day Economic Bus Tour in the Midwest. The forum will bring together farmers, small-business owners, private-sector leaders, rural organizations and government officials to discuss ideas and initiatives to promote economic growth, accelerate hiring, and spur innovation in rural communities nationwide. The President will engage directly with a variety of rural leaders from across the nation to discuss the importance of growing small businesses and strengthening the middle class in rural America.

GoodBiz113's Take

These rural jobs initiatives are exactly what America's small businesses and communities need in order to boost our economy for the short- and long term. The Obama Administration and his Cabinet members are to be applauded for their innovative and cooperative approach to easing our country's economic woes.

Congress, take note: Collaboration is a productive and positive thing. Our nation would greatly benefit if you took the high road and followed the Obama Administration's synergistic example to prosper the greater good, rather than myopically focus on preserving and growing the fortunes of America's wealthy elite.

SOURCE: The White House [official photo by Pete Souza]
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Cabinet Members Meet with Families, Business Owners, and State and Local Officials in Alabama and Mississippi

Following President Obama's commitment on Friday -- i.e., that the federal government would do everything possible to help families and communities recover from the deadly tornadoes and severe storms that struck the Southeast earlier this week -- several members of his Cabinet are in Alabama and Mississippi today. They are there to meet with families and business owners affected by the storms; meet with state and local officials; and to view damage and assess the initial recovery efforts already underway.

Today’s travel party comprises: Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano; Housing and Urban Development [HUD] Secretary Shaun Donovan; Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack; Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] Administrator Craig Fugate [pictured]; and Small Business Administration [SBA] Administrator Karen Mills.

Since the immediate impact of the storms, the President, Secretary Napolitano, and Administrator Fugate have been in constant contact with the governors of all the impacted states to ensure they have the support they need.

On April 29, the President signed major disaster declarations for Mississippi and Georgia -- in addition to the Alabama major disaster declaration signed on April 28 -- which make federal assistance available to individuals who suffered personal property damages or losses, and for public infrastructure; e.g., schools, fire stations and libraries.

Damage assessments are ongoing, and counties continue to be designated to receive assistance as damage assessments are completed. Additionally, FEMA has received disaster declaration requests from the governors of the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and the Commonwealth of Virginia, and those requests are under review. Preliminary damage assessments are also being conducted today in Virginia.

"FEMA is part of a team that continues to work with communities to help them rebuild and recover," said Fugate. "This team includes the entire federal family, state, local and tribal officials; the faith-based and non-profit communities; the private sector; and, most importantly, the public.

"This Administration will bring the full support of the federal government and its partners to bear to support the states, families and communities devastated by these deadly tornadoes, for as long as it takes."

A housing mission planning team is on the ground in Alabama to support the state in meeting its objectives. This team -- comprised of housing and technical experts from FEMA, HUD, Army Corps of Engineers, SBA and voluntary agencies -- will assist the state-led housing task force in establishing housing priorities; seeking ways to maximize housing resources, such as apartments and rental units; and other resources, if needed.

As work continues to restore power and remove debris -- so that homes can begin to be repaired or replaced -- FEMA is working with HUD to identify available rental resources to help survivors find long-term housing solutions.

FEMA is also working with the Army Corps of Engineers to provide temporary home repairs -- such as covering broken windows or holes in roofs -- and getting survivors back home more quickly; and working with SBA to help individuals and businesses apply for low-interest loans, so that they can more quickly rebuild or repair their damaged homes and replace lost property.

Additionally, FEMA is actively taking registration information through its call centers; has inspectors on the ground assessing the damages of those who have registered; and is approving financial assistance for housing [such as rental assistance and home repair money] and financial assistance for other essential needs [such as disaster-related medical needs, and replacing lost clothing, furniture and other necessary items].

Additional information on the coordination efforts of FEMA and its federal partners, updated as of 12 PM EDT today, can be found below:

Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA]
* At the request of the respective states, FEMA currently has personnel on the ground in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky and Tennessee, and commodities strategically pre-positioned in the region -- including personnel in North Carolina as a result of the April 16th storms.
* FEMA Incident Management Assistance Teams are currently located in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee to assist in coordination efforts as the states continue to respond and begin to recover from this devastating storm outbreak.
* An Incident Support Base has been established at the Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama to move supplies such as water, infant-toddler kits and tarps closer to the affected areas should they be needed, and additional resources continue to arrive.
* Mobile Emergency Response Support teams and equipment have been deployed to Alabama and Mississippi to provide voice, video and data capabilities in support of communication requirements identified by the Federal Coordinating Officer.
* FEMA Community Relations [CR] teams are on the ground in Alabama and Georgia, and additional CR teams have been deployed to meet with disaster survivors and explain the assistance available, and to help survivors register for assistance.
* FEMA partnered with the Alabama Emergency Management Agency to create a joint Facebook page as an additional way to reach Alabama residents during the response and recovery efforts after the severe storms and tornadoes.

U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance
* SBA's Office of Disaster Assistance's provides low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, non-profit organizations to repair or replace real estate, personal property, machinery and equipment, inventory and business assets that have been damaged or destroyed in a declared disaster. For information, go to: http://1.usa.gov/DisasterAssistanceSBA.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission [NRC]
* Staff are monitoring the situation at the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant after the site lost offsite power early Wednesday evening due to severe storms that damaged power lines in the area. The plant is operated by Tennessee Valley Authority near Athens, about 32 miles west of Huntsville, Ala. The reactor units were automatically and safely shut down on April 27th.

American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Other Voluntary and Faith-Based Agencies
* Voluntary and faith-based organizations continue to locally offer and coordinate housing, food and other services as needed to support disaster survivors in the affected states.
* Open Red Cross shelters can be found on www.redcross.org.
* The Red Cross Safe and Well secure website provides a way for people to find information on people affected by the storms. To register, visit http://bit.ly/SafeAndWell.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]
* HHS has activated a Disaster Medical Assistance Team and a Disaster Mortuary Operations Response Assessment Team, which are ready to deploy as needed by the states.
* HHS is also providing information on post-storm health messages -- such as how to prevent carbon-monoxide poisoning, tips on generator safety, and safety around downed power lines.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]
* NOAA has deployed survey teams to many affected states to begin assessing damage and conduct analysis in the coming days that will be utilized to assign Enhanced Fujita [EF] ratings.

Department of Defense/USNORTHCOM
* The Department of Defense [DoD] has activated a Defense Coordinating Officer to assist in the coordination of DoD resources needed to support state response and recovery efforts.

Air Force Auxiliary
* Civil Air Patrol pilots from Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Virginia are flying over areas with major devastation, to assist first responders and state and local officials as they assess the damage to the region. The Civil Air Patrol, in its role as the Air Force Auxiliary, performs its missions for DoD and other federal agencies, as well as state and local authorities when assistance is requested.

U.S. Housing and Urban Development [HUD]
* HUD continues to provide federal disaster assistance supporting homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding this week. Read more about the services provided by HUD.

U.S. Postal Service [USPS]
* USPS is providing details on the status of open USPS offices -- including hours of operation and services provided to disaster survivors affected by the recent storms.

Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA]
* The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued tips for workers and members of the public, to protect themselves from hazards that individuals may encounter during clean-up and recovery efforts.

U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA]
* USDA's Farm Service Agency [FSA] continues to issue information on the FSA programs that may be available to crop and livestock producers in affected states, to assist with recovery. Information on the services provided by FSA can be found at www.fsa.usda.gov.

Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
* The IRS has activated its disaster tax relief program, which includes providing tax filing and tax payment relief for individuals and businesses covering the period of April 15, 2011, to June 30, 2011. To learn more about the IRS disaster tax relief program, click here.

SOURCES: Federal Emergency Management Agency, The White House
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Last-Minute Review of 2010 Tax Changes for Small Businesses

With just one week to go before this year's official tax filing date -- April 18 -- we at GoodBiz113 wanted to provide an overview of IRS tax changes for small-business owners and self-employed folks. If you haven't yet filed your 2010 tax return, pay heed to the following tax-law revisions. If you have filed your 2010 return and it doesn't reflect these changes, then amend it accordingly -- ASAP.

During 2010, new laws -- such as the Affordable Care Act and the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 [SBJA] -- created or expanded deductions and credits that small businesses and self-employed individuals should consider when completing their tax returns and making business decisions in 2011.

Health Insurance Deduction Reduces Self Employment Tax
With the enactment of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, self-employed taxpayers who pay their own health insurance costs can now reduce their net earnings from self-employment by these costs.

Previously, the self-employed health insurance deduction was allowed only for income tax purposes. For tax year 2010, self-employed taxpayers can also reduce their net earnings from self employment subject to SE taxes on Schedule SE by the amount of self-employed health insurance deduction claimed on line 29 on Form 1040.

Taxpayers can claim the self-employed health insurance deduction if the insurance plan is established under their business, and if either of the following are true:

* They were self-employed and had a net profit for the year; or

* They received wages from an S corporation, in which the taxpayer was a more-than-two-percent shareholder.

During tax year 2008 -- the most recent year for which data is available -- the self-employed health insurance deduction was claimed on 3.6 million tax returns, reducing taxpayers’ adjusted gross incomes by $21 billion.

Small Business Health Care Tax Credit
In general, the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit is available to small employers that pay at least half of the premiums for single health insurance coverage for their employees. It is specifically targeted to help small businesses and tax-exempt organizations that primarily employ moderate- and lower-income workers.

Small businesses can claim the credit for 2010 through 2013, and for any two years after that. For tax years 2010 to 2013, the maximum credit is 35 percent of premiums paid by eligible small businesses, and 25 percent of premiums paid by eligible tax-exempt organizations.

Beginning in 2014, the maximum tax credit will increase to 50 percent of premiums paid by eligible small business employers, and 35 percent of premiums paid by eligible tax-exempt organizations.

The maximum credit goes to smaller employers -- i.e., those with 10 or fewer full-time equivalent [FTE] employees -- paying annual average wages of $25,000 or less. The credit is completely phased out for employers that have 25 or more FTEs or that pay average wages of $50,000 or more per year. Because the eligibility rules are based in part on the number of FTEs, not the number of employees, employers that use part-time workers may qualify even if they employ more than 25 individuals.

Eligible small businesses will first use Form 8941 to figure the credit, and then include the amount of the credit as part of the general business credit on its income tax return.

The IRS has developed a page on IRS.gov devoted to this credit, with answers to frequently asked questions plus explanations of the credit through various tax scenarios.

General Business Credit for Employers
The general business credits of eligible small businesses in 2010 are not subject to alternative minimum tax. The new law allows general business credits to offset both regular income tax and alternative minimum tax of eligible small businesses as described in Section 2012 of the Small Business Jobs Act.

The provision is effective for any general business credits determined in the first taxable year beginning after Dec. 31, 2009, and to any carryback of such credits. For a list of the general business credits, see Form 3800.

Small Businesses Can Benefit from Higher Expensing/Depreciation Limits
For tax years beginning in 2010 and 2011, small businesses can expense up to $500,000 of the first $2 million of certain business property placed in service during the year.

In general, businesses can choose to treat the cost of certain property as an expense and deduct it in the year the property is placed in service instead of depreciating it over several years. This property is frequently referred to as section 179 property, after the relevant section in the Internal Revenue Code.

Section 179 property is property that you acquire by purchase for use in the active conduct of your trade or business, including:

* Tangible personal property.

* Other tangible property [except buildings and their structural components] used as:

1. An integral part of manufacturing, production, or extraction or of furnishing transportation, communications, electricity, gas, water, or sewage disposal services;

2. A research facility used in connection with any of the activities in [1] above; or

3. A facility used in connection with any of the activities in [1] above for the bulk storage of fungible commodities.

* Single-purpose agricultural [livestock] or horticultural structures.

* Storage facilities [except buildings and their structural components] used in connection with distributing petroleum or any primary product of petroleum.

* Off-the-shelf computer software.

Section 179 property generally does not include land, investment property [section 212 property], property used mainly outside the United States, property used mainly to furnish lodging, and air conditioning or heating units.

The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 increases the section 179 limitations on expensing of depreciable business assets for tax years beginning in 2010 and 2011, and expands temporarily the definition of section 179 property, for tax years beginning in 2010 and 2011, to include certain qualified real property a taxpayer elects to treat as section 179 property. Qualified real property means qualified leasehold improvement property, qualified restaurant property, and qualified retail improvement property.

The $500,000 amount provided under the new law is reduced, but not below zero, if the cost of all section 179 property placed in service by the taxpayer during the tax year exceeds $2 million.

For tax years beginning in 2012, the maximum amount is $125,000; before enactment of the 2010 tax relief legislation, it was set at $25,000.

Depreciation Limits on Business Vehicles
The total depreciation deduction -- including the section 179 expense deduction, and the 50 or 100 percent bonus depreciation -- you can take for a passenger automobile [that is not a truck or a van] you use in your business and first placed in service in 2010, is increased to $11,060. The maximum deduction you can take for a truck or van you use in your business and first placed in service in 2010, is increased to $11,160.

If you do not take any bonus depreciation for the passenger automobile, truck, or van you use in your business and first placed in service in 2010, the maximum deduction you can take for a passenger automobile is $3,060, and for a truck or van is $3,160.

50 or 100 Percent Bonus Depreciation
Generally, businesses can take a special depreciation allowance to recover part of the cost of qualified property placed in service during the tax year. The allowance applies only for the first year you place the property in service.

Businesses that acquire and place qualified property into service after Sept. 8, 2010, can now claim a depreciation allowance of 100 percent of the cost of the property. The property must be placed in service before Jan. 1, 2012 [Jan. 14, 2013, in the case of certain longer-lived and transportation property].

Businesses that acquire qualified property during 2010 on or before Sept. 8, 2010, can claim a depreciation allowance of 50 percent of the cost of the property. The property must be placed in service before Jan. 1, 2013 [Jan. 1, 2014, in the case of certain longer production period property and for certain aircraft].

The allowance is an additional deduction you can take after any section 179 deduction, and before you figure regular depreciation under MACRS for the year you place the property in service. The types of property that can be depreciated are described in the instructions to Form 4562.

Small Businesses to Use EFTPS for Deposits Beginning in 2011
The paper coupon system for Federal Tax Deposits will no longer be maintained by the Treasury Department after Dec. 31, 2010. Most businesses must now make deposits and pay federal taxes through the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System [EFTPS].

Using EFTPS to make federal tax deposits provides substantial benefits to both taxpayers and the government. EFTPS users can make tax payments 24 hours a day, seven days a week from home or the office.

Deposits can be made online with a computer, or by telephone. EFTPS also significantly reduces payment-related errors that could result in a penalty.

The system helps taxpayers schedule dates to make payments -- even when they are out of town or on vacation when a payment is due. EFTPS business users can schedule payments up to 120 days in advance of the desired payment date.

Information on EFTPS -- including how to enroll -- can be found online, or by calling EFTPS Customer Service at 1-800-555-4477.

Some businesses paying a minimal amount of tax may make their payments with the related tax return, instead of using EFTPS. More details regarding taxes required to be deposited using EFTPS, dollar thresholds and other specific requirements are described on page 2 of IRS Publication 15, [Circular E] Employer's Tax Guide.

For "one-stop-shopping" small-biz tax info, go to the IRS Small Business and Self-Employed Filing Season Central: http://1.usa.gov/f8iJSr.

If, for whatever reason, you're not able to file your tax return by midnight on Monday, April 18, then simply file Form 4868 to apply for an automatic extension. Doing so will allow you six additional months to file -- i.e., till midnight on Oct. 17, 2011.

SOURCE: HealthCare.gov, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Small Business Administration
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Affordable Care Act's One-Year Anniversary Marks Better Benefits, Better Health for Small Businesses

This week, as the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services [HHS] marks the one-year anniversary of enactment of the Affordable Care Act, it also kicks off its Better Benefits, Better Health Initiative. This initiative will highlight the important information that consumers, families and businesses need in order to optimize the far-reaching benefits of reform.

HHS is kicking off the initiative by highlighting some important information for small-business owners. Small-business owners and their employees have always gotten the short end of the stick, paying an average of 18% more for insurance that often covers less than the policies sold to their larger competitors. And small businesses lack the purchasing power that larger employers have.

That's all changing, thanks to the health-care law signed by President Obama one year ago. Thankfully, the Affordable Care Act is helping small-business owners get quality, affordable coverage for their families and their employees.

Here are some important things to know:

* If you own a small business with fewer than 25 fulltime-equivalent employees, you may qualify for a small-business tax credit to help offset the costs of covering your employees. Small-business owners can visit www.irs.gov/sbhtc to learn more.

* HHS estimates that up to 4 million small businesses could be eligible to receive these tax credits to make employees’ health coverage more affordable. And the tax credits will be worth a combined total of $40 billion over ten years.

* Employer-based plans that provide health insurance to retirees ages 55-64 can get financial help through the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program. This program is designed to maintain health coverage for retirees, workers, and employers. Visit http://www.errp.gov/ to learn more.

* If one of your workers has been uninsured because of a pre-existing condition, he or she may be eligible to join the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan. To find out about plans available in your state, please visit: http://www.pcip.gov/.

* If you are in a new insurance plan, insurance companies cannot charge you or your workers a deductible or copays for recommended preventive services; e.g., mammograms, flu shots. Click here to find a list of preventive services that will be covered without copays.

In addition, insurance companies are prohibited from capping the dollar amount of care that you or your employees can receive in a lifetime, or dropping coverage due to an honest mistake on an application when someone gets sick. And they have to spend at least 80% of your premium dollars on health care and quality improvements, instead of overhead, salaries or administrative expenses -- or provide you and your workers a rebate.

To learn more about the specific provisions of the Affordable Care Act, visit: http://1.usa.gov/ProvisionsACA.

SOURCES: HealthCare.gov [photo], IRS.gov, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, White House
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SBA Offers Free Webinar Series to Help Small-Business Owners Get Fiscally Fit; Recognizes April as National Financial Literacy Month

April is the official National Financial Literacy Month, marking the importance of financial literacy to teach how to establish and maintain healthy financial habits.

In recognition of this month's efforts to promote financial education, the U.S. Small Business Administration will host a free webinar series targeted to small-business owners. Events will be held at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. [ET] on Wednesdays -- April 7, April 14 and April 21.

Topics will highlight the importance of financial education, and offer the opportunity to learn practical money skills and financial wellness. To hone financial skills for today's business world, participants will learn basic money management and wealth-building skills from some of the industry's top leaders in financial education and entrepreneurship.

Webinar Presenters & Topics
Becky MacDicken, Financial Education Specialist
Pennsylvania Office of Financial Education
Topic: The Importance of Financial Education in the Workplace
Wednesday, April 7 at 11:00 a.m. [ET]

Luke Reynolds, Chief of the Outreach & Program Development Section
Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection
Community Affairs Branch
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation [FDIC]
Topic: Basic Banking/Financial Tips for Small Business
Wednesday, April 7 at 3:00 p.m. [ET]

Jennifer Matthews, President and CEO
Creating Financial Literacy, LLC
Topic: Spring is Here! Planting Seeds to Grow Your Own Money Tree
Wednesday, April 14 at 11:00 a.m. [ET]

Starrlese Jones, Financial Management Specialist
Division of Financial Integrity, Office of Federal Assistance Management
Health Resources and Services Administration [HRSA]
Department of Health & Human Services [HHS]
Topic: Your Money, Your Choice$, Your Future
Wednesday, April 14 at 3:00 p.m. [ET]

Jennifer Lane, Certified Financial Planner [pictured above]
Compass Planning Associates
Topic: Personal and Business Money Management
Wednesday, April 21 at 11:00 a.m. [ET]

Margo Mitchell
National Foundation for Credit Counseling
Topic: Identity Theft
Wednesday, April 21 at 3:00 p.m. [ET]

Free Webinar Access Is Yours
For free visual and audio access to each webinar event, go to http://www.readytalk.com/. Click "Join a Meeting" and enter access code 3761101. Then, dial 866-740-1260 and enter access code 3761101 [plus the # key].

System Requirements: Windows, Mac, Linux and Solaris operating systems. Internet Explorer, Safari and Firefox Web browsers. Separate telephone line needed for the audio portion.

SOURCE: U.S. Small Business Administration
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March 31 @ 7 p.m. EST: HHS, SBA Leaders to Hold Live Q&A Webcast About Health Insurance Reform's Impact on Small Businesses

To help everyone better understand implementation of the new health reform law, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS] is holding a live, online Q&A session tomorrow evening, Wednesday, March 31, from 7-7:30 p.m. EST at www.hhs.gov/live. The event features HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius [pictured] and U.S. Small Business Administration [SBA] Administrator Karen Mills clarifying the new health insurance reform law's impact on small businesses.

"A lot of people have questions about this comprehensive and complicated legislation," Sebelius wrote in her announcement of the Web Chats. "This will be the first in a series of weekly webcasts and discussions we here at the Department of Health and Human Services will hold with you, the American people, as we work to implement this new law and ensure health security for Americans who have, until the passage of this bill, been paying more and more for health care and getting less and less in return."

To participate in tomorrow's event, e-mail your questions in advance to HealthReform@hhs.gov. Sebelius and Mills will try to get to as many of them as they can during the Web Chat, then answer more via the HealthReform.gov site afterwards.

"Already, I’ve received countless questions from small-business owners about the new law and its benefits," said SBA's Mills. "In fact, this new law offers many tools to help small-business owners access more affordable health insurance options for their employees. These tools include the creation of 50 state exchanges that will allow small-business owners to access affordable health insurance plans for their employees, as well as new tax credits to help pay for this coverage."

"As the President told me recently, we have a solemn responsibility to make sure health reform is implemented carefully and effectively," Sebelius noted. "And we have an equal responsibility to make sure Americans know what changes are coming and how to take advantage of these new benefits...

"Our health insurance system wasn’t broken in a day. And it won’t be fixed in a day either. It’s going to take a lot of work. But the good news is that, after decades of talking about the need for these changes, that work is finally beginning and we want you to be a part of our efforts."

"I know you want to know what’s in health insurance reform for your small business and your employees," Mills added. "I hope you’ll join Secretary Sebelius and me at http://www.healthreform.gov/ tomorrow night, at 7 p.m. EDT to find out what’s in it for you."

To learn more about the key provisions of health reform that immediately take effect, go to: http://bit.ly/KeyProvisions.

SOURCES: HealthReform.gov [photo], U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Small Business Administration, White House
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March 17: Secretary Sebelius Takes Questions About Health Reform Via Yahoo! News and Ustream at 5:15 p.m. ET

Today, as our nation enters the home stretch on health reform, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will take your questions via Yahoo! News and Ustream. You can e-mail your questions to news-editorial@yahoo-inc.com, and then join the chat at 5:15 p.m. ET. The entire event will stream via White House Live.

"President Obama's health insurance reform plan will make our insurance system work for families, small-business owners, and individuals," Sebelius wrote in an op-ed piece published in today's Yahoo! News.

"First, it will protect families by ending the worst insurance practices," Sebelius explained. "It will outlaw the practice of arbitrarily canceling someone’s coverage and eliminate caps on benefits. It will also forbid insurance companies from denying you coverage because of a pre-existing condition like high blood pressure. So for the first time ever, every American will be able to get an insurance policy.

"Second, it will give self-employed workers and small-business owners the same private insurance choices as members of Congress by creating a new, consumer-friendly insurance marketplace called an exchange. Because this marketplace will allow consumers to band together to negotiate lower rates, it's estimated that premiums for many consumers will go down 14 to 20 percent for comparable coverage. And it will provide tax credits to help middle-class Americans and small-business owners buy insurance.

"Third, the president's plan will bring down costs for families, businesses, and government with the broadest package of health care cost-cutting measures that has ever come before Congress. A report from the Business Roundtable [an association of CEOs from leading U.S. companies] says these reforms could lower costs by as much as $3,000 per employee. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the president's plan will lower the federal deficit by about $100 billion over the next 10 years.

"Collectively, these changes will help give Americans control of their health care choices..."

To learn about what President Obama's proposal for health insurance reform specifically means to you, go directly to the following sites:

* Own a small business? http://bit.ly/SmallBizOwnersFAQ

* Have insurance through work? http://bit.ly/ThroughWorkFAQ

* Have Medicare coverage? http://bit.ly/MedicareFAQ

* Don't have any insurance? http://bit.ly/NoInsuranceFAQ

* Buy your own insurance? http://bit.ly/BuyOwnInsuranceFAQ

GoodBiz113's take: Health reform deserves everyone's full attention and understanding. Make time to learn about how President Obama's proposal for health reform will benefit you, your family, and/or small business. Then, contact your senator and/or representative in Congress ASAP, and ask them to vote for the triple-win plan this week: http://bit.ly/ElectedOfficials

SOURCES: Congressional Budget Office, HealthReform.gov, USA.gov, The White House [photo], Yahoo! News
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Kathleen Sebelius: Giving Peace of Mind Back to the American People

Today, after Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius [pictured next to President Obama, with insurance-industry CEOs in White House Roosevelt Room] convened a meeting with health insurance executives to get answers about recent large increases in health insurance premiums across the country, she blogged about the immediate need for health reform:

* * *

The urgency of health reform couldn’t be more clear.

Across the country, working families have been saddled with huge rate increase in their health insurance premiums. In California, consumers were informed of rate hikes as high as 39 percent; and, in Michigan, insurers sought a 56 percent increase. And this is happening across the country.

This is unacceptable -- particularly at a time when families are struggling to make ends meet, and the largest insurers took in more than $12 billion in profits last year alone. The American people want to understand why their premiums are skyrocketing while some companies are doing well. And they deserve a clear and accurate explanation.

I just got out of a meeting where I asked leaders from big insurance companies for answers. I hosted a discussion with the CEOs of UnitedHealth Group Inc., WellPoint Inc., Aetna Inc., Health Care Service Corporation, and CIGNA HealthCare Inc., along with leaders from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. I asked them to explain why these crushing burdens are being placed on middle-class families and what we can do to lower costs.

I also asked the CEOs to post the actuarial justification for these stunning rate increases online in an easy-to-understand manner, so that consumers can see why premiums are skyrocketing to the point that some people in the individual market can no longer afford coverage. I hope they will act quickly and make this information available to all of us. If insurance companies are going to raise rates, the least they can do is tell us why.

But families deserve more. They need to know how we can prevent these increases from happening in the future. Families want to be responsible and buy health insurance. They’re willing to pay a fair price. They understand that health care is not cheap.

But they don’t want to be afraid every time they open a letter from their insurer that their premiums are going up $7,000 a year. Or that their application has been rejected because they take a medicine for high blood pressure. Or that their insurance is being cancelled because of a mistake on their paperwork.

The point of health insurance is to give people peace of mind, and they’re not getting it. The system we have is failing them.

President Obama has offered a health insurance reform proposal to help working families and small-business owners. It will hold insurance companies accountable by laying out common-sense rules of the road to keep premiums down, prevent insurance industry abuses, and outlaw discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions.

Reform also includes key provisions that will protect consumers from unjustified premium increases. Building upon existing state practices, the President’s plan includes a new federal authority to force insurers to justify their rate increases, provide additional support for states that already do rate reviews, and help those states that don’t currently review increases on their own.

Right now, in 21 states, insurance companies can raise rates without any oversight, no questions asked, and consumers suffer. Reform will change the rules and help stop exorbitant increases.

And the President’s plan will help reduce costs and require insurance companies to dedicate more of the premiums dollars they collect to actual care -- instead of profits, CEO salaries and advertising. If they don’t spend enough on actual care, they’ll be required to send rebate checks to consumers.

Comprehensive reform is a necessary step to fix our broken health insurance market. Holding the insurance industry accountable is one step in that direction.

* * *

For answers to small-business owners' frequently asked questions about what President Obama's health insurance reform proposal means for their companies and their employees, visit http://bit.ly/SmallBizOwnersFAQ. If you don't find the answers you need, you can submit your own question.

For the latest health reform-related developments, go to http://www.healthreform.gov/.

SOURCES: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The White House [photo by Pete Souza]
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President Obama Says It's Time to Move Forward on Health Care Reform; Sebelius Warns That 'Doing Nothing' Poses Biggest Threat to Health Care Coverage

This morning, President Barack Obama [pictured above, during taping session] used his weekly address to call on Democratic and Republican leaders to attend next week’s health care meeting in good faith to find reforms that work for American individuals, families and small businesses.

With several health insurance companies recently announcing outrageously steep hikes in their rates -- from 10 to more than 30 percent -- it's clear that the status quo, while good for the insurance industry, is bad for the American people. After a year of exhaustive debate, he says it's time to move forward on reform.

Following, is the full text of President Obama's address:

"The other week, men and women across California opened up their mailboxes to find a letter from Anthem Blue Cross. The news inside was jaw-dropping. Anthem was alerting almost a million of its customers that it would be raising premiums by an average of 25 percent, with about a quarter of folks likely to see their rates go up by anywhere from 35 to 39 percent.

"Now, after their announcement stirred public outcry, Anthem agreed to delay their rate hike until May 1st, while the situation is reviewed by the state of California. But it’s not just Californians who are being hit by rate hikes. In Kansas, one insurance company raised premiums by 10 to 20 percent only after asking to raise them by 20 to 30 percent. Last year, Michigan Blue Cross Blue Shield raised rates by 22 percent after asking to raise them by up to 56 percent. And in Maine, Anthem is asking to raise rates for some folks by about 23 percent.

"The bottom line is that the status quo is good for the insurance industry and bad for America. Over the past year, as families and small-business owners have struggled to pay soaring health care costs, and as millions of Americans lost their coverage, the five largest insurers made record profits of over $12 billion.

"And, as bad as things are today, they’ll only get worse if we fail to act. We’ll see more and more Americans go without the coverage they need. We’ll see exploding premiums and out-of-pocket costs burn through more and more family budgets. We’ll see more and more small businesses scale back benefits, drop coverage, or close down because they can’t keep up with rising rates. And, in time, we’ll see these skyrocketing health care costs become the single largest driver of our federal deficits.

"That’s what the future is on track to look like. But it’s not what the future has to look like. The question, then, is whether we will do what it takes, all of us -- Democrats and Republicans -- to build a better future for ourselves, our children, and our country.

"That’s why, next week, I am inviting members of both parties to take part in a bipartisan health care meeting, and I hope they come in a spirit of good faith. I don’t want to see this meeting turn into political theater, with each side simply reciting talking points and trying to score political points. Instead, I ask members of both parties to seek common ground in an effort to solve a problem that’s been with us for generations.

"It’s in that spirit that I have sought out, and supported, Republican ideas on reform from the very beginning. Some Republicans want to allow Americans to purchase insurance from a company in another state to give people more choices and bring down costs. Some Republicans have also suggested giving small businesses the power to pool together and offer health care at lower prices, just as big companies and labor unions do. I think both of these are good ideas -- so long as we pursue them in a way that protects benefits, protects patients, and protects the American people. I hope Democrats and Republicans can come together next week around these and other ideas.

"To members of Congress, I would simply say this: We know the American people want us to reform our health insurance system. We know where the broad areas of agreement are. And we know where the sources of disagreement lie. After debating this issue exhaustively for a year, let’s move forward together. Next week is our chance to finally reform our health insurance system, so it works for families and small businesses. It’s our chance to finally give Americans the peace of mind of knowing that they’ll be able to have affordable coverage when they need it most.

"What’s being tested here is not just our ability to solve this one problem, but our ability to solve any problem. Right now, Americans are understandably despairing about whether partisanship and the undue influence of special interests in Washington will make it impossible for us to deal with the big challenges that face our country. They want to see us focus -- not on scoring points, but on solving problems; not on the next election, but on the next generation. That is what we can do, and that is what we must do when we come together for this bipartisan health care meeting next week. Thank you, and have a great weekend."

You can view the video of President Obama's weekly address here: http://bit.ly/PremiumsProfitsReform.

Sebelius Issues Dire Status-Quo Prognosis
Shortly after the address, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius -- a former Kansas governor and, before that, the state's insurance commissioner -- punctuated President Obama's remarks with a resonant warning for all Americans.

"A lot of people think that health insurance reform doesn't matter to them because they already have coverage," Sebelius wrote in a statement. "And it's easy to understand why some Americans might resist changing the insurance system for fear that significant reform would threaten what they have now.

"There is a threat to health care coverage in the country, but it isn't reform; it's doing nothing. Rising costs of insurance premiums are pushing more and more people into the ranks of the uninsured.

"At a time when health insurance companies are fighting as hard as ever to stop health reform, their actions couldn't show more clearly why we need it... If we don't pass reform, premiums will continue to rise, and Americans will continue to be at the mercy of the worst insurance company practices and abuses."

To stay atop the latest developments regarding health insurance reform, go to: http://www.healthreform.gov/.

To learn about the far-reaching economic effects of health care reform on small businesses and their employees, visit: http://budurl.com/HealthReformSmallBiz.

For information about the myriad ways in which health insurance reform will actually reduce health care costs for small businesses, go to: http://bit.ly/LowPremiumsStrongBiz.

SOURCES: Council of Economic Advisers, HealthReform.gov, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The White House [photo by Samantha Appleton]
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New Report Highlights Specifics of How Health Insurance Reform Will Reduce Costs for Small Businesses

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius [pictured] today released a new report, "Lower Premiums, Stronger Businesses: How Health Insurance Reform Will Bring Down Costs for Small Businesses." The report outlines the many ways in which health insurance reform will lower health care costs for small businesses, and is available now at HealthReform.gov [http://www.healthreform.gov/].

"Small businesses drive our economy and create jobs, but they are struggling as health care costs continue to rise," Secretary Sebelius said. "The high cost of care is making it difficult or impossible for these businesses to offer care or grow their business. Health insurance reform will bring costs down and give small businesses the relief they need."

The report notes:

* Small businesses, the backbone of job creation in our economy, are disproportionately burdened by the financial strains caused by rising health care costs. On average, small businesses pay up to 18 percent more than large firms for the same health insurance policy. This difference is due, in part, to high broker fees [which can be up to 10 percent of premiums] and health plan administrative costs that are three times those in the large-group market.

* In a recent national survey, nearly three-quarters of small businesses that did not offer benefits cited high premiums as the reason.

* Nearly half of workers covered by a small-business employer have insurance that limits the total amount that the plan will pay for medical care, and nearly one in 10 small-business workers have a health plan that does not offer prescription drug coverage.

* Workers in small firms are more likely to shoulder burdensome out-of-pocket health care costs. Thirty-six percent spent more than 10 percent of their household income on out-of-pocket medical expenses in 2007, compared with 27 percent of workers in larger firms.

Health insurance reform will bring down costs for small businesses by creating a health insurance exchange; providing a small-business tax credit; ending the "hidden tax" on small businesses that provide health insurance; and preventing arbitrary premium hikes. Reform will also ensure that Americans have stable, secure insurance coverage, limit out-of-pocket spending, and eliminate caps on benefits.

To learn more about how health insurance reform will benefit small businesses and read the complete report, visit http://bit.ly/LowPremiumsStrongBiz.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Sebelius, Mills Release New Report, 'Insurance at Risk: Small Business Employees Risk Losing Coverage'

Secretary of Health and Human Services [HHS] Kathleen Sebelius [pictured] and Small Business Administration [SBA] Administrator Karen Mills today released a new report, "Insurance at Risk: Small Business Employees Risk Losing Coverage."

The report examines the health-care status quo that has left employees at risk of losing their insurance, and underscores the financial difficulties small businesses face when providing health insurance to their employees. The complete report, along with a list of sources cited, is available now at http://bit.ly/HealthReformSmallBiz.

"More Americans who work for a small business have lost their health insurance coverage, and those who still have coverage have seen their costs go up," said Sebelius. "Health insurance reform will drive costs down and make it easier for small-business owners to give their employees the quality coverage they need."

"The cost of health insurance is the No. 1 concern of small-business owners," Mills noted. "On average, small businesses pay 18 percent more than big businesses for the same health insurance policy. This has left small-business owners in an untenable situation, having to choose between their employees -- who are often like family to them -- and the bottom line. Health care reform will provide small-business owners with greater access to the affordable, quality coverage they want and need for themselves and their employees."

The new report notes:

* Employees of small businesses are 50 percent more likely to lose coverage as workers at large businesses. Half of workers in small firms that do not offer health benefits remain uninsured.

* Premiums for employer-based health insurance have more than doubled since 2000, rising three times faster than wages. As a result, fewer small businesses provide coverage for their employees. In 2000, 57 percent of firms employing fewer than 10 workers provided coverage. In 2009, only 46 percent of similar-sized firms provided coverage.

* In one national survey, nearly three-quarters of small businesses that did not offer benefits cited high premiums as the reason; and, on average, small businesses pay up to 18 percent more than large firms for the same health insurance policy. This is due, in part, to high broker fees [which can be up to 10 percent of premiums] and health plan administrative costs that are three to four times those in the large-group market.

Health insurance reform will stabilize health insurance coverage for Americans who work for small businesses, and provide small businesses with tax credits to help them provide health insurance for their employees. This will make health care more affordable for small businesses and their workers, solidifying and strengthening employer-based coverage for years to come.

Health insurance reform will also create a health insurance exchange, so that Americans without access to affordable insurance on the job can compare prices and health plans, and decide which quality affordable option is right for them. The exchange will also significantly reduce administrative costs for small businesses by enabling them to easily and simply compare the prices, benefits, and performance of health plans.

To learn how the current system has failed millions of Americans, and what President Obama’s Administration is doing to work with Congress to enact comprehensive health reform this year, check out these Web-based resources:

* Online Series on Health Reform: http://bit.ly/HealthReformOnline

* White House Reports on Health Reform: http://bit.ly/WhiteHouseHealthReform

* Health Insurance Reform Reality Check: http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/

* Video: "Reform Will Benefit Small Business -- Not Burden It": http://bit.ly/RealityCheckSmallBiz

* How Health Insurance Reform Will Help Small Business: http://bit.ly/HealthReformHelpSmallBiz

* Council of Economic Advisers Report, "The Economic Effects of Health Care Reform on Small Businesses and Their Employees": http://bit.ly/EconomicEffectsSmallBiz

SOURCES: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Small Business Administration, White House
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CEA Chair Christina Romer, Ph.D.: Health Insurance Reform Will Benefit Small Business -- Not Burden It

"Whether or not you have health insurance right now, the reforms we seek will bring stability and security that you don't have today. This isn't about politics. This is about people's lives. This is about people's businesses. This is about our future." -- President Barack Obama

As misinformation about health-care-reform proposals virally spews from the shameless likes of the National Federation of Independent Business, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other counterproductive entities so intent on maintaining the inert status quo, the White House has released a Health Insurance Reform Reality Check. The website features videos of eight key people providing personal, professional and, above all, factual accounts of just how, exactly, health insurance reform will truly benefit Americans.

While all of the videotaped accounts are credible, concise and well worth anyone's time in gleaning valuable firsthand information about proposed health insurance reform, GoodBiz113 readers will likely be most interested in the segment featuring Christina Romer, Ph.D., chair of the Council of Economic Advisers [CEA].

In her three-minute testimonial, Dr. Romer debunks the myth that health insurance reform will hurt small businesses. To the contrary, she notes, reform will ease the burdens on small businesses and help level the playing field with big firms who pay much less to cover their employees on average.

To watch Dr. Romer's videotaped account and/or read the transcript, go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/21.

Get the facts about the stability and security you get from health insurance reform: http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/.
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HHS Secretary Sebelius: Women and Small Businesses Pay 'Particularly High Price' Under Current Health Care System

Health and Human Services [HHS] Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Tina Tchen, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and executive director of the White House Council on Women and Girls, hosted a roundtable discussion yesterday with women small-business owners and discussed the urgent need for health care reform.

At the meeting, Sebelius also released a new report, "Roadblocks to Health Care: Why the Current Health Care System Does Not Work For Women." The report shows how our current system is leaving millions of women without the affordable, quality care they need and can be read at http://www.HealthReform.gov/. The new report and roundtable came as America celebrates National Women’s Health Week.

"All Americans are suffering under the current system, but women and small businesses are paying a particularly heavy price," said Secretary Sebelius. "Millions of women are uninsured, and small businesses are struggling to give their workers the care they need and deserve. We can’t wait to pass comprehensive health care reform and give women -- and all Americans – the health care system we need."

According to the just-released "Roadblocks to Health Care" report:

* 21 million women and girls are uninsured;

* In the individual insurance market, women are often charged higher premiums than men during their reproductive years. Holding other factors constant, a 22-year-old woman can be charged one and-a-half times the premium of a 22-year-old man; and

* In a recent national survey, more than half of women [52 percent] reported delaying or avoiding needed care because of cost, compared with 39 percent of men.

"Across the country, women and girls are going without care or paying too much for inadequate coverage," added Director Tchen. "President Obama and the White House Council on Women and Girls are committed to improving the health of all women, and we know that health care reform is essential to achieving our goal."

At the roundtable, Sebelius and Tchen also discussed the difficulties that small businesses face when attempting to provide health benefits to their employees. Nearly three-quarters of small businesses that do not offer benefits cite high premiums as the reason. Small businesses that do offer health benefits are suffering. Forty percent of businesses that provide health care coverage say health costs have had a negative impact on other parts of their business.

"Skyrocketing costs are making it difficult, if not impossible, for businesses to give their employees the benefits they deserve," added Sebelius. "Real reform will ease the burden on small business and help businesses stay competitive."

The roundtable discussion was held at Stitch DC, a knitting store owned by Nora and Marie Connolly, who participated in the discussion. Other participants included: Denise D’Amour, co-owner, Capitol Hill Bikes; Laurie Morin, co-owner, Capitol Hill Bikes; Erin Mara, co-owner, Homebody; Leah Daniels, co-owner, Hill’s Kitchen; and Angela Bradley, owner, BTI Security.

SOURCES: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Verbatim: Small Business and Loans, Youth, Credit Cards, Health Care, Plus New and Effective Leadership [Finally!]

Periodically, GoodBiz113 presents diverse views on small business and entrepreneurship -- directly from those who shape small-business policies and practices. Here's what some key influencers said last week...

"I want Minnesotans to be able to rely on me for assistance with the federal government. Whether it's a Social Security check, a small-business loan, or help for a returning veteran, my office will be there for the people of our state, following the examples set by Sen. Klobuchar, our fine congressional delegation, and those who came before us. That's the Minnesota way, and nobody is better at it than Alana. Drawing on her wealth of experience and her ability to reach out to every constituency in Minnesota, when I have the privilege of being certified, she'll work with me to ensure that we hit the ground running on Day One." -- U.S. Senator-elect Al Franken [D-Minn., pictured], announcing that Alana Petersen has agreed to serve as his Minnesota State Director, citing his commitment to continuing Minnesota's tradition of excellent constituent services

Petersen is a life-long resident of Minnesota who has spent the last five years working in outreach and organizing for Rep. Jim Oberstar. [April 20, Al Franken for Senate]

* * *

"The uncertain economy has forced many Americans to turn to part-time jobs once held by teenagers. This has pushed the number of teens employed to the lowest it's been in at least 10 years. Now, unable to find part-time and summer jobs, some teens are turning their passions into small businesses... Not only is starting a small business becoming a necessary way for many to earn money, it's also a way for young people to tap into their talents and use them to build a business they can be proud of. Creating a business teaches young people the importance of hard work, dedication and having a strong work ethic -- all habits that will help to carry them through a successful life." -- Sen. Mary Landrieu [D-La.], chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Landrieu hosted a simulated hearing for a youth group, entitled "Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs: Why Young People are Starting Small Businesses." The hearing was part of last Monday's Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day on Capitol Hill, and was designed to inspire youth to turn their creative passions into successful businesses. [April 23, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship]

* * *

"We want to preserve the credit card market, but we also want to do so in way that eliminates some of the abuses and some of the problems that a lot of people are familiar with... People find themselves starting out with a low rate and the next thing they know, the rate has doubled and fees they didn't know about are tacked on." -- President Barack Obama, after meeting with executives of the 13 leading credit card companies, whose "anytime, any-reason rate hikes and late-fees traps," he said, hurt individuals and small businesses

Obama said he will be working with Congress on new regulations for the industry. Reforms, he noted, should include strong protection for consumers and agreements that are written in clear and simple language. [April 23, USA Today]

* * *

"San Francisco takes great pride in being home to over 95,000 small and new startup businesses -- the dreamers and doers who really add such richness to our city... Despite facing economic challenges, San Francisco, with its metropolitan setting and world-class culture, continues to be an ideal location for startup business ventures because we recognize the small-business sector as being the backbone of San Francisco’s economic landscape." -- San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, a small-business owner himself [PlumpJack Wines]

Last week, Newsom announced that his office will partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration's San Francisco District Office, the San Francisco Small Business Commission, Wells Fargo, PG&E, Comcast, FirstStep Marketing, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and the San Francisco Small Business Development Center to present events around the Bay Area to celebrate National Small Business Week, May 16-23, 2009. [April 24, SBA's San Francisco District Office]

* * *

"Director of the White House's National Economic Council, Larry Summers, also took part in the discussion. He stressed that small businesses are the backbone of the American economy: 'There’s never been a big business which didn’t start as a small business.' He noted that providing health care coverage for employees is especially costly for small businesses, and 'as a country, we can do much, much better than we are.' Health care reform, he said, is both a moral issue for our children and a deeply practical issue – and this year, we have a good chance to make this right." -- Excerpt from a White House blog post by Rebecca Adelman, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS], recapping an April 24 meeting hosted by Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the newly established White House Office of Health Reform

The meeting included 20 representatives from small businesses across the country, who affirmed findings in the just-released HHS report, "Helping the Bottom Line: Health Reform and Small Business" -- i.e., that small businesses are uniquely feeling the impact of skyrocketing health care costs. Last Friday's event was part of the Obama administration’s continuing series of White House Health Care Stakeholder Discussions.

* * *

"I look forward to working with Ms. Mills in coming months. After seeing SBA underfunded and mismanaged for the last eight years, it is fair to say she will certainly have her work cut out for her. Small businesses need an effective SBA now more than ever, and that starts with new leadership. It is my hope that Ms. Mills will bring the necessary fresh thinking and vigor to renew and strengthen this agency, so that it better serves entrepreneurs' needs." -- Rep. Nydia Velázquez [D-N.Y.], U.S. House Small Business Committee chair, after the Senate late last night confirmed Karen Gordon Mills as the next administrator to lead the SBA. [April 27, U.S. House Small Business Committee]

SOURCES: Al Franken for Senate, HHS, SBA, U.S. House Small Business Committee, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, USA Today, White House
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