No Lobbying Help for the Little Guys: Trade groups are silent on a $30 billion fund to spur lending

[ProSense]

No Lobbying Help for the Little Guys

Trade groups are silent on a $30 billion fund to spur lending By Mark Drajem, Laura Keeley and David Henry

In 2008, three of the best-known business trade groups in Washington blitzed Congress to approve a $700 billion bailout for Wall Street. Two years later, those groups—the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the National Association of Manufacturers—are missing in action as the smaller companies that account for the majority of their membership seek a $30 billion rescue of their own.

The silence is leaving car-parts makers, franchise owners, and community bankers to fend for themselves in pushing for a small business lending fund, which has languished in Congress since President Barack Obama proposed it late last year. The Senate could vote on the fund as early as July 29. The hands-off approach reflects the public backlash against government spending, particularly the Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program, which rescued the country's biggest banks but sparked populist ire. Federal spending has become a flash point in many of this fall's congressional races.

The measure would ease terms for loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration, provide $12 billion in tax breaks, and issue grants to states for business loans. While lawmakers in both parties—and the business lobbies—lauded those provisions, most Republicans balked at a related $30 billion fund that would be used to encourage community banks to lend to small businesses. "This is as American as apple pie," Obama said of the bill on July 28, as he met with small business owners at a Tastee Sub Shop in Edison, N.J.

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The major business groups, which together spent more than $47 million to lobby for tax cuts and against the Administration's health-care overhaul in the first six months of this year, haven't been moved by arguments such as Kersting's. The silence "certainly is peculiar," says Frank Knapp Jr., president of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce, which is critical of the U.S. Chamber. "But it's not unusual that they lose interest when the money is going to community banks and small businesses."

The Bottom Line: Trade groups that lobbied for the big bank bailout aren't backing a $30 billion fund that could stimulate small business lending.

[ProSense]

1. No comment? n/t

[flpoljunkie]

2. No surprise Chamber of Commerce's Thomas Donohue aligns with big banks

He is scum.

[ProSense]

3. True, but even the NFIB and the NAM sat back. n/t

[flpoljunkie]

32. They're not interested in helping small businesses. Less than 2% of them make over $250,000 AGI.

[ProSense]

35. Exactly. n/t

[Milo_Bloom]

4. Do their members care?

[ProSense]

5. Well, if they don't, they

can't complain to Democrats. This should make it clear that some of these organizations don't really care about small businesses. The NFIB is notorious for being GOP shills.

[Milo_Bloom]

6. Sure they can.

Doesn't make them right. But this supposed offense is just misleading.

These groups are not lobbying on this issue and the majority of membership in these groups of small businesses. However, if the MEMBERS aren't calling for the groups to lobby on the issue, then it is not some weird conspiracy proving the groups are GOP shills.. it is the group members not knowing what is in the legislation that can help that is to blame, which is the fault of the people trying to push the legislation not properly explaining what it will do.

[ProSense]

7. "But this supposed offense is just misleading."

No it isn't. These are among the largest small business groups. It's not like all small businesses are owned by Democrats. You think that people in states with Republican Senators aren't being done a disservice when they vote against unemployment?

Why would it be misleading to call out groups constantly claiming they care about small businesses when they lobby on behalf of big banks, and then go silent on this issue?

That's like saying that it's misleading to call out Veteran's groups that distort the facts to benefit Republicans or remain silent when the Republicans block legislations that benefits Veterans.

Why is it that important to you that they not be called out?

It's no secret that the NFIB shills for Republicans.

[Milo_Bloom]

8. Yes, it is.

It is misleading because you don't address the most important point. WHAT DOES THE MEMBERSHIP THINK??

If the membership of these organizations don't want the law to pass (for whatever reason), there is no reason their organization should lobby for it. Maybe they don't see this piece of legislation in the same light as you and don't think it will actually benefit small businesses? The actual reason doesn't matter in the end, because your entire premise is entirely misleading and dishonest since you don't have any data to back up what you are saying.

Just because YOU think this legislation will help small business doesn't mean it will. Just because YOU think they should want it, doesn't mean they do. Just because YOU think they should be lobbying for it, doesn't mean their failure to do so is inconsistent with anything.

If the story was that a majority of the membership of this organization WANTED this legislation to pass and they STILL REFUSED to lobby for it.. you would have a story.

I remember this same BS from Republicans when the environmental groups refused to get behind the "clean skies act" or "clean water act" or whatever piece of bullshit legislation bush was trying to pass off as environmental... they claimed it was proof that these environmental groups didn't really care about the environment and were just shills for the left. And by your logic, they are absolutely correct!

SO I am all for CALLING OUT the NFIB, but I want it to be for something that makes sense!

[ProSense]

9. "WHAT DOES THE MEMBERSHIP THINK??"

Who cares? It's calling them out for claiming to speak for small businesses and then allowing the GOP to kill a bill to stimulate lending. Not all small businesses approve of their tactics, as the OP points out.

Also, do you think all small businesses are cheering the death of the bill?

[Milo_Bloom]

11. What ALL small businesses think doesn't mean squat.

What the members of this organizaiton think is ALL that matters to your dishonest post.

[ProSense]

12. "What the members of this organizaiton think is ALL that matters to your dishonest post."

You're pissed that the NFIB is being called out, but guess what: There is no need to consider what Republican voters who support Republican policies think when calling out Republicans.

The dishonesty is your attempt to use this argument to justify your defense of the NFIB.

[Milo_Bloom]

14. You haven't actually called anyone out.

You made up a conspiracy and have 0 facts to back it up.

[ProSense]

16. "You made up a conspiracy and have 0 facts to back it up."

You are obviously arguing against what you deem a "conspiracy" with absolutely no knowledge of the facts.

[Milo_Bloom]

17. Says the person who couldn't offer the most important FACT

What does the membership think?

Get back to me when you have the ONLY fact that matters in your conspiracy theory.

[ProSense]

18. "What does the membership think?"

Who cares? The group supports Republicans.

You lost this argument trying to defend a bunch of Republican shills and you can't admit.

[Milo_Bloom]

20. So a group made up of mostly republicans supports republicans?

Is this the shocking conspiracy theory you have been trying to uncover this whole time?

Let me know when you can present the one fact that matters.

What does the membership think?

[ProSense]

22. You answered your own question with your snark

"What does the membership think?"

"So a group made up of mostly republicans supports republicans?"

"Is this the shocking conspiracy theory you have been trying to uncover this whole time?"


You are the one who claims it's a conspiracy. To me it's pretty damn obvious why they didn't speak up. You need someone to walk you through the obvious.

The fact that they're Republicans who support Republicans is not an excuse to not call them out. Knowing what every member of their organization thinks is not a reason to not call them out.

Anthony Weiner was yelling at some guy on the House floor today, he didn't stop to ask him what the hell his constituents think.

[Milo_Bloom]

25. Call them out for what?

Since you have been unwilling to provide ANY FACTS to the contrary, we can only believe they are doing what THEY BELIEVE IS BEST.

Since they are made up of mostly small businesses, they believe they are doing what is best for small businesses.

Just because YOU think otherwise doesn't "call them out".

It just proves YOU are a partisan hack.

[ProSense]

26. Here

read the OP again.

After that, you're free to continue defending the NFIB.

[Milo_Bloom]

28. Still can't provide the fact that matters, can you?

Let me know when you can.

[ProSense]

10. And another thing

I remember this same BS from Republicans when the environmental groups refused to get behind the "clean skies act" or "clean water act" or whatever piece of bullshit legislation bush was trying to pass off as environmental... they claimed it was proof that these environmental groups didn't really care about the environment and were just shills for the left. And by your logic, they are absolutely correct!

Republicans are still making the same claim, but what you seem to think is that Bush's bullshit policies should be given the same weight as legitimate policies not based on distortions.

This isn't Dems do it too. By your logic Dems shouldn't call out Republicans for not serving the people because their voters (members) don't seem to care.

[Milo_Bloom]

13. You got it backwards... again.

"...but what you seem to think is that Bush's bullshit policies should be given the same weight as legitimate policies not based on distortions."

No. I think the CLAIM that the environment agencies are automatically tools of the left is as BS as the claim this organizations refusal to do what YOU think they should do, despite what their members may think, automatically makes them a tool of the right.

Adding to your collection of wrong here... is this stupidity, "By your logic Dems shouldn't call out Republicans for not serving the people because their voters (members) don't seem to care."

"their voters" are a tiny subset of "people". Thus, one can easily say that republicans are not serving "the people" even if they are serving the desires of "their voters".

[ProSense]

15. "I think the CLAIM that the environment agencies are automatically tools of the left is as BS "

Except the NFIB is a tool of the right:

Washington's chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business has handed out its early endorsements for 2010 legislative races, and it looks like straight Republican-party ticket.

link

Republicans dominate NFIB legislative voting awards

[Milo_Bloom]

19. Ahh, another failure of logic.

Orrrrrrrrr is every organization that endorses a straight democratic ticket a tool of the left???

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

[ProSense]

21. "Orrrrrrrrr is every organization that endorses a straight democratic ticket a tool of the left???"

Do you think they are non-partisan?

Ridiculous.

[Milo_Bloom]

23. Ahhh, so in your world everyone is either a tool of the left or the right?

Good to know.

[ProSense]

24. No, the DLC seems to play it both ways. n/t

[Milo_Bloom]

27. Not by your logic.

They, as an organization, support democrats and thus are thereby tools of the left.

[ProSense]

29. "They, as an organization, support democrats "

Lieberman is in the leadership and endorsed McCain.

[Milo_Bloom]

30. and ANOTHER logic failure.

Lieberman, as a member, does not represent the ORGANIZATION.

Or does every member of every organization automatically speak for that organization?

[ProSense]

31. "What do the members think?"

Lieberman, a member of the leadership, thought McCain was the better candidate.


"Or does every member of every organization automatically speak for that organization?"


It's funny how you suddenly don't care "what the members think" as if they all wanted silence from the NFIB. Now you're acknowledging that organizations have memberships that don't necessarily share the views of the organization on every issue.


What the hell are you arguing?

[Milo_Bloom]

33. and ANOTHER logic failure.

Why are you confusing ONE member with a MAJORITY of membership?

[ProSense]

34. "Why are you confusing ONE member with a MAJORITY of membership? "

What's majority of the NFIB?

Again: Do you need to know or care that a majority of Republican voters support Republican positions to call them out for not doing the right thing?

[Milo_Bloom]

36. Wow, you don't even read your own posts.

"the smaller companies that account for the majority of their membership"

The right thing according to YOU!

Once again... what do the members think?

Let me know when you have the facts.