Debbie:
Here it is —
thanks!
What the Governor’s Talking about
Today
Tuesday, May 25,
2010
Governor Calls on
Congress to Pass President Obama’s Small Business Jobs
Package
The governor today joined President Barack Obama in
calling on Congress to pass a comprehensive small business jobs package.
The governor was in Washington, D.C. to participate in a White House event
honoring small business owners in observance of National Small Business
Week.
The president is pushing a legislative package that includes
new lending initiatives to help creditworthy firms access capital, tax cuts to
support investment and expansion, and enhancements to successful Small Business
Administration programs.
One of the new initiatives, the New State Small Business
Credit Initiative, is modeled after Michigan’s Supplier Diversification
Fund. The fund is designed to help Michigan manufacturers and auto suppliers
diversify into new emerging sectors such as clean energy, homeland
security/defense, medical instruments and aerospace. However, because
Michigan, like
every other state, has limited resources, the state simply cannot help all of
the companies who want access to the program.
Key
Messages:
- In Michigan, we’ve taken
many steps to diversify our economy, including helping entrepreneurs launch
and grow new ventures. President Obama’s plan to increase access to
capital for small businesses will boost efforts already underway in Michigan like our
Supplier Diversification Fund and other initiatives.
- Congressmen John
Dingell, Sander Levin, Gary Peters and other members of Michigan’s
congressional delegation should be recognized for their leadership on this
issue.
- In her 2010 State
of the State address, the governor announced several aggressive initiatives to
spur investment and small business growth in Michigan. They
include:
- The small
business investment credit passed by the Michigan House and awaiting action
by the Senate
- Expanded funding
for FastTrac® NewVenture, a program for entrepreneurs to learn
how to successfully launch and grow a small
business
- The Michigan
Small Business Financing Alliance, a new partnership launched this year with
the Michigan Credit Union League and the Michigan Small Business and
Technology
Development Centers to provide an initial $43
million for eligible small-business loans
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Jon
Ogar
Senior
Writer/Editor
Communications
Division
Office of Governor
Jennifer M. Granholm
Office 517-335-6819
Cell
517-515-2743
Fax
517-335-6790