Comment on FR Doc # E9-29228

This comment is being submitted for your review, input and your support in facilitating our recommendations for change as we feel it is a matter of substance and of the utmost importance to the small business community consisting of 8a, woman owned, minority owned, and veterans owned firms for which we advocate. As you are aware, small businesses form the backbone of our economy, the strongest in the world. They account for half of our gross domestic product, more than half our jobs, and three-fourths of new jobs created each year. Leading this growth in recent years have been women and minority enterprises. Small businesses also contribute innovations in manufacturing, technology, and services. Many of the biggest household name brands started out small, with just a few employees. Each day, American entrepreneurs go to work with a dream: the age-old American Dream of a better life for themselves, their children, and their community. As multinational companies are producing less in the United States and expecting bailouts and access to stimulus dollars, small businesses are being left with the burden of job creation, limited access to capital, inability to obtain adequate bonding, and shrinking support resources. During this time, when the economy is experiencing some of its greatest economic challenges, we believe this is a strategic moment to look at areas and ways to empower small businesses in their quest for growth and stability in addition to creating meaningful jobs in their local communities. The 8(a) program having been created in 1974 is a long standing program; the committee realizes that making the changes needed to provide vital support for which its purpose was designed will not be an overnight process. As committee members we respectfully request that our own 8a small business reap the benefits of the proposal changes and are grandfathered into the “revitalized 8 (a) program if by the time such changes take place we have “expired” the program. With our primary mission being to advocate state and federal policies that are beneficial to small business in Southern California, the State, and the Nation—and promoting the growth of free enterprise; you can expect us to be addressing other issues in similar white papers as we strategize to meet our vision to ensure that small business owners obtain their fair share of federal and other contracting opportunities. Small business owners have historically been are under attack by a State government and some times a political system that is either ill informed, dismissive or simply doesn't value their role in creating economic growth, good-paying jobs, and real opportunity. The attacks are not limited to a single industry or profession. They extend to all businesses and unfortunately, in some cases, threaten their very existence. Issues of workers compensation reform, taxes, regulatory harassment, tort reform, and health care often burden small businesses making it more difficult than ever to remain profitable and stay in business. Anti-business interests that constantly lobby the Legislature make a better future difficult. There must be action from small business to realize a turn-around. The small business community is grateful to have politicians and political groups such as the Congressman Bob Filner, Congresswoman Laura Richardson, and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, Congressional Black Caucus, Senators Olympia Snowe and Mary Landrieu as an aggressive force in office, not afraid to look out for small business interests in the Legislature or on the ballot. While small business people are frustrated with anti-business attitudes, they don't want to abandon entrepreneurship; they want to fight back and turn things around. The proposed change to the current 8a business development program which has not been reviewed to revise specific issues that research and statistics conclude inarguably as hindrances to success of the very small business the 8a program was devised to support are as follows: 1) Allow eligible small businesses to continue participation in the 8(a) program indefinitely under the following conditions: A participant receives indefinite program participation. The participant must maintain its program eligibility during its participation in the program and must inform the SBA of any changes that would adversely affect its program eligibility. A firm that reaches its size standard during the previous tax year in aggregate 8(a) contracts or non 8(a) federal contracts is ineligible to be awarded sole source contracts during the current year. The firm will however remain eligible to compete for 8(a) competitive work. 8(a) firms will remain certified indefinitely in the program and will be eligible to receive the full business development support of the program. This includes negotiated and sole sourced contract opportunities during the current year. If the firm has not achieved its size standard during the previous tax year in aggregate 8(a) contracts or none 8(a) federal contracts, it is ineligible to be awarded sole source contracts during the current year. The firm will however remain eligible to compete for 8(a) competitive work. 8(a) firms certified deemed ineligible, based on the industry and size standard for the preceding twelve months or on all sales volume averaged over a three-year period, will receive no program support and be limited to compete on 8(a) competitive solicitations only. 8(a) firms deemed ineligible may regain eligibility status each year on the anniversary date of the original approval letter if they have not reached the size standard during the preceding twelve month period.