| Steven Preston, the Small Business Association (SBA) administrator has refused to release the list of the firms that were coded as small businesses in fiscal year 2005. In June, then Administrator Hector V. Barreto announced that a “record-breaking” $79.6 billion in contracts was awarded to small businesses in 2005. What he failed to point out was that some of the largest firms in the world, such as Boeing, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, Bechtel, General Dynamics, and hundreds of other large companies, were included in the numbers.
“I’m afraid that it’s going to be business as usual at the SBA with Preston at the helm,” stated Lloyd Chapman, president of the American Small Business League. “I would hate to see another two years of the SBA trying to cover up the fact that the Bush Administration has intentionally allowed billions in small business contracts to be diverted to giant corporations.”
Chapman added, “Mr. Preston needs to pay attention to his own Inspector General who has identified this problem as the number one management challenge facing the SBA. Releasing the names of contractors that received small business awards is the first step in addressing this major problem.”. |
