You see, we are living in momentous times, fighting for a clear view of where we’re going even as the ground is shifting beneath our feet.

I’ve told you this before. The economy is changing.

That change is much more profound than the simple matter of a preponderance of very small businesses.

Long, long ago, during an Administration far, far away, an adventurous band of lawmakers attempted to pass legislation to reauthorize the Small Business Administration. Sadly, they were repeatedly stopped in their tracks, thanks to Imperial Senate rules and the machinations of the seemingly evil but really-just-misunderstood Darth Coburn (R-OK). (Alright, I’ll stop this before I’m [...]

Last week, the SBA Office of Advocacy did its duty and released the 2007 edition of its annual report to the president on the state of the small business economy. The report, ingeniously entitled “The Small Business Economy: A Report to The President,” documents through various research projects and economic data sources just what was [...]

Earlier this month, the SBA Office of Advocacy released the latest in its regular series of quarterly small business indicators, covering the fourth quarter of 2008, and it was an attractive report if you happen to be fond of the color red. There was relatively little good news to be teased out of all the [...]

Speaking of the SBA’s entrepreneurial development programs and federal performance measures, there are clearly two problems where one intersects the other. The first and most obvious problem is that “bodies through the door” — that is, the number of users of the program — tells you nothing about whether the program successfully does what it [...]

When it comes to reassuring the nation’s microbusinesses that the days of being ignored are over, this recovery package certainly didn’t get it done.

Of course, it’s still early days yet. Mr. O is only one month into his term of office, after all. He still has lots and lots of time to make good.

On the other hand, he’s not going to get an entire four years for this, either.

Most of the time, when people discuss the SBA’s entrepreneurial development programs, they are singing their praises in no uncertain terms. Which is why it was both surprising and understandable that witnesses at last week’s House Small Business Committee hearing appeared to have been instructed to can the beatitudes and tell us what’s wrong with [...]

President Barack Obama will sign the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 tomorrow, in the consummating act of the first major legislative performance of his presidency. The political theater surrounding the bill has been worthy of much more than popcorn and widescreen viewing. Now that it’s all over and there’s nothing left to do [...]

It is to be hoped that eventually more policy makers recognize how silly it is to be debating how best to pay insurance companies when we really need to figure out how best to pay doctors.

In the meantime, I shall bask in the knowledge that Congressman Gohmert and I agree on something.

Which only goes to show that, in the realm of public policy, truly anything is possible.

I know I’ve said this before — although not since the word has become the political slogan of the White House — but the more things change the more they stay the same. Last week, the House Small Business Committee held a hearing to examine the perpetual problems small business owners have with the thorny [...]