Jim Holds Small Business Workshop in Fairfield

Fairfield Minuteman, Thursday, September 02, 2010

Fourth District Congressman Jim Himes brought his Small Business Information Express to Fairfield’s Public Library’s Memorial Room on Monday, Aug. 30. Democratic State Representative Tom Drew of the 132nd district accompanied Congressman Himes and also addressed the audience.

The stop in Fairfield was part of a “Seventeen Towns in 17 Days” initiative by Congressman Himes to provide expert information to small business owners who have questions and concerns regarding the Health Care Reform Bill, also known as Obama Care.

Small groups of businessmen and about as many representatives from government and private agencies having been invited by the Congressman were present to provide an overview of their services. There were some twenty men and women present.

In his brief remarks, Congressman Himes, neatly dressed in a dark blue suit and light blue shirt and matching striped tie, told his audience that he and Representative Drew had come to ask the small business men and women, “What would you like to see come out of government [in Washington] and Hartford?

Himes went on, “How can we assist you? “We know that what is on the minds of people is the mantra of jobs: Jobs, first and foremost are on people’s minds.” Himes told his audience, “A can do spirit is undermined by uncertainty and anxiety.”

“All new net jobs are in small businesses,” Himes stated. “As for small business resources, there is a clear limit on what you can do. Congress focused on how it can help small business,” speaking of the “Recovery Act” that had been slotted by the House “to help everyone in our society” but failed in the Senate.

“It has been an anemic recovery,” said Himes. He called it “a recovery that has been bouncing around the bottom.” “The GDP [Gross Domestic Product] is too low to help recovery... at best it is has been a tenuous economic recovery.”

Himes apologized for not having been able to pass a bill that would have helped small businesses through small banks. Himes ended his remarks by saying that he as 4th District Congressman and Tom Drew, a State Representative, are both interested in helping the region’s small business owners.

One young business entrepreneur expressed his frustration in these words: “We saw problems coming. We had taken on a lot of debt from the bank. The SBA would help, did help us get a small loan. Now we are on an up hill trajectory with high interest debt draining our company. We cut our own personal plans to help our employees. My question is: I have no more guiding factors. Is there anything else that can help me, a mentor, a resource that can help us going up hill?”

Congressman Himes suggested “Counselor to American Small businesses” and invited the gentleman to speak to him privately out in the hallway. Surprisingly neither Mr. Drew nor Congressman Himes stayed for the whole program. They left shortly after speaking their part in the program.

While stating that his #1 priority in Hartford is jobs, Drew counseled that he and others are “required” to make changes in Hartford. Change is at the heart of the struggle for jobs. He spoke of having to make the transition from the traditional work force to one that is geared for the information age. There are jobs needed to develop regional plans that involve questions like where to locate these new jobs and where to locate those who would invest in them.

Said Drew, “We want to make sure people can thrive on information-age jobs—mass transit and information centers attuned to investors are also key. We want common sense approaches regardless of ideology.”

Representatives from agencies invited by Congressman Himes’ office were present to speak briefly about their agencies and to take a few questions. It developed in most instances that the questions addressed to presenters and to the Congressman were better addressed individually and privately as they involved more specific information to be given helpful advice.

It was noted by the SBA presenter, for example, “banks are reluctant to participate in SBA programs.” Also noted is the fact that Community Capital Fund deals with those underserved but only with existing businesses, although they are looking to expand.

Presenters were from the Internal Revenue Service, the Small Business Association, the Connecticut Procurement Technical Assistance Program, The Women’s Business Development Center, and the Community Capital Fund among others.