During all these controversies, Kerry was working for us

[Mass]

He seemed to have had a long day yesterday, between the hearings at the Finance Committee about pensions (I saw him a brief moment on the news last night, but he was not talking) and the foreign committee yesterday on Asia where he was the ranking member. I cannot find the transcript for any of these two events, but he was there, so it should come to no surprise he did not speak on the floor.

He seems to have the same type of schedule today.

In addition, I found this info on the SBC site today. Nice to see that some people are taking care of day to day issues even if it is less sexy than speaking against a judge or on the DSM.

http://sbc.senate.gov/democrat/record.cfm?id=238490

Kerry Joins Bipartisan Coalition Fighting to Stop SBA from Gutting Rural Small Business Loans
Monday, June 6, 2005

WASHINGTON -- A broad range of top Democrats and Republicans in Congress are urging the Small Business Administration (SBA) to keep the agency’s popular 7(a) “LowDoc” loans. The loans, which reduce red tape and streamline lending, are extremely important to small businesses owners in rural states. Since 2001, small business owners in rural states have received over $2.5 billion in loans through the program.

Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, who joined the Congressional letter in support of LowDoc loans said, “Anything we can do to streamline the government's red tape and stand on the side of small business owners just makes sense. How can this administration talk about an ‘ownership society’ while taking away the tools to make it happen? These loans get repaid to the government, and they're a smart investment in America's entrepreneurs. Without LowDoc loans, small businesses in rural states such as Arkansas and Wyoming will no doubt lose out.” In their letter to SBA Administrator Hector Barreto, the Senators and Members of Congress expressed concern that the SBA was considering eliminating LowDoc loans and urged the SBA to work with Congress to fix any problems the program may have.

“The SBA 7(a) lending program is becoming more and more concentrated -- the top ten lenders now account for more than 55 percent of the loans,” the letter states. “It is important that the SBA loan programs serve the needs of a broad array of borrowers, with many lenders and in many geographic areas. Combining the several 7(a) sub-programs into a ‘one size fits all’ loan program simply will not help meet the intended purpose of the programs: to reach a diverse group of small businesses that cannot obtain adequate financing elsewhere.” Over the years, LowDoc loans have accounted for about 20 percent of the loans made through the SBA’s largest loan program, known as 7(a). It reaches small borrowers by offering a guaranty up to 85 percent on loans of $150,000 or less, which are particularly important to rural lenders and small community banks.

The letter was signed by four members of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship -- Chair Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), Ranking Member John Kerry, Christopher “Kit” Bond (R-Mo.) and Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.) -- and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, Donald A. Manzullo (R-Ill.) and Nydia M. Velazquez (D-N.Y.).

[Mass]

1. More centered around MA and the red tide

I know you do not need this to know that Kerry does not stay inactive while we do not hear of him, but sometimes, I get the feeling that some people on GD think that the only thing that matter are the speeches on the Senate floor (and the emails sent to the blogging community).

John Kerry and Massachusetts Delegation Members Senator Kennedy and Congressmen Frank, Tierney, Delahunt and McGovern Strongly Urges Governor Romney to Act Quickly to Aid Fishermen in Red Tide Crisis

Letter to His Excellency W. Mitt Romney Governor

June 8, 2005

His Excellency W. Mitt Romney Governor Commonwealth of Massachusetts State House Room 360 Boston, MA 02133

Dear Governor Romney:

We are writing to urge you join us in requesting that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issue an economic injury disaster declaration on behalf of the thousands of Massachusetts fishermen and their families in Essex, Plymouth, Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes and Nantucket counties who have been affected by the closure of shellfish beds due to red tide. This declaration will help our fishermen and their families obtain low-interest economic injury disaster loans from the SBA to help their small businesses survive during this crisis.

As you know, Massachusetts waters are being plagued by the worst outbreak of red tide since 1972, which has resulted in the closure of most shellfish areas in the state. This outbreak has devastated approximately 1,700 shellfish fishermen in Massachusetts at the worst possible time. Many of these fishermen provide shellfish to businesses on our coast that cater to tourists seeking local seafood during the summer months. The fishermen and other small businesses affected by the red tide disaster are an important part of the economic and cultural history of Massachusetts’ coastal communities. Emergency assistance for the shellfish industry is important for the continued growth of the Massachusetts economy. We believe these fishermen deserve access to low-interest SBA loans to assist them through the disaster recovery period.

The levels of toxicity from this red tide outbreak have been escalating in recent weeks. Local officials currently estimate that many shellfish beds will be closed for most of the summer months. This will have an extraordinary impact on the shellfish fishermen and their families who depend upon seasonal income to survive year-round. It will also affect the profitability of many other small businesses, specifically restaurants, which cater to tourists during the summer months. We hope that you will make this request and provide the necessary state certification of areas hurt by this red tide disaster to help small businesses in Massachusetts survive.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

John F. Kerry Edward M. Kennedy

Barney Frank

John Tierney

William Delahunt

Jim McGovern