Democratic candidate John Kerry says he’ll make small business growth the centerpiece of his economic plan if he’s elected president. Kerry says small business “is the heart of America.” There’s no big business that didn’t start out as a small business, according to Kerry, who cited Dell, I-B-M and Fed Ex as examples. Kerry went to a Des Moines coffee shop this morning to meet with a group of small business owners in the area, and all were women and Kerry praised them for their “pluck.” Kerry says 98 percent of the businesses in America are small businesses and 56 of American workers work in a small business. Kerry promises to make more federal loans available for small businesses and to take steps to ensure small businesses can compete for federal contracts. Kerry says the Bush Administration is moving in the opposite direction. Kerry says federal contracting has gone up seven percent during Bush’s tenure, but small businesses share of federal government contracts has gone down 14 percent. Kerry also promises to make the Small Business Administrator a part of his presidential cabinet. Kerry says a baking business that had 35 part-time employees, says his health insurance reforms will help make it easier, and cheaper, for small business owners to provide health insurance to their workers.
