PETALUMA, CA, April 26, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- Until the quiet announcement yesterday that Steven Preston had been nominated to replace Hector Barreto as Administrator of the SBA, no one had ever heard of Steven Preston. A cursory google search found only one reference to the nominee. Small business owners are concerned that the appointment of a corporate executive with no small business experience indicates that the Bush administration has no intention to clean up the problems at the agency.

"We don't need another unqualified SBA Administrator," stated Lloyd Chapman, President of the American Small Business League. "Hector Barreto's dismal track record is a clear indication of what happens when you appoint someone that has no qualifications to run an important Federal agency. I'm afraid this nomination signals a continuation of the Bush administration's intention to continue to dismantle the agency.

"I predict that we will not see Mr. Preston do anything to address the eleven Federal investigations that have found billions of dollars in small business contracts have been diverted to large firms as a result of fraud, abuse, and lack of oversight. If Preston is approved, he will likely foster policies that will act as barriers to small firms doing business with the Federal government and continue to allow awards to Fortune 1000 companies to be reported as small business contracts."

Chapman added, "Republicans since Ronald Reagan have been trying to close the SBA and abolish Federal small business contracting programs. If the Democrats fail to take over Congress in the fall, it is likely that Bush will close the agency before the end of his presidency. It's time for small business owners to band together and fight to keep these programs. We're talking about $119 billion in Federal prime and subcontracts–and once it's gone, we will never get it back."

About the ASBL
The American Small Business League was formed to promote and advocate policies that provide the greatest opportunity for small businesses - the 98% of U.S. companies with less than 100 employees. The ASBL is founded on the principle that small businesses, the backbone of a vital American economy, should receive the fair treatment promised by the Small Business Act of 1953. Representing small businesses in all fields and industries throughout the United States, the ASBL monitors existing policies and proposed policy changes by the Small Business Administration and other federal agencies that affect its members.

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