Link: http://www.asba.com

My Grandma Marie will turn 99 years old this week.  That did not stop her from researching the candidates, making her decision, and mailing in her absentee ballot.  (She explained to me that she is not up to standing in those long lines anymore so she voted early!)  She did not want to miss out on this important time in history. 

If you have not voted yet, don’t miss your opportunity to be a part of shaping our state’s and our nation’s history.

Please Vote!

Link: http://www.tucsonlink.org/ACCDebates2008/

Arizonans - How do these things affect your ability to grow YOUR business?

* Water quality and the cost of electric and natural gas!

* High speed Internet to rural communities!

* Solar, nuclear, and other alternative energy sources!

* Arizona’s investment in utility infrastructure! The Debates Will Cover Issues Important to YOU and ARIZONA’S FUTURE:

These are among the issues of debate at the July 15 Primary Debates (now available on the Web and Cable TV) and the September 15 General Election Debate for candidates for the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). Logon to our webcasts, tune in to your local Cable TV, or engage in person at Rio Salado College in Tempe to learn more about the powerful ACC (often described as a Fourth Branch of Government) and to see the candidates debate these and other issues that will have an enormous impact on you, Arizona’s future, and the finances, safety and quality of life of all citizens, businesses, and organizations in Arizona. We also invite you to propose questions and to discuss issues online by visiting http://www.tucsonlink.org/ACCDebates2008/ .   All voters should view these debates! The Commission sets the rates you pay for public utilities including telecommunications, water, electric, and natural gas services. ACC policies also determine the quality of these services and future utility infrastructure investments, including high speed Internet to rural communities, and solar, nuclear and other alternative energy sources. In addition to utilities regulation, the debates will cover other Commission services including Consumer Protection and Corporations and Securities Oversight, and Railroad and Pipeline Safety. These nonpartisan debates, sponsored by the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, are presented by the Arizona Telecommunications and Information Council and moderated by Mark Goldstein of International Research Center in cooperation with an impressive list of other business and community organizations. Help Spread the Word: ASBA is proud to "Be a Cooperating Organization" link on the web site to see how you can help us get the word out about these important debates. Details at: http://www.tucsonlink.org/ACCDebates2008/For more information, please contact Steve Peters, ATIC ACC Debate Coordinator at 520-321-1309 or mailto:stevepeters@tucsonlink.org

Link: http://www.arizonatele.com/atic/

Voting is our right and our honor.  Knowing who to vote for and WHY is our responsibility.  ASBA is proud to partner with the ATIC and other organizations to help you learn more about who is running for the Arizona Corporation Commission and where they stand on key issues that affect YOUR business. 

Check out the details below! 

Arizona Telecommunications and Information Council & the Arizona Clean Elections Commission Present: A series of Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) Candidate Debates on July  15 and September 15, 2008 live at Rio Salado College in Tempe as well as Webcast, available on Cable TV, and subject of an Online Forum. See http://www.arizonatele.com/atic/  for more information.

What is the Arizona Corporation Commission? Why should I care who gets elected? The cost of electric and natural gas! Broadband deployment to rural communities! Renewable energy! Integrity of the pipelines that carry gasoline across the state! Arizona’s investment in utility infrastructure! These are among the issues to be debated at the July 15 Primary and the September 15, 2008 General Election debates for candidates for the Arizona Corporation Commission. 

Why should you attend? The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) is an independent regulatory authority created by the Arizona Constitution. This powerful body, often described as a Fourth Branch of Government, makes decisions that have an enormous impact on Arizona’s future and the finances, safety and quality of life of all citizens, businesses and organizations in Arizona. This year you will vote for 3 of the five Commissioners. The Commission sets the rates you pay for public utilities including telecommunications, water, electric, and natural gas services. Commission policies also determine the quality of these services and future utility infrastructure investments, including solar and other alternative energy sources. In addition to utilities regulation, the debates will also cover the other services under the jurisdiction of the Commission including Corporations and Securities Oversight, and Railroad and Pipeline Safety.

The nonpartisan debates will be presented by the Arizona Telecommunications and Information Council (ATIC), with support provided by the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission. The debates will be moderated by Mark Goldstein, ATIC Board Secretary and a past Chairman of the group, as well as President of the International Research Center (IRC) located in Tempe. 

How You Can Participate: Join the live audience at Rio Salado College, logon to the webcast at http://www.arizonatele.com/atic/ during and after the debates, or view the debates on Cox Cable Channel 7 and other Cable stations around the state after the debates. The public is also welcome to propose debate questions on the ATIC website and to discuss issues and interact with other Arizona voters on the Online Forum. Participation is free, however, registration for the live event and webcast is requested.  See our web site for details http://www.arizonatele.com/atic/ Help Spread the Word! See the "Be a Cooperating Organization" link on the web site to see how you can help us get the word out about these important debates. For more information or to get involved, contact: Steve Peters, ATIC Debate Coordinator, 520-321-1309, mailto:stevepeters@tucsonlink.org * President, Community Information and Telecommunications Alliance (CITA - http://www.tucsonlink.org/) * Board Member, Greater Arizona Learning Association (GAZEL - http://www.gazel.org/) * Board Member, Arizona Telecommunications and Information Council (ATIC - http://www.arizonatele.com/atic/) 

Small technology based companies from across the country "flew in" to Washington DC today to meet with Senate offices regarding protecting the SBIR.

 Few programs have meant more to small business over the last 25 years than the SBIR program.  It has provided the seed money to help start up and second stage companies develop new technologies, prove innovative concepts, and move them along to levels where they can either stand on their own OR access investment capital.  Without SBIR - many new American technologies would never make it out of the lab or off the bench!

 This session, Congress must reauthorize the SBIR program.  The bill that came through the House has signigficant changes, many of them that favor VC’s and bigger businesses much more than the small businesses the program is intended to support.  The biggest of these changes is the trippling of the size of awards from $100K to $300K for phase one and to millions for phase two commercialization.  It sounds good at first until you read on and discover that they did not make the total amount of money to be allocated bigger - just the awards.  What this means is that if this goes through we cut the number of projects that can benefit from this program by two-thirds.  This puts all technology oriented small businesses at a disadvantage. 

Other changes include allowing businesses that are controlled by VC’s at 51% or more to still be continued ’small".  Again this is not a good idea.  With majority interest the VC has control - not the entrepreneur.  As one business owner stated to her Senator - at that point I am not the entrepreneur  any more - I am just another employee. 

Now the bill moves to the Senate - where hopefully cooler - less influenced heads will prevail.  It is up to us to let our Senators McCain and Kyl know how important the SBIR is to small business and that it keeps to its original mandate - support of innovation and research for SMALL businesses.

 What do you think?  

Link: http://www.nsba.org

One of my favorite movies is the old Jimmy Stewart classic - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.  Well, this week I got a taste of what Mr. Smith got to experience.

June 2- 5, small business leaders from around the country came together at the National Small Business Association (NSBA) Washigton Presentation. 

NSBA is ASBA’s partner in Washington and I have the honor of serving as a member of their board of trustees,  While most of ASBA’s work is done in our home state of Arizona, NSBA’s team represents us in the nation’s capitol, fighting for all of us on key issues including healthcare, taxation, access to capital, and small business procurement contracts.

Tuesday morning we discussed not only status and issues but also a powerful message - Small Business - 70 Million Strong and Voting!

Why is the message so important - you can look at it this way.  For every pair of workers in the US, one is either a small business owner or works in a small business.  We are the largest single work group in  the country, and one of the least represented on the national stage.  We don’t have big T.V. budgets, millions of dollars to invest in lobbyists to champion our cause, rich PAC’s to influence candidates, or a seat that the President’s Cabinet table.  We are simply hard working, tax paying Americans doing what we do best - building businesses and quietly supporting the economy in good times and bad.

Small Business is the major economic and innovative force in our country.  That is the message I took with me to Washington.  In my visits to the offices of Congressman Mitchell, Senator McCain, and Senator Kyl’s I brought them messages from home as well as copies of BizAZ Magazine and the 2007 Arizona Companies to Watch Profiles.  We shared information on what ASBA is doing to make a difference on key issues like healthcare and workforce development.

My visit was not one of demand, but one of reminders.  Sharing the stories of our Arizona small businesses and the challenges they face on the healthcare front, how they are dealing with the obstacles created due to lack of action on immigration reform, and offering hope in the form of the innovative activities occuring in our state and at ASBA.  Washington is not solving these challenges - so Arizonans are stepping into the breach and taking action.

If there was a major disappointment from my visits, it was in hearing what I expected to hear.  On these important issues - nothing much will happen before next year.  Washington will soon be consumed with the election process at the state and presidental level. We’ll have to wait for help from Washington.  So it is still up to us to keep taking care of business at home, continuing to work out our challenges the way we have up untl now - by justing taking care of business on our own.  After all - that is what small business does best.