The Jobs Bill Train is Leaving the Station -- and SBIR is being smuggled aboard!

.
Evan Bayh said it true. The process Congress uses is flawed. It's more about partisan deal making than the public interest. Back room deals. Sneaking legislative provisions into sometimes unrelated bills to serve private interests and avoid scrutiny and discussion.

We have new evidence today, as they're at it again. With SBIR the victim! And they do it with smug satisfaction, unabashedly sanctimonious. They talk up the little guy (small business) but serve big money (VC) interests instead.

Basically, the House, via Rep Jason Altmire (D-PA), is attempting to bypass the SBIR reauthorization negotiations with the Senate and force the House version of the bill (S.2965) through the back door. If he succeeds in including it in the Job Stimulus bill, it will be difficult for the Senate to oppose it, especially since the President wants this legislation passed quickly.

The alert was sounded yesterday by both Rick Shindell in his SBIR Insider, and by the Small Business Technology Council (SBTC) in a Special Alert. Follow the links, or just go to www.SBIRreauthorization.com to see them in their entirety, along with an open letter from my good friend Gary Marsden of Trout Green Technologies (a savvy SBIR Awardee), who by asking a simple question at the Navy Opportunity Forum, created a small firestorm.

It's not over until its over (thanks Yogi), but I fear this train is gathering speed. The Engineer (Pelosi) has blinders on, the Conductor (Velazquez) has had her pockets stuffed and refuses to look at (let alone punch) our tickets, and the Fireman (Altmire) is stoking the furnace with false fuel.

Somehow we need to find the right switch, and divert this train to a siding. We need a bunch of Evan Bayhs to stand up and say ENOUGH! Any more of you out there?
.