Wednesday, June 1, 2011

SBIR LIVES, despite Nydia's best efforts to kill it!

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The current incarnation of SBIR has more lives than a cat. Twelve and counting. (Details HERE) This SBIR CR life segment will be four months long. Then what? Will small business innovation be sold out to the bigger better funded entities?

If Nydia has her way it will. She's so dedicated to that sell out that she even campaigned to kill SBIR rather than continue it as is. Yes, the Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee sent out a Dear Colleague letter to her fellow Democrats in the House urging a NO vote on S.1082. She wanted SBIR to die, rather than continue "as is" to allow open debate.

She even addressed the House at the time the vote was called, and appealed for its defeat. But in that appeal, she carefully never mentioned that it was SBIR she was killing. Very clever Nydia!

Don't believe me? Here's the proof - a YouTube video of her calling for S.1082's defeat:


Then she called for a recorded vote, and only 33 NO votes were recorded!

THANK YOU NYDIA! Now we know who needs remedial education.

Here's the list of those who voted NO:

Is your Congressional representative on this list? If so, YOU have work to do. The SBTC, SBBC and others will be providing materials to ensure that when the actual SBIR Reauthorization Bill is passed, it improves the Program, not destroys it.

Watch SBIRreauthorization.com for updates and information you can use to educate your Congressional Representatives and Senators. The current posting there is a detail map and demographics on the recorded vote on S.1082. Check it out.

If you'd like to keep up with things in an active way, join the SBIR Advocacy. We have a Google-Group. Here's the link to join: http://groups.google.com/group/sbir-advocacy/subscribe?hl=en¬e=1

I've been rather silent in the past few months in this column. But expect some noise from me in the coming months. I don't know about you, but I've about had it with the political posturing. Huggem-Muggem must stop!
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