Small business owners should know that there might be some intruders (of a sort) in their midst. The Main Street Alliance and Small Business Majority have been singled out by other small business associations as groups that are more interested in politics than representing real companies.
What it boils down to is this: the Small Business Coalition for Affordable Healthcare, which counts the American Farm Bureau, the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as members, has started a sort of campaign called "Accept No Imitations."
As part of the campaign, the Coalition stated that the Main Street Alliance and Small Business Majority are partners with Health Care for America Now, and members of HCAN's committee include ACORN, AFL-CIO, MoveOn.org, and the Service Employees International Union.
The Coalition also put together a video highlighting a lot of other differences between itself and the accused organizations.
We won't name either side right or wrong (feel free to do that yourself in the comments section), but there are clearly some big issues here. Small business owners would do well to remain aware of them, and politically active individuals might want to take the extra step of making sure their elected representatives also understand the differences.
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Small Business Majority: The Real Story
Clever as this campaign is, it neither tells the full story of Small Business Majority nor focuses on the real problem: It does nothing to lift the crushing burden that our current healthcare system has on America's 27 million hard-working small business owners.
The truth:
--Small Business Majority continually polls small business owners across the country to ascertain their views, and any positions we take are based entirely on this scientific research, as opposed to the views of a self-selected sub-group.
--Our leadership, senior managers and board members are all former business owners.
--Our funding does not come from political organizations, but from nonprofit foundations.
--We are not part of HCAN.
When it comes to healthcare reform, we completely support bipartisanship and are working closely with all major business organizations across the political spectrum to set aside long-held agendas and focus on real, pragmatic nonpartisan solutions. This includes weekly meetings hosted by us that are attended by all the significant national small business groups. The number and diversity of small businesses in America deserve many voices representing their interests–and there is room for everyone in the small business tent.
John Arensmeyer Founder & CEO Small Business Majority www.smallbusinessmajority.org
Inclusion by Delusion
Doug;
Thanks for shedding light on this ugly subject.
These groups have no doubt been set up so that "progressives" crafting the healthcare tax can say that they are backed by SMB organizations.
Not much could be further from the truth.
I found it interesting that the Main Street Alliance domain lists as its registrant, a Mr. Dennis P. Osorio whose e-mail goes to an '@nwfco.org' address. NWFCO, is an acronym for the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations which advocates (amongst other business-friendly causes) minimum wage increases, drivers licenses for illegal aliens; the repeal of welfare reform, forcing utilities to translate information into whatever language is spoken by the customer -- they site Serbo-Croation as an example -- and of course, the elimination of private health insurance.
See this interesting piece:
http://mainstreetalliance.org/wordpress/illinois/1259/
Notice how that bastion of small business advocacy, the SEIU, played a major role at the "small business rally."
These persons have about as much in common with small business owners as Karl Marx did.
According to Mr. Arensmeyer, "There is room for everyone in the small business tent." But should that really apply to people who oppose business interests as a matter of policy?
Mr. Arensmeyer states that, "Our funding does not come from political organizations, but from nonprofit foundations." That begs the question, "If you truly represent small business, why won't small business fund you, as it does legitimate small business advocacy groups?
Further, if you read his "scientific polls," the questions are rigged to elicit positive responses that are then interpreted to mean much more than the respondent implied. A positive answer to a question like, "Do you feel that the cost of healthcare is a shared responsibilty?" should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the healthcare tax -- I mean "healthacre reform."
Oh goodness, not politics!
"...more interested in politics than representing real companies."
For most of these organizations, that's the pot calling the kettle black. They're either focused on politics or pushing their products. For example, the U.S. Chamber is the political arm of big business, not small. When they start supporting something, I get suspicious.
And in case you're wondering, I'm not trying to defend either side of the healthcare debate because I haven't been sold on either side's half-baked solutions.
ACORN is the DEVIL!
I love it how everybody on the right suddenly thinks everything associated with ACORN is evil. You all really overestimate their influence on the world. Next you'll be blaming ACORN for out-of-control bonuses at Goldman Sachs or the Yankees winning the World Series.
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