The stated goal of the Small Business Administration is to “strengthen the nation’s economy by aiding, counseling, assisting and protecting the interests of small businesses.”
President Bush this week nominated Steven Preston as the new SBA head, continuing his legacy of appointing individuals to oversee agencies they will try to destroy. Preston “does not have experience running a small business,” and currently serves as a senior vice president of a “multibillion-dollar corporation” called ServiceMaster which is known for bullying small businesses:
[Preston’s] resume shows he has no experience as an entrepreneur and comes from a company with a reputation as a bully among some small-business owners.
“The small-business community’s been fighting ServiceMaster for years,” says Harry Alford, president and chief executive of the National Black Chamber of Commerce. Alford says ServiceMaster was active — and successful — in getting the government to cap the small-business set-asides in the lawn-care industry.
Thankfully for him, Preston has the one job qualification that matters: he is a self-described “committed” partisan and “Bush loyalist.”

The top 10% of the nation’s wealthy own more than the rest of us 90% all put together…
…do you think that’s a statistic worthy of preservation, if you’re among that top 10%?
…this isn’t by accident people…
…it’s by design…
…and a PRIZED disciple of the “them that’s got shall get…” philosophy…
…is at the top of your government…
April 27th, 2006 at 12:57 pmThis is deplorable. Is this administration out to totally ruin our lives and economy? Just when you thought it couldn’t get much worse, or the Administration couldn’t get more brazen…damn their oily hides!
April 27th, 2006 at 1:00 pmI own a small business, I have to go vomit now.
April 27th, 2006 at 1:44 pmI’m guessing Preston’s new pet name from Bush will be “Presto.”
April 27th, 2006 at 1:45 pmWhy is this a surprise to anyone? Bush could give a rats anal pore about anyone who isn’t of his ilk. Why would anyone think that he’d make an appointment that reflects the needs of the other 99 percent of the American population that as the Chimp said so well in Farenheit 911 “Some call you the elite. I call you my base.”
April 27th, 2006 at 1:50 pmHe has experience crushing small businesses. Almost the same thing.
April 27th, 2006 at 1:51 pmThe SBA has already begun to live up to bush standards. This from NPR:
If your in business and not sending money to bush/cheney or the repubs you can expect this mis-administration will go out of its way to screw you.
April 27th, 2006 at 1:53 pmThis is classic Bushco, so it shouldn’t be a suprise to anyone.
April 27th, 2006 at 1:55 pmIt is who they are and as long as their in, it WILL continue.
Look for them to continue attacking their own.
It’s SOP for the current GOP.
At your SERVICE———– MASTER W————-perfect
April 27th, 2006 at 1:57 pmAn unbelievable conflict of interest. This is the result of a CEO president, the rich get richer and the middle-class suffers.
we’ll survive this, but how much more damage can they assign?
April 27th, 2006 at 1:57 pmSorry World– including everyone in the U.S. who’s not part of the aristocratic class he was born into– Georgie sees it as his mission to secure forever the lockhold on the world he an his slimy ilk have gained. And, as he’s a verrrrrrrry insecure man, the way he sees best to do that is to disempower, de-money, and subjugate the rest of us. Forever.
End of story.
April 27th, 2006 at 1:58 pmnow hold on…maybe he has a cute nickname like ’stevereno’ or ‘thebigsteveo’ and THAT is why he got the job…
we must understand three things:
now, once we get that understood by ‘the people’ such moves as making a BIG business millionaire as the director of the SMALL business administration makes perfect BUSHIAN sense…
peace.
fcuk bush
April 27th, 2006 at 2:06 pmTony Snow from Fox, this guy, COUNTLESS others… America’s conversion to Politburo Politics is almost complete. Maybe McCarthy was onto something- but it wasn’t communists, who had infiltrated the government-it was Fascists.
April 27th, 2006 at 2:07 pmCompleting the circle of fascism
call fascism by name.
April 27th, 2006 at 2:08 pmYeah, because nobody knows small business better than big business.
/sarcasm=off
April 27th, 2006 at 2:14 pmpredators make the best caretakers
April 27th, 2006 at 2:14 pmSame appointee, different position.
April 27th, 2006 at 2:17 pm#12
I was thinking a nickname like……”bench preston”
That would be a good drinking game….Bush Names.
Who ever thinks of the best Bush Name makes someone drink.
April 27th, 2006 at 2:21 pmhe seems to sport a bit of a tan, so maybe it will be
or
April 27th, 2006 at 2:26 pmHow about “Jawbone”
April 27th, 2006 at 2:30 pmSteven Prest on my prostate . ooogah!!
April 27th, 2006 at 2:34 pmWho in god’s name would swear their loyality to Bush anyway? Are we living in the feudal system?
April 27th, 2006 at 2:40 pmWell, I got nothing on this one.
I’m sure he is a fine choice (Sarcasm noted)
April 27th, 2006 at 2:50 pmThe current administration seems to be a big fan of “Bush Loyalists.” Unfortunately, none of them seem to be “American Loyalists.”
Silly me … I thought there was a war about 230 years ago to ensure we didn’t pledge loyalty to one person, but to the nation as a whole. Must be those damn liberal teachers I had in school.
April 27th, 2006 at 2:58 pmSteven “Small Business Is Leavin” Preston ~ SMIL…SMILLIE… SMIL SMILLY SMILLERTON… THE SMILMASTER… SMIL YA LATER… Okay Okay it started off bad and only got worse… Sorry!
April 27th, 2006 at 3:04 pmMan I can’t even work out my own acronyms… I guess Small Business Is Leavin = SBIL not SMIL… that makes SMIL YA LATER even more stupid… sheeeeesh!
Sorry Guys… Ill try harder next time.
April 27th, 2006 at 3:28 pm“Bush loyalist “That’s all it takes isn’t it? A partisan and loyal Bush lover.
April 27th, 2006 at 3:38 pmNo other qualifications or recommendations needed.
Servicemaster trounces small businesses? No matter.
Preston has no experience in small business? No matter.
Bush supporter? Yes!
Okay, Okay, Okay… How about Steven “Lee Prest-on Nails” Small Business Right in the Ass.
What’s that… too long for a nickname… not funny either… Okay I get it… back to the drawing board.
April 27th, 2006 at 4:19 pmSo this means that the SUV tax break will go away right? You know the one where doctors, lawyers, accountants etc can completely write off the purchase of an SUV even when it has nothing to do with their ’small business’.
Every doctor needs a Hummer, it’s the only thing big enough to carry golf clubs around apparently.
April 27th, 2006 at 4:23 pmWhat is SVP?
April 27th, 2006 at 4:31 pmSenior Vice-President (?)
April 27th, 2006 at 4:43 pmTwo of the companies that were under his company are Terminix and TruGreen Chemlawn. I realize those operate like ’small businesses’ but anyone know if they happen to be franchises? I’ve always been curious about it, I guess I’ll have to google to find out.
SBA disburses loans mostly and when it does they’re going to the wrong companies (those that don’t ‘need’ them).
They could do alot better and ramp up training centers (to increase efficiency, learn to lower costs through purchasing networks say that SBA coordinates, etc)
I’d actually rather that SBA stop the loans and start doing widescale education efforts and business assistance projects (online ordering with large purchasing power for a small company would be good).
It doesn’t mean he’s a ‘bad’ choice, but would we be happier with a ‘rag to riches’ guy? I think it is better to put a technocrat in charge of SBA and similar agencies (not him) as they are likely to be more rational and at least not inclined to take huge risks.
btw: I hate Chemlawn. I do like Terminix though - only effective exterminators out here.
April 27th, 2006 at 5:11 pmoh boy! more Bush Loyalists! that really seems to be working out well, doesn’t it?
April 27th, 2006 at 6:18 pmI don’t think they franchise. I believe they have a central office which oversees regional offices which in turn oversee local offices. It is a corporate structure.
April 27th, 2006 at 7:26 pmSo Bush wants to destroy small Business owners now? I guess this is the final nail to destroy the Middle Class and enthrone large corporations to take over every last enterprise?! Shame on the vile Bush Regime!
April 27th, 2006 at 8:28 pm#35 You know what happens when the haves have everything right? Well, not everything. Not the pitchforks and knives.
April 27th, 2006 at 9:24 pmImpeachment ANYONE?
April 28th, 2006 at 12:24 amFrom experience, ServiceMaster is a BIG business that bullies the small business owner. I have a small construction business and I was hired by ServiceMaster to replace a number of subfloors at a house that had been damaged by a flood. First of all ServiceMaster is able to obtain high insurance contracts and then they dole out the dirty work to smaller companies to do their bidding. They hired me, I performed the job, and they came back wanting me to redo a number of rooms because they changed their mind and decided to use different finishing materials on the floor. In other words, if you put down carpet, you can use a less grade wood, but if you put down vinyl flooring…you need to put a smooth laminate on top of the less grade wood. So of course I requested more money because this was more work and wasn’t specified in the original agreement. They denied it and denied paying me anything.
April 28th, 2006 at 12:30 pmI’m a small business owner and we’ve reached solvency with the help of SBA microloans.
Anyone remember when the Republican Party was supposed to be the party of small business owners?
This makes me want to puke. But so does everything else coming out of Chimpy’s Crap Factory.
April 30th, 2006 at 8:54 pmI guess what I don’t understand is why experience in business is a bad thing for this position… If you consider that the SBA was backlogged with tens of thousands of business loans that weren’t being processed, it makes sense to bring someone in who understands how to fix that mess. While he may not have personal experience in Small Business, I don’t know that someone who has spent 20 years running a small business would have the experience to look at the big picture of the problems at SBA.
May 5th, 2006 at 9:35 am[…] Blog Name: Think Progress Article Title: Bush Picks SVP of Multibillion-Dollar Firm to Head Small Business Administration The stated goal of the Small Business Administration is to “strengthen the nation’s economy by aiding, counseling, assisting and protecting the interests of small businesses.” President Bush this week nominated Steven Preston as th… […]
July 26th, 2006 at 12:22 am