Government, Politics and the Economy Will Small Business Get a Bailout Afterall? The Obama Administration is considering a plan to use money from the $700 billion TARP program assist millions of small businesses, which officials now say are essential to any economic recovery because they employ so many people. WashingtonPost.com Employment Legislation: Two Ways to Get it DoneThere are two bills making their way through Congress, and they illustrate the starkly different ways that important employment-related legislation is created in Washington. Workforce.com Management and Operations [Read Full Article]

  Government and Economy Small Business and the Obama Tax Hikes Are higher taxes going to harm small businesses or not? That is the question posed by this article and the answer they come up with, not surprisingly, is “No.” WashingtonPost.com Healthcare Tops the Spring Recess Homework for House Democrats House Democratic leaders have asked their members to use the spring recess to reach out to voters and sell White House and congressional plans to overhaul the nation's healthcare system. CQPolitics.com Management and Financial Issues [Read Full Article]

  Government and Economy Small Business Indicators Fall with Employment A monthly index of key small business indicators fell in January to its second-lowest level in 35 years. Washington Business Journal Small Lenders Taking a Fresh Look at SBA Loans Small community banks may have once considered SBA loans too cumbersome, but now they are becoming SBA lenders in advance of economic stimulus incentives and that could open new financing for entrepreneurs. The Arizona Republic [Read Full Article]

Government and Economy Ledbetter Wage Bill Passes Senate The Lilly Ledbetter Bill, a wage discrimination bill that presages the pro-labor stance of the Democratic-controlled Congress and White House, has cleared the Senate and could be signed by President Obama within days. Unions vs. Business: An Early Test for Obama President Obama is facing an early important test—card-check—the Employee Free Choice Act. It is a key goal for Labor, which is hoping for action this spring; but that has some other Obama allies—seeing the reaction of business interests—very wor... [Read Full Article]

Government and Economy New SBA Chief Could Deliver Real Change Karen Mills, President Obama's choice to run the Small Business Administration, could transform the agency's approach to funding. Greenwashing in Washington With Democrats emphasizing the environment in their economic recovery plan, environmental groups are saying that greenwashing—the marketing of products as green even if they really aren’t—has moved from being an advertising ploy to a lobbying tool. [Read Full Article]