Los Angeles, CA — Gene Hale is bullish on what President Barack Obama and his administration are doing for small businesses.
Hale, chairman of the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce (GLAAACC), said that in the first 100 days of the administration Obama has actually done something to potentially make life a little more lucrative for small firms.
“He is carrying out his pledge to enforce those rules where large prime contractors subcontract with small business. He is saying he wants to see results rather than good faith efforts, and I know this from what I’m hearing and seeing,” said Hale, who is also the owner of G & C Equipment Company.
“These large contractors are now paying attention to what he is saying: “We are ongoing to evaluate your performance with small business goals, and that could be grounds for not awarding contracts to certain companies.”
Hale added that as a result of those actions, he has seen large prime contractors becoming much more vocal about saying to their subcontractors that they have to meet these goals.
“The word is out,” noted the GLAAACC president who said the prime contractors now realize that the president and Congress are not playing about meeting these small business targets. “They’re feeling the pressure.”
These rules are not new but have been in place for some years, and Hale who met with Obama in March of this year, said the president is trying to make sure that money flows down to the disadvantaged businesses, which he said means that a great many minority and women owned firms will be in that group.
If he had to grade Obama, Hale said he would give the president an “F” for fantastic.
“I think he’s focused and has good people around him.”
