Oregon Public Broadcasting

He spoke highly of small businesses in his State of the Union address last week.

Barack Obama: "Through sheer grit and determination, these companies have weathered the recession, and they’re ready to grow.  But when you talk to small business owners in places like Allentown, PA, or Elyria, OH, you find that even though banks on Wall Street are lending again, they’re mostly lending to bigger companies."

So he’s proposing spending $30 billion to assist community banks that typically lend to smaller businesses.  He also wants to give a tax credit to small firms for each new hire. 

It’s welcome news to Jeff Stone.  He’s the President of the Oregon Small Business Coalition.