republished by Paddy Ryan
The
experience of a small business owner who will be promoted at the
Republican National Convention sharply diverges from the right-wing
media myth
her speech is intended to promote.
Sher and Eli 'we built it' Valenzuela |
On
the day that the GOP convention will tout Fox-fueled myth "We
Built It" as its primary theme, Delaware Lt. Gov. candidate and
small business owner Sher
Valenzuela
is slated
to deliver a speech about small business issues. But contrary to the
evening's theme, Valenzuela's company, First State Manufacturing, has
received millions of dollars in federal loans and contracts.
Valenzuela has not only attributed her success in part to this
outside assistance, but urged other small business owners to follow
the same strategy of seeking government funds.
The
"We Built It" convention theme is based on Fox's distortion
of comments made by President Obama, who remarked that business
owners succeed with the help of "this unbelievable American
system" that includes government spending on infrastructure and
education. The right-wing media has deceptively edited Obama's
comments to suggest that the president was insulting small business
owners, an attack promptly adopted by Republicans; according to
FoxNews.com, Valenzuela's speech is "meant to directly contrast"
Obama's remarks.
In
fact, much as Obama suggested, Valenzuela appears to have succeeded
through a combination of her own entrepreneurship and government
assistance. She has in the past explained that government assistance
was a vital factor in the success of her company. Earlier this year,
Valenzuela gave a presentation
on
her small business success, crediting the use of "millions of
dollars in secure government contracts."
The
presentation notes that small business owners should start with a
"secret weapon" -- the "no-cost/low-cost resources
that you, the taxpayer, have already paid for."
Indeed,
Valenzuela's company has received more than $2 million in federal
loans and more than $15 million in federal contracts.
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