Let me just go on record and say this: I am not for decreasing the minimum wage.
Like all small-business owners, I know what it's like to take a risk on an idea, manage cash flow, navigate regulations and tax laws, and create jobs.
I remember the early days when every month I had to decide whether I should continue to lease a typewriter or if I could finally afford to buy it. Yes, that $12 a month really made a difference in our budget.
I have kids in high school that don't know how to balance a checkbook. We need to have that fundamental understanding of economics as we move forward to develop the next generation of young people.
I like to tell small business owners and entrepreneurs, 'I get it. I have your back on this. I understand about regulation. I understand how taxes are taxing. I understand what it is like not to be able to borrow money when you need it.'
We want to create more jobs. We want to qualify more lenders and expand lending markets. But also, I want a very different SBA - it's not your father's SBA. I want to modernize it and reposition it so when people think about jobs, they think about how the Small Business Administration would really be helpful.
