http://www.pensitoreview.com/2006/04/27/sba-nom-preston-a-crony-of-a-bush-crony/ News and Opinion on Politics and Media Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:12:35 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2006/04/27/sba-nom-preston-a-crony-of-a-bush-crony/comment-page-1/#comment-64907 Mike Preston Wed, 31 May 2006 23:27:24 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2006/04/27/sba-nom-preston-a-crony-of-a-bush-crony/#comment-64907 Reading your piece on the nomination of Steve Preston to head the SBA makes me wonder if all your commentary is as superficial. If you really wanted to do an honest piece you might check into his past and personal life just a bit. I don't know anything about other Bush appointees but I grew up with this one. He was raised in a home which lived from paycheck to paycheck, with our father at one time working 2 full-time jobs and 1 part-time job. Our dad worked in, owned or was in management of small businesses most of his working life. Steve is anything but a "silver spoon" corporate aristocrat untouched by and unconcerned for the man or women trying to scratch out a decent living. Steve is and has always been an extremely principled and hardworking person with a deep personal commitment to inner city and minority concerns. He contributes large amounts of energy, time and personal resources in keeping with that commitment. The first time he was approached by the Administration I tried to encourage him to turn it down because I didn't want him to be exposed to this sort exploitive and dishonest "stuff." He didn't have to make the decision that time. This time he was too excited about the possibilities of reviving the SBA and having an impact on the cities and the lives of the people who really make this nation work. I don't pretend to understand what this job really entails but nobody will work harder or more conscientiously at it than Steve. So if you are more than a mouth for the opposition to Bush and your concern is more than pretense you will check it out for yourself. Reading your piece on the nomination of Steve Preston to head the SBA makes me wonder if all your commentary is as superficial. If you really wanted to do an honest piece you might check into his past and personal life just a bit. I don’t know anything about other Bush appointees but I grew up with this one. He was raised in a home which lived from paycheck to paycheck, with our father at one time working 2 full-time jobs and 1 part-time job. Our dad worked in, owned or was in management of small businesses most of his working life. Steve is anything but a “silver spoon” corporate aristocrat untouched by and unconcerned for the man or women trying to scratch out a decent living. Steve is and has always been an extremely principled and hardworking person with a deep personal commitment to inner city and minority concerns. He contributes large amounts of energy, time and personal resources in keeping with that commitment. The first time he was approached by the Administration I tried to encourage him to turn it down because I didn’t want him to be exposed to this sort exploitive and dishonest “stuff.” He didn’t have to make the decision that time. This time he was too excited about the possibilities of reviving the SBA and having an impact on the cities and the lives of the people who really make this nation work. I don’t pretend to understand what this job really entails but nobody will work harder or more conscientiously at it than Steve. So if you are more than a mouth for the opposition to Bush and your concern is more than pretense you will check it out for yourself.

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