DOCUMENT RESUME ED 255 703 CE 041 187 TITLE Small Business Opportunities for Vietnam Veterans. Hearing before the Committee on Small Business, House of Representatives, Ninety-Eighth Congress, Second Session (Boston, Massachusetts). INSTITUTION Congress 'of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Small Business. PUB DATE 11 Jun 84 NOTE 224p. PUB TYPE Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials (090) -- Viewpoinfs (120) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC09 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adults; Blacks; Community Services; Credit (Finance); Eligibility; Entrepreneurship; *Federal Aid; Federal Programs; *Financial Aid Applicants; Financial Needs; *Financial Problems; Financial Support; Grants; Hispanic Americans; Loan Repayment; Minority Groups;. Outreach Programs; Resource Allocation; *Small Businesses; *Veterans IDENTIFIERS *Small Business Administration; *Vietnam Veterans ABSTRACT This document is a fianscript of a hearinglconcerning small business opportunities for Vietnam veterans in the Boston area. During the hearing, testimony was given from four panels of Vietnam era veterans who represented across- section of those who servedftheir country in that war. Some of the witnesses also, represented veterans groups or worked in veterans programs or `outreach centers. Minority veterans comprised two of the panels. During the hearing, witnesses testified about the many problems that Vietnam veterans face in attempting to get loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA) to start or purchase a business. The problem is especially acute for minority veterans, according to the testimony, because they have less capital, or they have language barriers and nobody in the SBA to speak their language (primarily Spanish), or they are the victims of prejudice. The veterans who testified cited the need for more outreach programs, more money'for loans, and less red tape in the SBA in order to provide some economic opportunity to Vietnam veterans who thus far have been penalized for their service to fheir country. (Written testimony is also included in this document.) (KC) ***********************.:*********************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******ft**************************************************************** nF SMALL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR VIETNAM VETERANS HEARING BEFORE THE I 7 COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NINETY-EIGHTH CONGRESS fD. SECOND SESSION BOSTON, MA, JUNE 11, 1984 Printed for the use of the Committee on Small Business 4 U11. PANIMENT OP EDUCATION Vi EDUCATION NATI AL INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION EOU TION AL RESOURCES CENTER tEnall This document hasbeen reprnduced as 4 received horn the person ororganitratton 0 originating .1. made to improve iMinor changes have boon reproduction quality. docu 0 Points of view oropinions suited in this represent official NIP. mem do not necessarily position or policy. riOVER NMrnrrPRINT! ;17 11;;t tl WAMIIIMITON 19t44 COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS PARREN J. MITCHELL, Maryland,Chairman NEAL SMITH. Iowa JOSEPH M. McDADE, Pennsylvania JOSEPH P. ADDABBO, New York SILVIO 0. CONTE, Massachusetts HENRY B. GONZALEZ, Texas WILLIAM S.BROOMFIELD,Itchigan JOHN J. LAFALCE, New York LYLE WILLIAMS, Ohio BERKLEY 13DDELL, Iowa JOHN HILER, Indiana HENRY J. NOWAK, Now York VIN WEBER, Minnesota THOMAS A. LUKEN, Ohio HAL DAUB, Nebraska , ANDY IRELAND, Florida CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jerttey IKE SKELTON, Missouri DAVID DREIER, California CHARLES W. STENHOLM, Texas GUY V. MOLINARI, New York ROMANO L. MAZZOLI, Kentucky TOBY ROTH, Wisconsin NICHOLAS MAVROULE.90 Massachusetts GENE CHAPPIE, California CHARLES HATCHER, Georgia SHERWOOD L. BOEHLERT,Now York RON WYDEN, Oregon MICHAEL BILIRAKIS, Florida DENNIS E. ECKART, Ohio DAN SCHAEFER, Colorado \ GUS SAVAGE, Illinois BUDDY ROEMER, Louisiana NORMAN SISISKY, Virginia ESTEBAN EDWARD TORRES, California TOM J. VANDERGRIFF, Texas JIM COOPER, Tennessee JAMES R. "JIM" OLIN, Virginia C. ROBIN BRITT, North Carolina RICHAIID RAY, Georgia CHARLES A. HAYES, Illinois MAJOR L. CLARK III,Staff Director THOMAS 0. POWRIIS,General Counsel LOIS Unitary,Publications Specialist CantgravEA. Russo J,,Minority Staff Director :3 CONTENTS d . Pelt Hearing held on June 11, 1984 Opening statements of: Mavroules, Hon. Nicholas, a Representative in Congress from the State of Massachusetts Mitchell, Hon. Parren J., chairman, Committee on Small Business Testimony of: Alexander, Karol, assistant director, Vietnam Veterans Leadership Pro- gram in Massachusetts 71 Armstead, Ronald, Boston Vietnam Veterans Center 80 Basque, Will 88 Camacho, tau! R., Massachusetts Vietnam-era Veterans Association 35 Cooper, Ralph, director, Veterans Benefits Clearinghouse 73 Doris, Hon. Francis D., senator, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and chairman, Special Commission on the Concerns of Vietnam Veterans 6 Ducey, Richard J., executive director, Vietnam Veterans Leadership Pro- gram A 44 Halachis, John, commissioner of veterans services, Commo7velifrof M chusetts , , 22 Hallenook. Al, president, Massachusetts Vietnam Era Veterans Asso- ciatio 70 Henning, William, staff coordinator, Nam Vets Association of the Cape and the Islands 66 Jernigan, Donald L., vice president, Winchester Square Vieparn-era Vet- erans, Ltd Klein, John, president and owner, Intrepid Technologies, Inc f/31 Long, Michael 77 McNally, John J., Jr., District Director, Small Business Administration 30 McNiff, John, Regional Director, Vetei ans' Administration 28 Moakley, Hon. Joe, a Representative in Congress from the State of Mas- sachusetts 5 Moakley, Robert, Regional Director, Veterans Employment and Training Service, Department of Labor 27 Molina, Tonio 77 ''Rodriguez, Jaimie, director, Operation Outreach 79 Additional material supplied for the hearing record: Doris, Hon. Francis D., senator, commonwealth of Massachusetts, and chairman, Special Commission on the Concerns of Vietnam Veterans: Testimony of Mr. William F. Littlefield before the commission 6 Ducey, Richard J., executive director, Vietnam Ktiterans Leadership Pro- \ gram: Brochures of programs 47 Henning, William, staff coordinator, Nam Vets Association of the Cape and the Islands: Prepared statement 67 Jernigan, Donald L., vice president, Winchester Square Vietnam-era Vet- erans, Ltd.: Outline of Springfield Business Development Fund Pro- gram 41 McNally, John J., District Director, SBA: Percentages of veteran loans ipproved and declined 35 Mitchell, Hon. Parren J.,.airman, Committee on Small Business: Pre- pared statement 2 APPENDIX Report of Commonwealth of Mnsmachusetts Senate, re conceAs of Vietnam war vet ,.oris 87 v., SMALL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR VIETNAM VETERANS MONDAY JUNE 11, 1984 HOUSE OE REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS, Boston, MA. .The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:20 a.m., at J.W. McCormack Post Office and Courthouse, Boston, MA, Hon. Parren J. Mitchell (chairman of the committee) presiding. OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN MITCHELL Mr. MITCHELL. Good morning. This hearing will come to order. I am Congressman Parren Mitchell. I ti.ave the honored privilege of chairing the House Small Business Committee. This morning the committee will conduct a bearing on small business opportunities for Vietnam veterans and on the special problems these veterans are having in entering into the business mainstream. We have as a 1 committee received testimony in the past from veterans, but this is our very first, time we have had a hearing solely and exclusively devoted to Vietnam era veterans and small business problems. We are delighted to be here in Boston.,. We had no problem get- ting through the tunnel at all, and it was nice inside the tunnel, breathing in that air while we traveled here. As you probably might know, there is a Veterans' Committee the House which has the responsibility for veterans' affairs, butt there is an overlapping of jurisdiction because iri our Small Busi- 404k ness Committee, we have introduced legislation which specifically addiesses itself to veterans, that is, the legislation which authorizes the veterans- loan program at the Small Business Administration. I will not take time to spell out what that program involvg, but I must congratulate the members of the committee and the Con- gress, the House and Senate. We have consistently appropriated money Tor that veterans' loan program. Unfortunately, the Reagan adminiF' ration blocked the funding 'last year, and there was a de- ferral and delay in the spending. However, during 1984, we again made $25 million avattable under the SBA regular appropriations, bill, and aI am hoping that this $25 million in special loan funds will be fully utilized this year and that funding for veterans' loans will continue for many years in the future. This morning we will hear from four panels of Vietnam era vet- erans who represent a cross-section of those who servedtheir coun- try so well in that terrible. war. Some of our witnesses also repre- sent veterans groups or work in veterans programs or outreach (1) 2 centers, so that they have considerable experience with the prob- lems Vietnam era yeterans face. Two of our panels are composed of minority veterans. As our committee memberg know, these veterans face even greater diffi- culty in pnteririg the business mainstream. We are pleased that we will hear from officials from both the Commonwealth of Massachu- setts and the Federal Government. In particular, I want to thank Senator Francis Er. Doris for taking the time to appear. It is our understanding that