Within the avalanche of President Donald Trump information, the March 6 announcement by Small Enterprise Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler that she was closing the Seattle office as a part of a nationwide effort to relocate amenities “out of sanctuary cities” looks as if small potatoes.
Nevertheless it underscores the widespread denominators present in so lots of this president’s actions: a petty small-mindedness supposed to stay it to his political enemies. Which, on this case, occurs to be the town of Seattle.
First, let’s check out what the Seattle workplace of the SBA does. It principally helps small enterprise homeowners in search of loans from non-public banks with ensures from the federal authorities. The objective is to assist undercapitalized enterprises prosper, rent extra folks and add to the general tax base and well-being of the group.
Is Seattle a “sanctuary” metropolis? On Jan. 30, 2017 — 10 days into Trump’s first time period — the Seattle Metropolis Council unanimously handed a resolution declaring Seattle “a Welcoming Metropolis” … that “serves its residents no matter their immigration or refugee standing …”
To be clear, folks within the nation with out authorized authorization can not discover sanctuary in Seattle. They’re weak to federal immigration enforcement, identical to anyplace else. State legislation restricts the extent to which native legislation enforcement businesses might take part in implementing immigration legal guidelines.
Over the approaching months, the SBA promised that Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York Metropolis and Seattle regional workplaces will probably be moved to “less expensive, extra accessible places that higher serve the small enterprise group and adjust to federal immigration legislation.”
Contemplating King County has laws within the books that appears lots like Seattle’s, one can solely surmise that SBA will probably be trying removed from the Northwest’s inhabitants facilities to open a brand new workplace, if it does so in any respect.
Most enterprise homeowners don’t go to the Seattle workplace in particular person. The work is finished principally within the discipline or through cellphone, with some workshops and conferences held within the present location at Fourth Avenue and Battery Avenue.
Nonetheless, having a presence within the metropolis with probably the most jobs and banking assets had benefits. It’s troublesome to see how this transfer will make the lives of small enterprise homeowners any simpler or enhance native financial exercise.
As a substitute, it’s simply one other speaking level supposed to reassure the MAGA devoted that Trump and his minions proceed to personal the libs.
That’s one thing to consider come April 15, the deadline when Seattleites and everybody else are anticipated to file their federal taxes to prop up this unhappy excuse of a authorities.
Trump promised the nation we might all really feel like winners. The nonsense round closing SBA’s Seattle workplace exhibits that actions don’t need to make any sense as his administration pushes all of the incorrect buttons.
