Blacks 50 percent more likely to start company than whites, study says

Associated Press ^ | 9-25-02 | JANET WHITMAN, Dow Jones Newswires

[Oldeconomybuyer]

NEW YORK (Dow Jones/AP) -- African-Americans are 50 percent more likely to try to start their own business than whites, a new report found.

In particular, it shows African-American men between the ages of 25 and 35 with graduate-school experience are the most likely to start a company in the United States today.

[mhking]

Could it be that everyone except the white man is given substantial tax benefits and opportunities that don't exist in the world of the "racist" whitey?

If that's the case, then where do I sign up to get my "substantial benefits and opportunities?" I've been consulting off and on for more than ten years. I've yet to receive any "substantial tax benefits and opportunities."

Let's be clear about this - no one is saying that there aren't "set-asides" out there for a fair amount of business.

I've got a major problem with that. I would much rather earn someone's business than to deal with "set-aside" business. But the larger problem is the use of the "broad brush" to lump me and the other honest and upstanding businesspeople in with those who break their collective necks to take advantage of the set-asides.

[rdb3]

From a million other sources. OR do you deny the existence of such programs, set asides, and government created advantages for minority and women owned business? Anyone who has ever bid on a government contract has seen those disgusting forms wanting detalied info about who owns the business- what color are they? Is it a woman? Yeah- that makes me feel really confident that the bid is legitiamte and based on the best work at the lowest cost. Why wouldn't anyone assume that such disaprity in the number of blacks who start businesses is not the result of such pandering and money redistributing?

You can wipe your ass with your assumptions.

Look at me. No governmental contracts and/or bids, no government subsidized loans. Yet I have a business that's showing some great signs. All of the things you would "assume" fail on my example.

To tell you the absolute truth, I'm just an average 30 year old black man from the inner-city. I'm no better than anyone else. Therefore, if you want to make an "assumption," assume that since I'm a regular guy that there must be far more than me out there doing the exact same thing.

No! But for you, it's on the backs of the white man. I don't deny the existence of such programs. Why would I? They exist. They're full of it, but they do exist. But that has nothing to do with me. And it stands to reason that it has nothing to do with a lot of other black entrepreneurs.

But not to you! It's either/or with you.

[Burkeman1]

Yeah- I do- but that doesn't make me brain dead either or stop me from using common sense. Common sense would tell me that when a government makes distinctions based on race or gender and awards privaleges and perks and advantages on those criteria that the favored groups are going to have a leg up on the unfavored group. That is not "group judgement" or "prejudice" or "stereotyping"- but a sound rational assumption based on the facts at hand.

[rdb3]

Geez...you certainly have a chip on your shoulder...

Then knock it off of my shoulder.

[rdb3]

Could it be that everyone except the white man is given substantial tax benefits and opportunities that don't exist in the world of the "racist" whitey? Hmmmmm. Sounds like reverse-discrimination to me.

Where do you get that from the article?

[Daus]

"This really is the tip of the iceberg for us," said contributing author Larry Cox, director of programmatic research at the Kauffman Foundation. "The findings beg the question: 'Why?"'

Why not?? Why on earth would you bother studying someone doing a GOOD thing?

[Burkeman1]

Too bad for you that most everyone will assume otherwise and has grounds to do so. We assume the rich kid got his job becasue of daddy and his connections. Sometimes that assumption is wrong and the rich kid accomplished everything on his own but that doesn't make the genral assumption about rich kids wrong. As long as such laws exist people will assume and not incorectly- that you have taken advantage of such privaleges. Unfair? No- not really- just reality.

[shaggy eel]

,,, if a kick start for Blacks wanting to genuinely get into business is required, it should be there for them. Welfare payouts would be lower if they succeeded in business and the sense of achievement is something you can't put a dollar value on. After all, the government pays out how much a year as farm subsidies?

[rdb3]

As long as such laws exist people will assume and not incorectly- that you have taken advantage of such privaleges. Unfair? No- not really- just reality.

Hmmm... Well, might as well throw away the goal of wanting to be treated as an individual who stands on his own two feet and is not held accountable for the actions of others.

Yep. Toss it out. It's no good.

[rdb3]

,,, if a kick start for Blacks wanting to genuinely get into business is required, it should be there for them. Welfare payouts would be lower if they succeeded in business and the sense of achievement is something you can't put a dollar value on. After all, the government pays out how much a year as farm subsidies?

I don't know, but that last Farm Bill was astronomical!

[wattsmag2]

There should be NO subsidies for business or individuals coming from the federal government. The only thing the government is doing is buying.

[wattsmag2]

buying votes that is

[ravingnutter]

Did you bother to read past the first sentence or do you just prefer to ignore the facts presented. No one, least of all me, was trying to insult you or any minority in any way until you flew off the handle and started making accusations, now you have everyone upset. Just take a deep breath, calm down and read the facts at the SBA website...they make the people that made the statements in the article sound like idiots for doing research on the obvious.

[wattsmag2]

I just wish one of these government agencies or private consortiums or foundations would give me the money as opposed to wasting it on stupid studies...

And that isn't even getting into the government subsidies themselves. Give me back my cut of those too.

[shaggy eel]

,,, for some investment, based on the study's findings, the governement has the ability to turn welfare recipients into taxpayers. That's a dream come true to any government. The other offspin, in time, would be in lower crime rates.

[wattsmag2]

Last study I saw was that ending welfare payments did the same thing.

[newgeezer]

Couldn't possiby be that the SBA is throwing money their way, could it?

That, and the preferential treatment the US gov't requires be given "disadvantaged" and minority-owned businesses.

I personally know of one company which was set up to appear to be owned by a minority woman (she was really just a shill) expressly for the purpose of taking advantage of government contracts (and contractors). Surely that happens more than we'd like to know.

[YoungKentuckyConservative]

Could it be that everyone except the white man is given substantial tax benefits and opportunities that don't exist in the world of the "racist" whitey? Hmmmmm. Sounds like reverse-discrimination to me. Where do you get that from the article?

It's a simple inference if you've ever looked into starting your own business or have talked with business owners. Minorities and women are given preferential treatment when it comes to taxation and bidding on government contracts. I know several "family" businesses that are "run" by the man of the house but "licensed" by the woman of the house specifically for tax purposes. Or, licensed by the "minority" woman, if you can squeeze both benefits into play.

I think this is common knowledge in the business community. I know it rang true when our "white" family used to own and operate a business.

[shaggy eel]

Last study I saw was that ending welfare payments did the same thing.

,,, when and where did that happen?

[YoungKentuckyConservative]

If that's the case, then where do I sign up to get my "substantial benefits and opportunities?" I've been consulting off and on for more than ten years. I've yet to receive any "substantial tax benefits and opportunities."

I'm not sure how this applies to consulting, but most states will give you breaks if you are starting or operating a business as a "minority" or "woman". That rang true for our family....who was white and did NOT get any of the benfits Washington State was passing out to Asians, Blacks, and everyone else that wasn't white.