Newspaper Page Text
12A
MARCH 3v, 2000
State leaders encourage policies to grow women-owned businesses
ATLANTA
Senator Connie Stokes, along
with Governor Roy Barnes and
Lieutenant Governor Mark Tay-
Alternatives (CPA) and Bell South
Corporation in a press conference
recently to release findings from
State Venture Policy: Investing in
Women Entrepreneurs.
The CPA released findings at
the Georgia state capitol on
women's entrepreneurship, laying
out policy recommendations for
states to better tap this sector of
the economy. Georgia is one of the
top 10 states in women-owned busi
nesses, with 239,000 women
owned firms employing over 1.1
million people and generating $lB2
billion in sales. Gov. Barnes, Lt.
Gov. Taylor and Sen. Stokes be
lieve these recommendations are
essential to growing Georgia's
economy. Overthelast dozen years,
annual sales of women-owned busi
nesses have grown by an unbeliev
able 436%, including sales revenues
that jumped 232% from 1992 to
1999. These companies employ
over one-quarter of U.S. workers
and generate over $3.6 trillion in
sales.
Despite the fact that they are
contributing to the economic pros
perity in every state, and are effec
tivein creating new jobs, the CPA’s
ground breaking study, State Ven
ture Policy: Investing in Women
Entreprenuers, discovered that
even more can be done to leverage
this powerful engine of growth
through targeted state invest
ments.
“When states do not focus on and
serve this sector they effectively
forego opportunities to bolster the
economy and the livelihood of en
trepreneurial companies. Women
owned businesses have been par
ticularly effective at creating jobs
and at being successful while pro
moting progressive workforce ben
efits. There are lessons to be
learned for state economies,” stated
Linda Tarr-Whelan, president of
CPA.
State leaders have an opportu
nity to create cooperative, commu
nity-centered initiatives that le
verage this growth and bolster the
livelihood of employees of these
entrepreneurial companies. Given
that states are expecting to see
Rights groups
seek U.S. action
on policeabuse
WASHINGTON, D.C.
(NNPA) In light of recent con
troversial police shootings of Black
men and the mounting federal
records of police violence against
Blacks and other minorities, the
National Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People has
joined with the NAACP Legal
Defense Fund, the National Ur
ban League, La Raza the Ameri
can Civil Liberties Union and
other civil and human rights
groups to propose legislation to
congress that aims to create a
national approach to police ac
countability.
Representative John Conyers
(D-Mich.)submitted the proposal,
HR #3981, to the House Judiciary
Committee earlier this month.
The committee is chaired by
Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) Congress
man Conyers has put the full
weight of his office’s strength be
hind the legislation. At least 20
representatives have already
Joined Conyers in co-sponsoring
the bill.
“The catalogue of high-profile
incidents of police misconduct
grows with each passing day,”
Conyers said. “With the rampart
perjury scandal Amoudou Diallo
shooting and Abner Louima as
sault, it should now be clear to all
members and the nation, that
police misconduct is an issue that
congress must address.”
Civil rights groups have decided
to work together to push for this
legislation in order to address
national concerns regarding po
lice conduct with regard to minor
ity communities.
“This proposal would eliminate
the hodgepodge of what is accept
able behavior by law enforcement
officials,” explained NAACP presi
dent and CEO Kweisi Mfume.
“This, in turn, leads to a variety of
problems and an overall lack of
accountability to the community
these law enforcement agencies
serve.”
La Raza, a non-profit Hispanic
organization based in Washing
ton, D.C. that lobbies in support
of Hispanic issues, also stands in
firm support of the measure.
AUGUSTAFOCUS
unprecedented sound fiscal health
for a sixth year in a row, the gov
ernment and private sector can
play a key role in partnering for
positive solutions to expand
women'’s enterpreneurship.
State Venture Policy: Investing
in Women Entrepreneurs, funded
by the Bell South Corporation, iden
tifies both unique obstacles faced
by women-owned businesses and
opportunities to catalyze more
growth in this sector.
Key findings include: Women
owned businesses are under-rep
: .
CA conslant reminder W
%a[ywmn& ROLEX
\q/ : : " o :
S o
B g' e -:n Q ’ \ada T
. ' ./' wiE B - g
‘ y e 4—-3 ¢ 7,;*" .:LY ‘ F
"vl -’ . fl 4” : . 2 - k‘;"‘{ e \{‘ e o ”‘"~,~
“ T ‘ § 08 RN . A
' ¥ D’:D 4‘»&*» L . o \\‘)‘ 5 - &
St 7o SR M VN o N\
4 i 3 ~7.~ w “3( > % ¥ - \l:“:»ul'a " - ‘.-“j: 5 ‘\ :‘ o/
.Y <. N o g ||
| - a 1 .y Q EROILED 14y N —— gAY e I
e L b & -é- e:L -
‘ < @ »b B t = * ; <;‘.
N'l } ';"’/ N B, %% Bt ‘ el 3 '
gA ' \ 's'. /’ ' ’ . , e \\
‘3 - ...“ 'Yal ‘ @ ;’ ) (l o : ) ‘v y ¢
e “:”’s' :g ¥ g 5 ‘\ ; z .‘!‘i, L 2 e J :,, %\Y 4 ~ ’
_ / N &, ' & »
™~ . o l e 4 Fl /fl’l,' ItV A
.«,4- v:v 3 e 3 ‘ 3 e i
e, ‘ L iy M il
\ ”“"‘:"i}fi'fi, ol A i ' '“:' o ‘ ' : " " & ;
i Se E— : " |
T TSRS # . S o
Left to right: Rolex Oyster Perpetual Lady Daieyust in 15kt gold aad stainless steel w.th matc ung Jubilee bracelet, Rolex Lady Oyster Pecpetual
in 18kt gold with matching Jubilee bracelet and champagne diamond dial. Rolex Oyster Perpetual Lady Date in statnless steel unth matching Jubrlee bracelet
Rolex, W, Oyster Perpetual Lady Datejust. Jubilee. Lady Oyster Perpetual and Ovster Perpetual Lady Date ave trademarks
st AR .
JEWELERS
. v __
‘ National Hills
2635 Washington Rd
Augusta, Georgia 30904 :
(706) 738-7777
Now Open
‘til 9pm
Mon-Sat
resented in programs designed to
assist business; while many states
offer training and education pro
grams for women business own
ers, women have trouble accessing
these programs due to problems
concerning cost, time and trans
portation. While the majority of
states are engaging in the global
economy, they are not integrating
women-owned businesses intothat
strategy. Technology is beginning
to change how states work with
women-business owners.
The report lays out recommen
dations for states to better tap this
sector of the economy. Policy rec
ommendations for states include:
measuring the impact of entrepre
neurship in general, and women
owned businesses in particular, on
their state’s economy; developing
policies that promote business
growth from the micro level to mid
sized level, building public/private
partnerships to support the start
up and growth of women-owned
businesses; and developing inno
vative community investment
strategies that allow for progres
sive workforce benefits for employ
ees of small and mid-sized compa
nies.
State Venture Policy also pro
vides examples of best practices
across the states. A copy of this
report is available online at
HYPERLINK http://
www stateaction.org or by calling
(202) 387-6030 extension 141.
CPA is a progressive, nonparti
san public policy and leadership
development center working across
the 50 states to realize solutions
for Amenrica's future.
-
Orientationto 3
higilight weight
N
loss options i
AUGUSTE
The University Health Care
System Nutrition Center provides
free onentation sessionson Thurs
days, 5-6 p.m., to explain weight
loss options for individual needs.
Registered and licensed dietitians
teach all sessions. Pre-registra
tion 1s required by calling 706/
774-8917