Bill Clinton: “I'd just like to make two points if I might, by way of completely agreeing with what you just said. First of all, for…”

“I'd just like to make two points if I might, by way of completely agreeing with what you just said. First of all, for people who think we don't need these SBA programs anymore because the economy's doing so well, I would remind you that the SBA is a permanent example of the kind of approach that I believe we should be taking in the Government. The SBA basically gives people the tools to make the most of their own lives. They make the market more likely to work in places where it otherwise wouldn't work. And for people who don't think it matters--you know how much all these telecommunications companies are worth now and what's happened to the stock market in the last 6 years. It's more than tripled, 30 percent of our growth coming out of high tech. Intel and America Online--huge companies worth billions upon billions of dollars--started with SBA loans. And so I think, you know, that's enough to rest our case. The second thing I would tell you is, there are--not all the business people that have been on this trip are right here in Phoenix, and not all the business people who wanted to go on this trip can go. But there is a phenomenal amount of interest in this, and I must--I want to give credit to Reverend Jesse Jackson. His Wall Street Project has been working on this for years. I mean, there is a much higher level of awareness among American business leaders that there is money to be made and a better society to be made at the same time in these neighborhoods. So I don't think you have to worry. I think when we can finish this tomorrow afternoon in East L.A., you will see a much higher level of commitment and interest in corporate America than we had before. Thank you, Mr. Corella. You're great. [The discussion continued.]”