The Revitalization Of US Small Businesses

“We are a nation of builders again thanks to President Trump’s historic wins for Main Street, and I’m honored to mark National Small Business Week alongside him and the job creators who fuel our local communities — particularly as America celebrates 250 years of freedom and free enterprise. By rapidly delivering on the America First agenda, President Trump cut taxes and regulations, restored fair trade and public safety, and shut down the Green New Scam, fraud, DEI, and open border policies that threatened our economic stability during the last Administration. Our nation’s 36 million small businesses now have the confidence to hire, reinvest and expand, unleashing an historic era of sustained growth. America is open for business again.” — SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler

Today, President Donald J. Trump will join small business owners from across the country to mark National Small Business Week and highlight the extraordinary revival of Main Street under his America First agenda. With America celebrating its 250th anniversary of freedom and free enterprise, the Trump Administration has delivered unprecedented wins for the nation’s 36 million small businesses — the true engine of job creation, innovation, and community prosperity. Since taking office, the Trump Administration has moved with urgency and results to empower small businesses: Tax Relief for Main Street: President Trump signed the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, delivering major victories for small businesses —making the small business deduction permanent, restoring full expensing for equipment and expansion investments, boosting take-home pay, and expanding Opportunity Zones to drive capital into underserved communities.   Dramatic Regulatory Relief: The Trump Administration launched a Deregulation Strike Force that has already eliminated more than $110 billion in burdensome regulatory costs for small businesses in just one year, freeing owners to focus on growth instead of compliance.   Record-Breaking SBA Support: In FY25, the Small Business Administration (SBA) delivered record capital to small businesses — guaranteeing $45 billion in 7(a) and 504 loans to more than 85,000 small businesses, the highest volume in the agency’s history, as part of over $100 billion in total capital access.   New Manufacturing Renaissance: SBA launched its first-ever dedicated loan program for small manufacturers, waived most upfront fees, and expanded guarantees for critical supply chains to accelerate the return of American industrial strength.   Support for Domestic Supply Chains: New procurement tools, including the Make Onshoring Great Again Portal, help small businesses source American-made suppliers and components. Ending Costly Bureaucracy: The Administration suspended enforcement of the burdensome Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirements, saving small businesses billions in paperwork and compliance costs.   Putting Americans First: SBA implemented critical reforms, including citizenship verification for loan applicants and relocating offices out of sanctuary cities, to ensure taxpayer dollars support American entrepreneurs, and cracked down on DEI-based contracting schemes.   Protecting Franchises: The Trump Administration terminated the Obama-era “Joint Employer Rule,” removing a major threat to franchise owners and the millions of jobs they create.

These decisive actions have restored confidence in American small businesses. Hiring is up, investment is surging, small business optimism remains strong, and entrepreneurs are once again betting on the future under President Trump’s leadership.

PA Education Tax Credit Effort Celebrates Success

BLOCS, Pennsylvania’s leading scholarship organization dedicated to the PA Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC), and the sole administrator of the Economically Disadvantaged Schools (EDS) program, will host its annual Gala on Thursday, May 7, 2026, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown (13th & Market Streets). The event will begin with an invocation by His Excellency Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia.

This year’s Gala marks a milestone – 25 years of EITC-enabled opportunities for students across Pennsylvania. The evening will celebrate how collaborative philanthropy and leadership have transformed countless lives by expanding access to high-quality education despite financial restraints.

“Twenty-five years ago, the state of Pennsylvania officially recognized the need for EITC to bring financial resolve to schools and students. We are proud to celebrate a quarter century of educational opportunities for every child, regardless of region, ZIP code, or financial barriers,” said Rob Delany, BLOCS CEO. “Together we are investing in communities that empower students to thrive, and we are focusing on building what matters most—the children.”

Highlights of the 2026 BLOCS Gala include:

• A celebration of 25 years of EITC, with stories from students, families, and schools whose lives have been transformed by BLOCS-supported scholarships.
• Recognition of partner schools, donors, and volunteers whose commitment sustains the mission of educational equity.
• A look at BLOCS’ pioneering programs, including the Economically Disadvantaged Schools (EDS) initiative, and the ongoing expansion of pathway opportunities for students across the Commonwealth.
• Student-led initiatives and the critical role donors play in accelerating educational outcomes that endure beyond graduation.

Event details:

- Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026

- Time: 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

- Location: Philadelphia Marriott Downtown

- Attire: Black tie optional

BLOCS is the scholarship organization dedicated to raising need-based scholarships through the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. As an independent charitable organization BLOCS provides access to high-quality, value-based education for children ages Pre-K through 12th grade across the state of Pennsylvania. Through the generosity of its donors, BLOCS partners with over 500 schools to provide over 33,000 need-based scholarships. More can be found at www.blocs.org.

And I Won't Be Watching Anytime Soon, Either!

 

Day After Day, They're Ruining New Jersey

Pushing for New Jersey to be a sanctuary state will go down as one of the worst decisions Democrats ever made here https://t.co/co0LItFHQN pic.twitter.com/FqZ0do0GAA

— Wake Up NJ 🇺🇸 New Jersey (@wakeupnj) May 4, 2026

He Warned: 'They're Not Sending Their Best'

 

Video Of Historic Kentucky Derby Moment!

For the first time in 152 years — HISTORY IS MADE!!!

Trainer Cherie DeVaux watches Golden Tempo and Jose Ortiz get up at the wire to win the Kentucky Derby at odds of 23-1.

🎥: Reaction footage owned by America’s Best Racing. @reredevaux | @jose93_ortiz | @PhippsStableFan pic.twitter.com/mnlTQw1sX7

— America'sBestRacing (@ABRLive) May 3, 2026

Fighting To Enforce Law, End Fraud!

This fraud, deceit and outright theft is precisely what President Trump is working to end -- while DemocRATS relentlessly undermine him.

I don’t think we have remotely grasped the depths of Democrat fraud in this country yet. When you work two jobs and half your salary disappears in taxes, this is where the money goes.

This is why I support ICE. https://t.co/Ot0fRnBp7Z

— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) April 28, 2026

In The Words Of The Father Of Our Nation

"It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favors."

--George Washington

MOVIES: Just In Case You Were Wondering . . .

 

PLEASE Stop Bashing The Boomers!

We were born anywhere between 1946 and 1964. That's an 18 year span that  now puts us anywhere between 62 years old and 80.

Most of us are retired now and though we may seem like a drain on the Social Security system, 7,000 to 10,000 of us die every single day. Put another way, we won't be here much longer.

At this point most of us are trying to enjoy what's left of our lives. We're spending time with kids, grandkids and even great grandkids; visiting old friends (and making new ones) whenever we can; keeping up with our doctors' appointments; traveling as much as possible; pursuing varied interests and, yes -- still trying to make the world a better place.

For better or worse, we've always been a passionate generation committed to a whole range of causes and vocal about our beliefs. For the most part, we're a very civic-minded group and we haven't been shy about it. And, no matter which side of the political spectrum we fall on (and polls say we divide fairly evenly left and right) we like to think that we're still very much in the mix. If you doubt that, look no further than the current President of the United States who is one of us and who remains hugely impactful -- and he, of course, would be the first to remind you of that.

Now, you might gripe that we baby boomers control a large share of the nation's wealth. And you'd be right about that. But, as a famous TV ad of our era once said: we made our money the old-fashioned way; we earned it. And, it's true. We worked hard to climb the ladder in our chosen professions or fields of endeavor. And we did do it old school. We actually reported to work every day -- not via zoom; not remotely; not through a digital screen but live and in person. We made the trek day in and day out. We showed up, worked our butts off and earned every penny that was coming to us. 

So if you think we inhaled and/or snorted our way through life and that today we're just a bunch of worn out, disgruntled old hippies still wearing our Birkenstocks or clutching our love beads or waving protest signs, you'd be wrong about that. The overwhelming majority of us are responsible, decent, law-abiding citizens just trying to stay ahead of the dwindling sand left in the hourglass. 

No, we're not the greatest generation. We didn't live through the perilous times that tested our parents' generation and gave them that illustrious monicker. But we did grow up with the cold war, nuclear peril and fallout shelters. And we witnessed the McCarthy era, the civil rights movement, the JFK, MLK and RFK assassinations, the Vietnam war (quite a few of us didn't make it through that one), the moon landing, Watergate, the energy crisis, the fall of the Soviet Union, the feminist movement, the Clinton scandals, the horror of 9/11 and the economic crash of  '08. Quite a panoply, yes?

So, stop bashing us and making us your convenient scapegoat. The simple truth is we're neither the best nor the worst of the lot; neither your savior nor your nemesis. We're just muddling through -- like everybody else. Difference is, we've got a helluva story to tell and if you listen to us (before we expire) you just might learn something.

Good times and bum times
We've seen them all and, my dear
We're still here
Plush velvet sometimes
Sometimes just pretzels and beer
But we're here
We've run the gamut
A to Z
Three cheers and dammit
C'est la vie
We got through all of last year
And we're here
Christ knows, at least we were there
And we're here!
Look who's here!
We're still here!

--With apologies  Stephen Sondheim and "I'm Still Here" from FOLLIES.