Two business people who spoke to the Republican convention's "we built it" theme also received some help from Uncle Sam.
Phil Archuletta of New Mexico-based P&M Signs assailed the Obama administration for nearly "putting us out of business" because of changes in procurement rules. He also lamented that "nothing happened" from his requests for stimulus money. A review of government data found P&M Signs received more than $340,000 in federal stimulus contracts under President Barack Obama.
Another speaker, Sher Valenzuela, took aim at government involvement in business. She received $17 million in federal contracts and loans, the liberal watchdog Media Matters first reported Tuesday.
One of the convention's themes is that small-business owners created their success through their own hard work, not by reliance on government. It's a dig at Obama's much-maligned remarks that entrepreneurs rely on government-supported infrastructure that they "didn't build."
— Jack Gillum — Twitter http://twitter.com/jackgillum
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EDITOR'S NOTE — Convention Watch shows you the 2012 political conventions through the eyes of Associated Press journalists. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.
