Letters

Allan Burman rolled out an old, inaccurate saw about GSA Multiple Award Schedule contracts in his column, "Big Plans for Small Business" (Marketplace, August). The record must be clarified: The General Services Administration's schedules program is one of the best procurement methods going for small businesses.

Burman's comments on schedules seem to parrot statements by some in the small business community who don't fully understand how to do business with the government.

Two-thirds of schedule contractors are small businesses. These companies figured out that selling to the federal government takes more than just the desire to do so. You have to know what your customers like and be responsive to their needs.

The GSA schedules program has one of the best small business usage records around. Last year, those contracts amounted to nearly $7 billion. One-third of schedule dollars go directly to small business schedule holders. The firms that hold these contracts are busy taking orders, not whining about "unfair" government acquisition practices.

If every federal acquisition program had as good a small business story to tell as GSA's schedules program, there would be no need for all the roundtable discussions, ombudsmen and other oversight suggested by lawmakers. Other programs may need to get their small business act together, but GSA's schedule contracts program doesn't.

Edward L. Allen
Executive Vice President
Coalition for Government
Procurement
Washington

"Housing Renovation" (August) says some people wonder whether Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez has the "political traction" or "bold solutions" needed to alleviate "the very visible problems of inner-city decay, homelessness and high housing costs." More to the point, since when is "smoothing out program operations and reducing abuses" all that's expected of a Cabinet secretary?

Those could be indicators-if you believe that bold pronouncements and political traction are important. If HUD can't even operate its existing programs well, why would anyone expect any better results from a new and improved initiative, a bold initiative even?

Henry Erbes
Frederick, Md.