For Immediate Release

July 30, 2015

AR2 Contact:
Natalie Gillam, 865-776-9006

LIBERAL, UNION-BACKED GROUP BEHIND ALLEGED SMALL

BUSINESS POLL
Arlington, Va. Today, the Small Business Majority (SBM) released a biased poll allegedly
touting support from the small business community for a massive minimum wage hike. SBM is
funded by the Democracy Alliance, which includes two SEIU officials on its board. SBM does not
represent small businesses; it is funded by progressive special interest groups. SBM has a history of
commissioning questionable polls from extremely partisan pollsters.
Small Business Majority Is Funded By The Democracy Alliance, Which Has Two SEIU
Officials On Its Board
In 2014, Small Business Majority Was Listed In Democracy Alliances Spring 2014
Portfolio Snapshot As A Member Of The Progressive Infrastructure Map. (Spring 2014
Democracy Alliance Investment Recommendations, Democracy Alliance, p. 57, Accessed 7/7/14)

DA Has Criteria An Organization Must Meet To Be Listed On Its Progressive

Infrastructure Map, One Of Which Is Politically Active And Progressive. Each
organization has been vetted by the Investment Services staff according to criteria established by the
DAs Board of Directors, which stipulates that each organization be: - Politically active and
progressive; - Significant in scale and primarily national in scope; - Strategically significant; and Collaborative. (Spring 2014 Democracy Alliance Investment Recommendations, Democracy Alliance, p. 55, Accessed 7/7/14)
Mary Kay Henry, President Of SEIU, Sits On The Democracy Alliance Board Of
Directors. Mary Kay serves as International President of the Service Employees International
Union (SEIU), the fastest-growing union in North America with 2.2 million workers in healthcare,
public, and property services. (Democracy Alliance, Accessed 7/30/15)
Keith Mestrich, CEO Of The SEIUs Amalgamated Bank, Sits On The Democracy
Alliance Board Of Directors. Keith Mestrich is the President and CEO of the Amalgamated Bank
the nation's only union-owned bank and the leading financial institution for the nation's progressive
community. Prior to joining Amalgamated Bank, Keith served as the Chief Financial Officer and
Deputy Chief of Staff for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). (Democracy Alliance, Accessed
7/30/15)

Small Business Majority Doesnt Actually Represent Small Businesses, It Represents

Progressive Interest Groups
The Small Business Majority Isnt A Membership-Based Organization And Its Money
Comes From Foundations. The Small Business Majority isnt a membership-based
organization. Its money comes from foundations, which Arensmeyer believes will keep his groups
research objective. (Bara Vaida, Steering Small Biz Left, National Journal, 1/9/10)
The Foundations That Finance Small Business Majority Pursue A Mission Of Social
Justice, Either In Health Care Or More Broadly Defined. The foundations that finance
Small Business Majority which include, according to Mr. Arensmeyer, the Blue Shield of California
Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the Public Welfare Foundation, the New York State
Health Foundation, and the California Endowment pursue a mission of social justice, either in

health care or more broadly defined. (Robb Mandelbaum, Who Is The Small Business Majority?, The New York Times The
Agenda, 7/8/09)

Small Business Majority Gets Its Funding From Foundations Dedicated To Social
Justice And Health Care Reform. Still, its funding is from foundations dedicated to social
justice and health care reform. They include the Blue Shield of California Foundation, the California
Endowment, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the New York State Health Foundation, and the
Public Welfare Foundation. (Bara Vaida, Steering Small Biz Left, National Journal, 1/9/10)
Small Business Majority Has Released Polls That Claimed Small Businesses Support
Raising Taxes, Increased EPA Regulations, And Higher Minimum Wages
Small Business Majority Polling Claims A Majority Of Small Business Owners Believe
Congress Should Let Tax Cuts Expire On Taxable Household Income Exceeding
$250,000 A Year. A majority of small business owners believe Congress should let tax cuts expire
on taxable household income exceeding $250,000 a year: 51% of respondents believe Congress should
let tax cuts on taxable household income exceeding $250,000 a year expire (40% said they should be
extended). (Lake Research Partners, 500 Small Business Owners, MoE +/- 4.4, 12/8/11-1/4/12)
According To A National Scientific Opinion Poll Conducted For Small Business
Majority, Small Business Owners Widely Agree Our Federal Minimum Wage Should
Increase. According to a national scientific opinion poll conducted for Small Business Majority,
small business owners widely agree our federal minimum wage should increase so that small business
employees and consumers have more money in their pockets. This would go a long way to help boost
customer demand at small businesses and grow the economy. (Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, 500 Small Business
Owners, MoE +/- 4.4, 3/4-10/13)

According To Small Business Majoritys Polling, 52% Of Small Business Owners

Support The EPA Regulating Carbon Emissions From Existing Power Plants. Small
business owners support EPA efforts to keep the air clean and reduce climate change: A vast 65% of
respondents support the EPAs rules to reduce mercury and other toxic emissions that get into the air
from power plants; 52% support the EPA regulating carbon emissions from existing power plants that
cause climate change. (Public Policy Polling, 858 Small Business Owners, MoE +/- 3.4, 4/12-14/13)
Small Business Majoritys Pollster Of Choice, The Progressive-Leaning PPP, Has Come
Under Fire In The Past
Democratic-Leaning Polling Firm Public Policy Polling Is Taking Heat After Releasing
The Results Of A Poll Wednesday That It Originally Withheld Because It Didn't Believe
Its Own Results Were Credible. (Brett Logiurato, Democratic-Leaning Polling Firm Is Getting Slammed For Not Releasing A
Poll That Showed Bad News For Democrats, Business Insider, 9/11/13)

PPP Withholding The Results Has Sparked Accusations That It Intentionally Spiked
The Polls Release Because It Did Not Like The Results. But because the original results
showed bad news for Angela Giron one of the Democratic senators who was recalled in Tuesday
night's election in Colorado it has sparked accusations that it intentionally spiked the poll's
release because it did not like the results. (Brett Logiurato, Democratic-Leaning Polling Firm Is Getting Slammed For Not
Releasing A Poll That Showed Bad News For Democrats, Business Insider, 9/11/13)

Small Business Majority Has Used Other Pollsters, Lake Research Partners And
Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, With Deep Ties To The Progressive Left And Organized
Labor
Lake Research Partners Has An Impressive Roster Of Democrats And Progressive
Causes For Clients. Perhaps, then, we should not be surprised to learn that when the Small
Business Majority surveyed small businesses, it found that they support a mandate. (The surveys, not

incidentally, were conducted by Lake Research Partners, a polling firm with an impressive roster of
Democrats and progressive causes for clients.) (Robb Mandelbaum, Who Is The Small Business Majority?, The New York
Times The Agenda, 7/8/09)

Lake Research Partners Clients Include President Bill Clinton, House Minority
Leader Nancy Pelosi, And Increasing Minimum Wage Efforts. (Clients, Lake Research Partners,
Accessed 1/16/14)

Greenberg Quinlan Rosners (GQR) Client List Contains Democrat And Progressive
Candidates, Leaders, and Organizations From All Over The World. (Clients, Greenberg Quinlan
Rosner Research, Accessed 1/8/14)

GQRs Client List Includes Unions Such As The AFL-CIO And AFSCME, As Well As
President Bill Clinton, Former President Of Nicaragua Manuel Zelaya, Mayors
Against Illegal Guns, Sierra Club, EMILYs List, And Other Liberal Groups. (Clients,
Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, Accessed 1/8/14)