Hillary Clinton in Cedar Falls: ‘I want to be a small business president’

CEDAR FALLS — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said she wanted to be the president of small businesses during a stop at Bike Tech in Cedar Falls on Tuesday.

The small business roundtable event covered a wide swath of issues facing small businesses — from access to credit to problems with regulations that harm small businesses and young entrepreneurs with problematic pasts.

'I want to be a small business president,' Clinton said in her brief opening remarks before opening up the roundtable.

She said she wants to see four things happen to help small businesses: cut red tape, simplify tax filing, targeted tax credits and making it easier to get financing. The final goal is what she focused on during her event at Bike Tech.

'I'm running for president because everyday Americans need to a champion, and I want to be that champion,' Clinton said. 'I want to make the words 'middle-class' mean something again.'

Clinton criticized Republicans for their 'cynical attempt to game the system for those at the top' by supporting a full repeal of the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill.

Clinton said the country ought to be able to 'walk and chew gum at the same time' by keeping the majority of Dodd-Frank in place to regulate big banks, while at the same time ensuring there's not a regulatory burden on small banks that often provide access to credit for small businesses.

Clinton spoke to a group of four business leaders in the region, while 14 invited guests looked on. Both were outnumbered by the media, which surrounded the staged event. Iowa Sens. Jeff Danielson, D-Waterloo, and Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, and Iowa Rep. Timi Brown-Powers, D-Waterloo, were among the 14 invited guests.

The business leaders at the roundtable were Brent Johnson, who owns Bike Tech; Denita Gadson, who owns i-Gus Consulting; Donna Sorensen, Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust board chairwoman; and Brad Magg, owner of Goldie's Ice Cream Shoppe and Magg Family Catering.

Clinton said she would take a few questions from the press before the end of the event, but during the roundtable Gadson was not shy about asking Clinton about some hot topics currently being discussed.

Gadson asked Clinton a question from one of her clients about helping young entrepreneurs get started, specifically those who have a criminal past but aiming now to get on the right track.

'It hasn't taken their dreams away, but it has made it more difficult for them to pursue their dreams, as Brad (Magg) did,' Gadson said.

Clinton said that's a fair question. She agreed that some communities have to overcome much more to have small business growth, and supported finding ways for those communities to have access to tools to start to grow.

She also backed voting rights restorations for people with criminal backgrounds.

Gadson also asked about whether Clinton supported the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.

Clinton essentially said that it depends on what is in the agreement. She laid out some specifics of what she would want to see in a trade deal before she would accept it, including addressing currency manipulation by other countries, environmental and health regulations, and protecting jobs in the United States.

Groups on both the left and right side of the political spectrum were outside Bike Tech Tuesday morning to protest Clinton's visit.

Americans for Democratic Action Iowa, a progressive group, had about a dozen activists across the street from Bike Tech expressing their opposition to the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.

Judd Saul, a conservative activist with Cedar Valley Patriots for Christ, and a few other conservatives held signs opposing Clinton in general. Saul held a sign saying, 'Heck No,' with the letter N designed like Clinton's logo. Another activist used a hashtag for her sign of '#HillNo.'

The Republican National Committee sent out a news release criticizing Clinton's supposed championing of small business, pointing to a statement she made in New Hampshire where she said she was 'very surprised' to learn statistics about how small businesses are struggling.

Clinton is also scheduled for a stop at a private event in Dubuque later Tuesday.

CLINTON TAKES QUESTIONS FROM REPORTERS

Clinton took five media questions during her stop in Cedar Falls Tuesday, breaking a pattern from previous campaign stops.

Clinton fielded five questions of dozens that were asked by more than two dozen media members.

Clinton answered questions on her family's Clinton Global Foundation, her Iraq War vote, her income disclosure on paid speeches and two about her use of email during her time as Secretary of State.

Her answers were as follows:

• On CGI, Clinton said she was proud of the work the foundation does.

• On her paid speeches, Clinton said she was fortunate to have made as much money as she had and is running to ensure that all Americans get the same opportunity she's had.

• On her Iraq War vote, Clinton referred the media to her book 'Hard Choices' and said the decision to invade Iraq was wrong based on the information we have now.

• On the emails, she said she encouraged the State Department to release the emails in as expedited fashion as possible. On emails recently released showing a potential conflict of interest with a family friend Sidney Blumenthal, Clinton said she can't stop an old friend from sending unsolicited emails and said it is important to keep the relationships she has with friends from before her time in politics.