What Are Colonias? Are They Interior Colonies?

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-2499 ^ | October 30, 2008 | GovTrack

[John Leland 1789]

Subject: H.R. 2499

Believe it or not - the following is 1st a summary followed by the text of H.R. 2499. Now you ask what's this all about. Well H.R. 2499 is a bill to provide seven million dollar (that's right) to provide for the Colonias in Laredo and Webb County Texas. Note: There are approximately 3,000 Colonias found in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California What is a Colonias, you ask? It is Spanish for Colony. That's right not illegal aliens living in what should be called shanty-towns but colonies inside the US. How's them apples.

Here's the web site if you're interested: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-2499

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Summaries

Congressional Research Service Summary

The following summary was written by the Congressional Research Service, a well-respected nonpartisan arm of the Library of Congress. GovTrack did not write and has no control over these summaries.

5/24/2007--Introduced.

SBDC Colonias Outreach Act of 2007 - Amends the Small Business Act to authorize an applicant funded by the Small Business Administration (SBA) as a small business development center (SBDC) and that is in a state along the United States-Mexico border that has individuals residing in colonias (areas comprised of low- or very low-income families and usually lacking basic services such as clean water, roads, sewage, schools, and law enforcement) to apply for grants to provide services to assist with outreach, development, and enhancement of small business startups and expansions within colonias. ________________________________________________________

Text of H.R. 2499: SBDC Colonias Outreach Act of 2007 This Version: “Introduced in House”

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HR 2499 IH 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2499

To amend the Small Business Act to expand and improve the assistance provided by Small Business Development Centers to Colonias.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 24, 2007 Mr. CUELLAR (for himself, Mr. REYES, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. GONZALEZ, Ms. CLARKE, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. FARR, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, and Mr. BRADY of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business _____

A BILL To amend the Small Business Act to expand and improve the assistance provided by Small Business Development Centers to Colonias.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `SBDC Colonias Outreach Act of 2007'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. (a) Findings- The Congress finds the following: (1) Colonias are found in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California and are composed of families with very low incomes and usually lack basic services such as clean and abundant water, roads, sewer systems, schools, and law enforcement. (2) Across the Southwest there are approximately 3,000 Colonias with nearly three quarters of a million people living in these communities. (3) Improving the living situation within Colonias is not limited to fixing basic infrastructure but must also include spurring economic growth. (4) Studies have found that the unemployment rate in Colonias was upwards of 60 percent. (5) The average yearly salary of people living in these communities is less than $10,000, well below the Nation's poverty line. (6) Many Colonias residents cannot find year-round work due to the seasonal nature of their primary occupations--fieldwork represents 29.5 percent of their jobs, construction work 24.4 percent, and factory work, 14.9 percent. (7) The Small Business Development Center program has been proven to be a cost effective solution to providing the resources and technical assistance needed to grow existing businesses and to start new enterprises. (8) Business counseling and technical assistance is critical in Colonias where similar services are in short supply and are costly. (b) Purposes- The purposes of this Act are the following: (1) To stimulate economic development in Colonias. (2) To assist in the creation of new small businesses located in Colonias and expand existing ones. (3) To provide management, technical, and research assistance to entrepreneurs located in Colonias. (4) To ensure that residents of Colonias have full access to existing business counseling and technical assistance available through the Small Business Development Center program.

SEC. 3. SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER ASSISTANCE TO COLONIAS.

Section 21(a) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 648 (a)) is amended by adding at the end the following: `(8) ADDITIONAL GRANT TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS RESIDING IN COLONIAS- `(A) IN GENERAL- Any applicant in an eligible State that is funded by the Administration as a Small Business Development Center may apply for an additional grant to be used solely to provide services described in subsection (c)(3) to assist with outreach, development, and enhancement of small business startups and expansions within Colonias. `(B) ELIGIBLE STATES- For purposes of subparagraph (A), an eligible State is a State along the United States-Mexico border that has individuals residing in Colonias. `(C) GRANT APPLICATIONS- An applicant for a grant under subparagraph (A) shall submit to the Administration an application that is in such form as the Administration may require. The application shall include information regarding the applicant's goals and objectives for the services to be provided using the grant, including-- `(i) the capability of the applicant to provide training and services to individuals residing in Colonias; `(ii) the location of the Small Business Development Center site proposed by the applicant; and `(iii) the required amount of grant funding needed by the applicant to implement the program. `(D) APPLICABILITY OF GRANT REQUIREMENTS- An applicant for a grant under subparagraph (A) shall comply with all of the requirements of this section, except that the matching funds requirements under paragraph (4)(A) shall not apply. `(E) MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF GRANTS- No applicant may receive more than $300,000 in grants under this paragraph for one fiscal year. `(F) REGULATIONS- After providing notice and an opportunity for comment and after consulting with the Association recognized by the Administration pursuant to paragraph (3)(A) (but not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this paragraph), the Administration shall issue final regulations to carry out this paragraph, including regulations that establish-- `(i) standards relating to educational, technical, and support services to be provided by Small Business Development Centers receiving assistance under this paragraph; and `(ii) standards relating to any work plan that the Administration may require a Small Business Development Center receiving assistance under this paragraph to develop. `(G) DEFINITIONS- In this paragraph: `(i) The term `Colonias' means a community that-- `(I) is located within 150 miles of the United States-Mexico border; `(II) is a city or town with a population of less than 10,000, according to the latest United States Census, or is unincorporated; `(III) has a majority population composed of individuals and families of low and very low income; and `(IV) generally lacks a basic physical infrastructure. `(ii) The term `basic physical infrastructure' means safe, sanitary, and sound housing, as well as basic services such as potable water, adequate sewage systems, drainage, paved streets and utilities. `(H) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this paragraph $7,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2010. `(I) FUNDING LIMITATIONS- `(i) NONAPPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN LIMITATIONS- Funding under this paragraph shall be in addition to the dollar program limitations specified in paragraph (4). `(ii) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS- The Administration may carry out this paragraph only with amounts appropriated in advance specifically to carry out this paragraph.'.

[John Leland 1789]

Has anyone on FR researched this?

[bossmechanic]

Hey, I want to declare my neighborhood a colony too!
But I’m not mexican
Is it OK if I can just order a beer in spanish?
posted from dave in georgia USA

[visualops]

WTF?????

So someplace that is really a crappy town will be treated as something like a minority business to receive funding?
Our government is past stupid.

[raybbr]

Mr. CUELLAR (for himself, Mr. REYES, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. GONZALEZ, Ms. CLARKE, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. FARR, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, and Mr. BRADY of Texas...

Just providing for their families.

[TADSLOS]

We’re just returning the favor to Mexico for allowing us to colonize Tejas back in the 1830s. What could possibly go wrong with this arrangement??? /s/

[wastoute]

Whoa! definite bump

[mewzilla]

On a colonia-related note...

THE COLONIAS GATEWAY INITIATIVE ACT

[Wage Slave]

Not defending the scumbags, but in Mexico they use that word to mean neighborhood. Just sayin’.

[raybbr]

(Senator McCain at NALEO)

It's a good thing I haven't eaten yet.

[raybbr]

Not defending the scumbags, but in Mexico they use that word to mean neighborhood. Just sayin’.

Yes, exactly. What these are are mexican "neighborhoods" in the U.S.

[mewzilla]

On colonias, from 1988. Interesting read.

ALONG U.S BORDER, A THIRD WORLD IS REBORN

[Wage Slave]

LOL. They are de facto colonies, for sure.

[rockinqsranch]

IIRC this was exposed in postings last year during the Shamnesty fracas.

Good to have the reminder.

[peyton randolph]

Spanish lingo for sh*thole slum. Think of a Brazilian favela as something comparable.

[livius]

“Colonia” just means neighborhood or district. Mexico City, for example, is divided into “colonias,” and believe me, they’re not slums. Your mailing address includes your street name and number, your colonia and the name of your city.

[navyguy]

ping for later

[DJ Taylor]

Anyone who has spent any time at all traveling through the southern U.S. will find that these “Colonias” have sprung up from Texas all the way to Virginia. Where you once saw small rural communities made up of poor whites and blacks living in shanty-towns and trailer parks, you will now only see Mexicans, and the crossroads general stores now display signs “Tienda Mexicana.”

It makes one wonder where these poor whites and blacks have gone to; is this evidence of numerous success stories? Have these poor whites and blacks who once worked the farms through out the rural south now moved up into the middle class and are now living the American Dream, or have they just moved to the city where they are living off welfare?

[mewzilla]

They may not all be slums, but there seems to be a cultural distinction. The residents aren't assimilating. That's the problem, at least to my mind.

[peyton randolph]

“Colonia” just means neighborhood or district.

---

In Mexico, that's true. In the U.S., it means slum. Just like a Brazilian favela. Electricity/running water/sewer/paved roads, etc. missing wholly or partially. 

[bcsco]

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