Business group slams UTC, others

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PETALUMA, Calif., July 6 (UPI) -- United Technologies Corp. and other large corporations are being slammed for receiving U.S. government contracts meant for small businesses.

The criticism, which extends to the Pentagon, the White House and Congress, was issued by the American Small Business League in California.

"The Pentagon has given over $2 billion worth of federal contracts (including $119 million in small business contracts) to a company that illegally sold U.S. military technology to China," ASBL President Lloyd Chapman said. "Such rampant abuse of federal programs designed to help small businesses has gone on for the last decade because Congress, the president and the mainstream media refuse to address these blatant issues."

Chapman was specifically referring to United Technologies, which was fined $75 million last week after it was found the company had "illegally exported U.S. computer software that helped China build its first modern attack helicopter."

The ASBL called the fine "a slap on the wrist." Its ire, however, was also directed at no mention in stories about the fine mentioning UTC had received $119 million in federal small business contracts since 2006.

UTC owns Pratt & Whitney, Hamilton Sundstrand and Sikorsky Aircraft, among others.

"Legislation has been introduced to prevent large corporations from receiving federal small business contracts but neither committee leadership (in Congress) nor the president have supported the bill (H.R. 3184)," it said.

Other large corporations that received small business contracts, ASBL said, include Lockheed Martin, Apple, Rolls-Royce, Chevron, GE, Time Warner, and Russian arms company Rosoboronexport.