Last fall, we endorsed Lincoln Chafee for Governor in Rhode Island because he pledged to "make work better for freelancers, temporary employees, part-timers and other independent workers" and "to make group health benefits available to those workers and give them access to the Department of Labor and Training to enforce wage claims." We’re happy to see that Governor Chafee is standing up to his commitment of supporting small business with a proposal that aims to provide them with greater access to credit and capital. Obtaining loans is often a difficult undertaking for sole proprietors and other small businesses, which is a significant obstacle to expanding one's business. By providing incentives to private lenders to make small business loans backed by the Small Business Administration and the Job Creation Guaranty Program, Governor Chafee aims to fill this need. (photo by canno1979, via Flickr)