Continuing cuts in funding and staff has made the Small Business Administration a shadow of its former self, reports the New York Times. Critics point to smaller loans and increased fees as a major source of the problem.

The agency responds that it’s still offering a better rate of interest than anyone else and certainly there’s lots of banks that love to fund those loans. Most of the major players and quite a few regional banks participate in the program in Nevada even as national numbers for bank participation fall. SBA also says that the average loan has become smaller under the new SBA Express program.

Critics also complain that staff cuts are making life harder for entrepreneurs. Again, it’s hard to see that in Southern Nevada. There’s a number of groups like SCORE that work to incubate businesses and as Business Press reported in February, SBA loans continue to be a growth industry here. A new Certified Development Company moved into the valley because it saw a great opportunity to help those small businesses.