“IS IT TRUE” APRIL 23, 2020

IS IT TRUE one of our supporters sent us the following “IS IT TRUE” in order to generate a discussion between the CCO readers? …that the United States Senate has passed a bill that will increase the PPP loans available for small businesses to keep their staff on a paycheck and off of unemployment?…there is one situation that is not conducive to keeping people on a payroll and that is the odd fact that due to a strange thing in the original stimulus package, it pays more to be on unemployment than it does to keep a job?…people who are furloughed or laid off are eligible to get an extra $600 per week on top of the roughly $400 per week that unemployment pays?…that is correct folks, if your job paid $40,000 and your unemployment would normally be $400 per week, now it will be $1,000?…this is a deterrent to returning to work until the $600 premium ends on July 31, 2020?…something like this can only happen in America because Senators running for re-election can obstruct the bill under consideration to play Santa Claus by using other people’s money to try and buy votes?

IS IT TRUE that our medical and first responders heroes who are laboring on the front line of health care crisis risking their lives every day to save yours and do not get a dime of extra money? …that it’s time for this type of treatment stop and the powers that be give our medical and first responders heroes the appropriate financial compensation for a job well done?

IS IT TRUE that Vanderburgh County and Warrick County are both closing in on 100 confirmed infections of COVID19 and growing more each coming day?…while these numbers are not on par with New York City that leads the country in infections and deaths, these numbers are nothing to dismiss?…it is amazing in hindsight that there were some people here in Evansville were telling people that COVID19 would not be coming to River City?

IS IT TRUE for several weeks Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke has been sending the message to the masses to wash your hands and don’t panic? …many people are very disappointed that the Mayor didn’t use his political influences to find a way to begin a mass testing campaign in Evansville before he begins to look for creative ways to re-open area businesses?

IS IT TRUE that many people feel that the most feasible thing the Mayor to do was to used his political connections to organize a mass COVID-19 testing campaign?  …to the chagrin of his many supporters, he opted to appoint a “REOPEN EVANSVILLE TASK FORCE” to look for ways to reopen local businesses before he did mass testing for the COVID-19 virus in our community?  …in fact, many of his supporters feel if he opens local businesses prematurely and the COVID-19 virus has an unexpected resurgent and people die in the process it will be the end of his political career?

IS IT TRUE that Banks raked in $10 billion in fees for handing out US-backed loans to shore up small businesses battered by the coronavirus despite taking on little to no risk on the deals?

IS IT TRUE the Feds paid banks for serving as intermediaries for the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program, which allowed any federally insured bank or credit union to field applications for rescue loans and pass them on to the US Small Business Administration for approval?

IS IT TRUE as of yesterday that Detroit Michigan is offering COVID -19 to all essential workers?  …this is the way to run a railroad?

IS IT TRUE that Small Businesses represent one half of the workforce in the United States?

IS IT TRUE that 75 companies that received government stimulus money had a market value of over $100 million dollars each?

IS IT TRUE recently a CCO poster made the following comment and also asked us the following question?...here’s what “Another Voice” posted: “that talking of loans to businesses that really don’t deserve it, I have heard that many newspapers have received Government stimulus loans. They don’t deserve it!!  Did the CCO get part of these stimulus loans?  …here’s our response to “Another Voice” question?  …we posted that “The City-County Observer is in excellent financial shape.  The CCO hasn’t and will not apply for a Government stimulus loan. We want this money to be allocated to a deserving home owned and homegrown small businesses.  We are extremely puzzled why a multi-million dollar publishing conglomerate needs to receive a government bailout”?

IS IT TRUE Gannett, the nation’s largest newspaper chain, traded at $12 a share last summer. It dropped to about $6 in January before coronavirus and is trading at 90 cents a share?

IS IT TRUE that the President of Deaconness Hospital Dr. James Porter, recently told the Courier and Press  “that Deaconess is testing people which also including people the State Health Department probably wouldn’t test because indicators weren’t strong enough”? …Dr. Porter also said “but we have not received any of those results back yet, so those are all out at reference labs (typically private, commercial facilities) awaiting results?  …he further added that “and of course, we don’t have a lot of visibility into what’s happening there”? …we do know that the lab that we most often primarily use is actually shipping specimens once they get them to another reference lab — because their capacity is overwhelmed.”?  …we give five (5) cheers to Dr. James Porter for being candid about the current status of testing for the Coronavirus locally and look forward to receiving a detailed update of the test these results from Dr. Porter?

IS IT TRUE that over the years the Evansville Board Of Public Works has earned the reputation of not only being very political but also being a rubber stamp for the Mayor holding office at that time?  …several months ago when a professionally refined lady came before this board to discuss her RFP she was publically demeaned and insulted by the Board Chairman? … after that episode, it is our opinion that the current Board Chairman may not have the professional temperament to continue to serve on this board?

IS IT TRUE we would like to thank a long-time supporter and friend Joe Wallace for his help with the City-County Observer during the time that our publisher was facing serious health problems?  …that Joe Wallace is a shining example of what true friendship is all about?