Congressional Fail: The Hands in the PPP Money-pot

Government is supposed to work for the people. It is not supposed to be the other way around.

When the Paycheck Protection Program was created by Congress, it was enacted to provide financial aid the average American business owner who was affected by Covid-19. It was not enacted to line the pockets of Congressmen and women. And yet, some received loans from the PPP.

Now granted, they did not receive the loans directly. The loans were given to businesses run by their partners/spouses or families. That being said, members of Congress make a healthy annual salary of six figures. I doubt that they would be headed to the poorhouse if these businesses went under.

Some on the left may assume that it was only Republicans who took advantage of the lax rules that gave them access to these loans. The Congressmen and women accused of accepting the money come from both sides of the aisle. Two things bother me about this. The first is that some of the Republicans who voted against the bill received the loans. The second is that it brings up serious moral questions as to how they were able to secure the loans, given that members of Congress are technically barred from even applying in the first place.

*Warning: the video contains adult language that may be offensive to some people.

The fact is that it is our hard earned tax dollars. It does not belong to the government. It belongs to the American people. We give the government our money so they can provide for us. The fact that there is little oversight and too many questions bothers me. It should bother you.

We have an election coming up in less than six months. We need to tell those in the halls of power that we demand answers and transparency. If they are unwilling or unable to provide that information, they will no longer have a job. Period.

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Covid-19: You Know Who’s Tulsa Rally & the Woman Who Learned the Hard Way

If there is one thing I have come to appreciate in the last few months, it is that the scientists are the truth-tellers. The information they have about Covid-19 may change as new facts come to light, but the basic truths about this disease remain unchanged.

I’m not usually the type of person to smugly remark “told you so” when someone does something stupid, but sometimes, it is warranted. According to an article on Buzzfeed, a woman in Florida had a girls night out with fifteen of her friends. All have tested positive for the virus.

Speaking of, you know who’s rally in Tulsa is scheduled for Saturday. According to his campaign officials, the event is nearly full. Public health officials are concerned because the number of cases in Oklahoma is rising fast. Attendees are not required to wear masks or follow social distancing rules. They also must sign a waver when they register for tickets. The waver is as follows:

“By clicking register below, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present,” the disclaimer reads. By attending the rally, it goes on, “guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19” and “agree not to hold the campaign or venue liable”.

What sticks out to me is that the people who are running the campaign know exactly what they are doing. They know that the risk of getting sick rises exponentially when one is in an indoor venue with thousands of other people while ignoring the warnings from the scientific and medical communities. The fact that attendees are required to sign the waiver speaks volumes.

The fact is that this virus has killed and will continue to kill. Given that we know that much, our political leaders should be doing all they can to minimize the number of deaths. They should not be holding massive rallies, knowing full well the damage this disease can cause. The fact that you know who is holding this rally, in spite of this knowledge, tells me everything I need to know about his leadership abilities.

G-d help us if he wins another term in November.