Businesses Close To Protect Us They Need Reimbursed By Us

originally posted by: ketsuko
Additionally, you act like it's somehow my/our fault this is happening.

I will tell you that I have done my best to continue to patronize every small business I had regular interaction with as much as I could during this whole thing. Some have even gotten more business from me, but with the rules in place, I can only do so much without flagrantly breaking the law, and that takes two. If a business isn't willing to risk it, I'm not.

I'm participating in a small martial arts tourney this weekend and some of my own money is certainly going into our instructors' pocket with the fees involved which is part of my point here.

I think he's more than a little disconnected from the average citizen's moth-infested wallet reality this year, too. We CANNOT afford to contribute more than our normal spending to our local businesses, we're maxed on that aspect. There's plenty of people we know, in our middle class neighborhood, who can't even afford their groceries anymore. We've seen half of our street become regulars at the churches who do food pantry days (we know the pastor of one church well and have volunteered when they're short on their own congregation help) My neighbors can't afford to eat anymore. Does he seriously think these are the people to pry money from?

It's damn crude and insulting for Blaine to sit here and demand the people who can't even afford to buy fricking ramen noodles because they need to keep the electric & gas on in winter, and pay their mortgages to have a home, and keep their car so they can get to work, but have their hours & thus incomes drastically cut or the second job in the home poofed because covid restrictions, "buck up more". Holy hell, talk about a disconnect in his head there.

a reply to: musicismagic

We have a long history of helping our own through voluntary giving. Perhaps Japan is dog-eat-dog.

Business is fine. Amazon and Wal-mart are killing it. I mean now that the virus has scuttled mom and pops brick and mortar emporiums...

Nah. let’s celebrate the stock market!

People are starving in the wealthiest nation the world has ever seen you say? They’d like a snack?
People are hungry for pizza?
Red Baron in the frozen section!

Oh, you wanted pizza from the local parlor?

Nah not so much....

originally posted by: Blaine91555

originally posted by: zosimov
a reply to: Blaine91555

I lost my job due to COVID. Sadly, I don't have anything to pay.

You're one of the victims I'm talking about. Did you make more on unemployment than you made at your job, or did you lose your income entirely like many business owners did, who are working for no pay right now? Some businesses have spent all their savings and even borrowed to keep their people paid. What about them is part of what I'm asking.

Why is this our fault when it was demanded by the government? You aren’t advocating socialist bailouts by the proletariat are ya?

Because that’s what is sounds like....
Edit: I appreciate the heartfelt sympathy you have for the business owners you work with. I really do.....

But it is getting dog-eat-dog quick.

a reply to: Nyiah

It's damn crude and insulting for Blaine to sit here and demand the people who can't even afford to buy fricking ramen noodles because they need to keep the electric & gas on in winter, and pay their mortgages to have a home, and keep their car so they can get to work, but have their hours & thus incomes drastically cut or the second job in the home poofed because covid restrictions, "buck up more". Holy hell, talk about a disconnect in his head there.

That's probably the most polite way you could put it. I already get warnings for my language on ats, I can't say the way I'd word that....I don't wanna get banned....

originally posted by: Blaine91555

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: Blaine91555

Maybe the government should just nationalize all businesses so they'll be protected in the future.

I thought you were quicker than that. I'm talking about a community taking care of its own. You know charity.

I'm seeing some of that, but not nearly enough, and I'm not talking about myself here.

Earthquake in Bugistan wipes out a city, we beat feet to deliver a check to a charity, and we fall all over ourselves to help them rebuild better than they were before. Happens at home, meh let the government do it.

You're wanting mandated charity, which is also called "theft".



People are already helping small businesses, I won't bother listing what I've done because that's anectdotal.

But people are helping even though we've ALL been hurt by the actions of government.

The shutdowns were only wanted by government.

Most people, most business owners want normal.

Viruses come and go. People live. People die.

We've set a new precedent with this and it disgusts me.

a reply to: Nyiah

Well:

1. It's insulting to think we aren't engaged in what charity we can.

2. It's completely disconnected to think this is anything other than a problem created by the government strongarming people out of work.

3. It's bizarre to think that the rest of us need to make whole the ones government destroyed.

And 1 and 3 are different issues entirely. I'm not sure why it's thought that business owners want charity especially when the person in question is griping about government handouts. A handout is a handout, and a person who doesn't want one won't want the other.

What we're talking about here is not receiving handouts. We're talking about justice for having lives and livelihoods destroyed by the government that is supposed to "promote the general welfare" and has just been screwing the pooch on that all year.

a reply to: Nyiah

I made no such demand. I'm asking should we be doing more to help our own? Where did I make a demand? I'm simply pointing out that perhaps we need to start thinking that way? I should have worded it better.

I'm talking about those who were NOT hurt helping those who were hurt. You and I both know that most people were not hurt financially. Some earned more than they made before.

I guess I'm thinking back to times like WW2, when communities willingly helped one another. Perhaps those days are gone and it's all about me, me, me now?

I knew this would be controversial. How about I rephrase it to, should those who were not hurt, help their neighbors who were? Or just keep on driving past someone hurt on the side of the road, and let them die, because we're late for soccer practice?

That's what I'm asking.

Let the lawyers handle it thats what this whole mess is about..

a reply to: Blaine91555

If the trillions in stimulus money would have been given to the people and small businesses, there would be no need to have this discussion.
Imagine that $$$$ amount divided among the number of households, for example.
I heard it would have been like $10,000.00

originally posted by: Blaine91555

I knew this would be controversial. How about I rephrase it to, should those who were not hurt, help their neighbors who were?

Who says people aren't already helping?

originally posted by: mikell
Let the lawyers handle it thats what this whole mess is about..

2020: in-Home sourdough
2021: Lawyer Stew

a reply to: Blaine91555

I just pointed out how government was responsible for these Charity cases. What is wrong with the giant corporations who made an obscene amount of money from those same government mandates that destroyed these small businesses show their charitable side in this economic emergency?

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe
Same as when the banks got bailed out. It would have been cheaper, and more economically stimulating, if instead of throwing money in the bank vaults, they paid off peoples' mortgages directly. Instead they gave the money to the banks, and the people trying to keep their head above tides footed the bill anyways, but their debt is still outstanding.

a reply to: Blaine91555

Yes. People who can should help anyone in need.

Blaine, I think you are going about this all wrong.

There are really only 2 options left.

Violence, which opens you up to arrest, or crowd funding lawsuits.

I am friends with one of the top 10 jury trial lawyers in the country. Pricey, but for a reason.

It would be absolute peanuts for every small biz effected to join in a massive class action lawsuit. Potentially free.
Hammer out the covid issue with legal evidence of its actual danger. Failure to prove the flu justifies the reaction will open these punks up to liability and civil rights suits.

After all legal avenues are exhausted, then option A may be the only way out.

a reply to: Blaine91555

This is an excellent idea.

And I know how to work it so no one is hurt.

All we have to do is look and see what people made more money during the pandemic.

Any increase of profits over 10% will be thrown in a pot to help the ones that didn't do better during the pandemic.

This is the fairest and least impactful way to raise billions of dollars to help folks out.

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

I heard it would have been like $10,000.00

That would definitely help your average joe. I don’t think 10k would help the businesses Blaine is speaking of though. I’d presume they’d need hundreds of thousands to stay afloat during an almost 1 year lockdown — so far...

a reply to: Blaine91555

Shall I rephrase how your OP came off?

Government says, "We're just going to kill your business and destroy your life and livelihood - everything you have worked so hard to build, but don't worry man, your neighbors who are in similar trouble will be happy to prop you up - get you going again!"

And you sound like you're cheerleading that idea.