There’s been a lot of backlash toward companies taking PPP loans that don’t “need them...” and I agree with some of it (Ruth’s Chris is particular) insofar as companies used it to pay executives and shareholders while furloughing their average employees. 1/5

But some larger companies have middle class working Americans they should keep on the payroll while keeping them at home and that would save lives, livelihoods and jobs. But the problem is twofold:

2/5

1. The big banks prioritized their large existing customers without caring about need or who got in line first
2. And this is the biggest...CONGRESS made this program needlessly small and close-ended rather than universal and/or open-ended/renewable as needed. 3/5

If they had done that in the first place no one would be mad at Ruth’s Chris or Shake Shack because EVERYONE who needed one would be getting their loans 4/5

This country’s obsession with limitations, zero sum games, fear of fraud and waste has got to end because we keep shooting ourselves in the foot in over it and costing people (particularly the most vulnerable among us) time, money and lives...

5/5