11-13-2020, 11:42 AM
(11-13-2020, 11:23 AM)jeffster Wrote:(11-13-2020, 10:01 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: I disagree with the idea that a lockdown has to kill businesses, there is no reason that we cannot provide financial support to businesses that have to shut down.
I also think (and I'm not saying you are saying this, but it seems that our Premier is), that NOT shutting down will not save these businesses either. Even if the foolish people who will keep going out during a wave of the pandemic are enough to keep businesses alive (which I suspect they are not) the fact is, many employees getting sick with COVID will also kill a small business....and possibly the employees and owners literally.
At the end of the day, our economy is about consumer confidence, and the pandemic threatens that. The way to restore it is to give people the belief and trust that the pandemic will be handled well both in terms of health and economics.
Businesses have already shut down. The government can only help so much. There are a lot of business that stay in business by the skin of their teeth.
I don’t think people going out is a major issue, but it is people not wearing protection is a huge part of the problem. If working at a small establishment, and someone comes in without a mask, then the workers are at risk.
On thing for sure, we need to better improve contact tracing.
And I agree the government could do more an many circumstances. I still don’t understand the generosity for people who had very low income jobs (making more on EI or previously CERB than when working) yet failing those that had OK or good paying jobs, and being OK with them losing 50% or more of their income.
Example, if my kid losses his job, his income goes from $400/week to $500/week. If I lose my job, I go from $1,200/week t0 $575/week. Not right.
The government did very little for businesses. They provided CERB instead for folks who lost their jobs. If they had paid small businesses instead, it would have been different.
As for supporting low income people, not sure why you're opposed to that. If people made more on EI or CERB than at their jobs, the problem is those jobs, not EI and CERB. But that's a broader social issue.