It is not known what the economic impact will be on nonprofits, but it has to be awful. There are about 4,500 nonprofit organizations in Vermont, ranging in size from $50,000 in annual revenue upwards to hundreds of millions. The sector employs close to 20% of the state’s workforce has a $6 billion impact on the state’s economy.
Many Vermonters have been wondering how towns that voted down school budgets, or had votes scheduled before social-distancing was required, will set their budgets for the coming year.
The world post-COVID is going to be a very different place. Vermont’s electorate must summon the courage to elect officials who will protect the integrity of Vermont and the health of Vermonters, and promote economic self-reliance on a scale that Vermont’s ancestors would be proud of.
The Trump administration has acted to ensure that no funds from the new Paycheck Protection Program, set up to assist small businesses battered by COVID-19, will go to Planned Parenthood.
The six-week surge in new unemployment claims continued last week as businesses deemed nonessential by state and local governments reduce staffing in response to COVID-19.
The libertarian-leaning public interest law firm says 36 states have CON laws, and 22 states have rolled back their CON laws in some way to help combat the virus’ spread.
As the reason for the shutdown was to avoid a particular cause of death — lack of hospital capacity — it would follow that the most relevant metric for deciding whether to reopen the economy is hospital capacity. The question our leaders should be asking is whether we currently have an issue with hospital capacity? The answer is a resounding “no.”
Young and old have been deceived. Our leaders have made us think COVID-19 will disappear. It won’t. There isn’t a vaccine and might not be one for years. We need to do our best to protect the sick and the elderly but can’t keep closing life and opportunity down.
In a 51 minute interview with 23 ABC News, Dr. Dan Erickson and Dr. Martin Massihi, of Accelerated Health Care in Bakersfield, California, talked about the impact of the coronavirus on Kern County, arguing that the ongoing stay-at-home orders are not based on data or science.
President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that he may withhold federal bailout funds from states with cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Given the potential COVID-19 health risks associated with standing in line at polling places, there are understandably more calls for a move to voting by mail. This may turn out to be necessary, but if we are going to change the way we vote, we also have to ensure that the new ways are just as secure as the old.
“For the time being, we are still focusing on COVID-based emergency bills,” Sen. Chris Bray said. “We will get some time to do non-COVID work in the coming weeks, but I don’t yet know how much time. As always, we will have to prioritize and limit what we can take on with appropriate due diligence.”