Covid relief package not enough for hospitality industry and MN small businesses
By now, you’re well aware of what is at stake for the hospitality industry. They have been walking on incredibly thin ice since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak. The governor’s latest shutdown order back in November was an extra kick in the gut.
On December 14, the legislature overwhelmingly approved a $216 million emergency relief bill to help these businesses. The goal of the relief package is speed: these folks need assistance as fast as possible. Under the agreement, the first relief checks could be mailed by the end of the month. I was glad to have helped put the bill together, and proud to have supported it.
But let’s be honest: it is, at best, a drop in the bucket of what they really need.
I just got a text from a constituent before we took up that bill. His name is Mike Swanson, and he owns Fitness in Motion in Faribault. His quote to me was: “I understand there is a bill coming that will give us some relief. I don’t care if you vote for it, but we don’t want a handout. We want to open our businesses.”
This week I invited several local hospitality business owners from our area to St. Paul for a press conference to talk about how these restrictions are impacting them. Oscar Mazariego of Lava Burgers and Wings in Owatonna; Jeff LeBeau of The Depot Bar and Grill in Faribault; Nort Johnson of the Faribault Chamber of Commerce; and Olivia Hughes of Olivia’s Family Restaurant in Owatonna were all kind enough to make the trip up to share their stories.
They all echoed the same sentiments: let us open. We’ve dedicated our lives to our communities, let us continue to serve them. Curbside and limited outdoor seating isn’t enough to keep us going. We’re doing the best we can. The ridiculous mandates are crushing us. Stop picking on hospitality businesses. Let us work, let us pay our employees, and let us take care of our families.
These folks have had to dip into their life savings and their retirements to try to keep their businesses afloat and keep people on payroll. Meanwhile, big-box stores everywhere continue to operate as usual.
I think what is most frustrating is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Bars and restaurants operated safely all summer and fall, and were connected to an exceedingly small number of cases. Bars and restaurants are currently open in a number of states, including Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. They know how to do it safely.
Recently about 200 restaurants announced they were going to open in spite of the restrictions. They aren’t doing this to put their thumb in the governor’s eye; they are doing it because they are desperate and have no alternative. And yet the governor’s response is to sue them and suspend their liquor licenses. It’s just wrong.
Instead of using his power to shut down businesses, I sincerely hope that Gov. Walz will listen to their pleas and show a little compassion. These folks are hanging on by a thread. Instead of punishing them, let’s let them reopen safely and smartly.