Letter: Dear county, please consider local business and employees

Posted: 9:11 am, March 20, 2020 by Letter To The Editor

To the editor,

Open letter to Honorable SLO County Supervisors about COVID-19:

–Most of us understand there were no good decisions regarding this coronavirus, only least worst decisions. And I am not in any position to second guess the one made recently; I am currently following that order as well as the governor’s.

However, I would now ask you to make some good quick decisions as our local business and employees in the private sector are making great sacrifices. In case you haven’t thought about it, you and your employees are suffering no financial losses. If I’m not mistaken you all will continue to receive a paycheck, business as usual. While I’m not asking for “a misery love company” solution, I am asking you and your employees help anyway you can.

There are some things you can do to soften the financial burden. Please think of new and innovative ways you implement now, to ease some of those. Here’s a couple of ideas that may spark some creativity, and maybe some of your employees can join in with brainstorming. Property taxes are due very soon, how about giving everyone a holiday? Your employees are getting paid, how about a simple letter encouraging them buy more take out more than usual, and/or by gift certificates? It’s difficult for local businesses to thrive right now, but we need to at least keep them alive.

Again, it’s the private sector that is carrying this financial burden, please think of what you can do as a body to unleash new ways to help ease it. And don’t stop with that, think ahead, small businesses are going to need some creativity like reducing red tape when the recovery does start.

Thank you for your consideration,

S. Keith Belmont
Paso Robles, CA