MAYDAY

By John P. Flannery

MAY DAY. We have invented a “system” to ease the burden on those at home and unemployed — but it’s coming slowly, plainly is not enough, and people live in the here and now.

Restaurants and travel and hotels all are taking a beating.

6 million applied for unemployment last week.

Rents and mortgages are not being paid.

There is more.

We need another package from Congress and this package should not be a bail out for Wall Street.

We need ground cover — for small business — employers and employees.

Not addressed to date are those businesses who have business loss insurance, Congress has to back up those policies that exclude viruses and pandemics, meaning they are not now covered. And this is not the time to file declaratory judgment actions to fight with the insurance carriers over policy lanaguage.

The most likely possibility is a waiver of those policy exclusions in exchange for the government backing up the insurance companies paying out hundreds of millions a month that this insurance could cost.

This is a hydra headed beast and has so many difficult questions but delay and inaction by the government, the states and the federal government and the congress, is not acceptable.

Whatever remedies are adopted, these must be implemented in days not weeks.

The Congress — fearful for itself — becoming ill — or not being elected — has no place in this crisis.

Pass the legislation for distance voting. We have the technology for that to happen.

Moscow Mitch says the House shouldn’t be preparing legislation to address the ongoing crisis. Like so much of this man’s life, he’s wrong. But we have to beat the drum that this is make or break time and delay is not an acceptable response.

JPF