Small business owners and out-of-work Americans feel largely left behind in a sinking economy. The federal relief bill offered instant help to larger companies, but actual small businesses struggled to get approved, and then watched the money run out. On the state level, thousands of New Yorkers have had to make hundreds of phone calls just to get through, and many are still waiting for unemployment assistance. Rent and mortgages are increasingly unpaid, with no plan to suspend or address this part of the crisis.
How could the economic response have gone better? What could give more Americans a chance? Our guests explain their own challenges while offering ideas for the path forward:
- Kevin McCann, owner of McCann's Local Meats
- Colin Coffey, owner of Renewing Massage
- Michele Ashlee, self-employed hair stylist at Jill's Boutique, and independent photographer
