By Arthur Vidro
By Arthur Vidro
The ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic isn’t just a health problem — it’s also an economic problem.
Workers and entire industries (such as cruise lines) have been sidelined. Many people were fired, many furloughed. Others had their hours reduced.
Yes, the long-term solution to our economic problems is to resolve the health problem.
In the meantime, our politicians have tried to lessen the financial pain.
The $1,200 “stimulus” most folks got this spring was attempted relief. So was the Paycheck Protection Program’s loans to thousands of businesses; the loans didn’t have to be repaid if the companies kept their workers on payroll.
Likewise, the expanded (by $600) weekly benefit for those receiving unemployment payouts. And the extended timetable (depending on state of residence) for how long one can claim unemployment benefits.
In some localities, landlords were forbidden from evicting tenants. Some mortgages had their rules changed so one couldn’t lose one’s home for non-payment.
In all cases, the aid successfully provided some relief, yes. But the relief was never meant to be permanent. Relief will buy you some time. But eventually the piper must be paid.
We can’t count on government relief to get us out of this financial quagmire. It can only buy us time. It’s up to each of us to take advantage of that time to work on our financial situation. If we secure new income, or find assets to sell, or ways to lower our cost of living, then the relief will have a much bigger impact on our lives.
But one must treat all aid with the mind-set that it is temporary.
Some folks took their $1,200 and – despite being out of work – quickly blew it on new furniture or large-screen televisions or restaurant-bought meals. And now they’re facing eviction. They squandered their limited resources on wants, not earmarking money for true needs.
I have a hunch some folks thought the $1,200 checks would keep flowing. Some didn’t think at all; they merely lived, and continue to live, in the moment, unconcerned with preparing or planning.
If government edict is the only thing keeping you from being forced out of your home, be aware that all edicts expire. When the expiration date arrives, the rent or mortgage payment will be due again. And all those months of non-payment you’ve been allowed weren’t freebies. You will still owe for those months too.
That also goes for loan abatements and loan forbearances.
Even if a municipality wanted to erase all mortgage and rent payments during the pandemic, they can’t make that debt go away – unless they step in and pay the landlords and mortgage companies, which is extremely rare. You can’t stiff landlords and mortgage companies.
The owners of our houses and apartment buildings still have to pay property taxes on those properties. Has any municipality shelved property taxes? No. And one can’t expect them to. Every municipality needs every dollar it can get, especially with increased costs for virus-protection efforts.
Companies (such as airlines) took government money to keep their work force employed, but once that relief money ran out, they started firing and furloughing. I don’t blame them. In the meantime, some of their workers looked for other jobs, and some didn’t. Some chose not to think about the day when the government money that was paying their salaries would run out.
Blissful ignorance is a recipe for financial disaster.
So, folks, if more government aid comes our way to help us through the financial walloping caused by the pandemic, remember this: aid is temporary. Make it last as long as possible. Proceed slowly. Choose wisely where and how to spend it. You don’t need a television. You don’t need new furniture. You don’t need to see movies. You do need food and a roof over your head and heat in the winter.
If more aid comes your way, act like a responsible adult. Not like a kid who has just received an allowance and runs to the nearest candy store.
Electing a corpse
On Saturday, Oct. 24, this column mentioned there was a reasonable chance this year for a dead candidate to win an election.
As an example, we looked at North Dakota, where David Andahl, 55, a state legislative candidate who won the June primary over a longtime incumbent, died on Oct. 5 due to complications of COVID-19.
There wasn’t time for the party to come up with a replacement candidate, nor time for the state to print new ballots. Andahl was already on the ballot. He stayed on the ballot.
Well, folks, Andahl received more votes than his opponent. Andahl won.
What will happen now? It’s possible a partisan committee will appoint someone. It’s also possible voters will call for a special election.
Some of Andahl’s votes came via early voting, while he was still alive. But most came after his death was announced.
I’m not sure why voters supported him after his death. Perhaps they ignored the candidates and voted by party affiliation. Which, to me, is ridiculous.
At least the voters elected a candidate who will prove to be incorruptible and who will never lie to them.
How many voters can say that?
Arthur Vidro’s latest short story, “Ask Fred the Usher,” appears in the new anthology Mystery Most Theatrical, published in October.
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