It’s Time for Idaho Governor Brad Little to Forfeit Pay

This is just devastating.

A survey of Idaho businesses by Idaho Commerce and State Department of Agriculture show an economy brought to its knees.  More than 4 out of 5 businesses have been losing money since the advent of the coronavirus crisis.  A large number have seen revenue decline by three-quarters.

A large number of firms have been so hard hit the owners have laid off three-quarters of staff.

A friend in Maryland said a quarter of his state’s restaurants may never re-open.  When I see the Idaho numbers, we’ve got to be in similar territory.  Yesterday I read where 100,000 business nationwide are already closed for good.

And to think it could be worse elsewhere.  A survey by WalletHub explains job losses have been catastrophic in most states.  Idaho rates in the top 10 of least jobs lost.  So, compare that to the Department of Commerce figures for Idaho and I’m surprised there aren’t already food riots in some parts of the country.  A member of our audience wrote me today and explained several of his clients have closed for good and 600 people are out of jobs.  The clients had received relief to pay staff but had no money left for other expenses.

We’re also hearing stories from people who’ve been left jobless and nearly two months later still waiting for approval of unemployment benefits.  Is it the fault of many service workers they don’t have thousands of dollars in savings and large stock portfolios?  “Let them eat cake,” anyone?  How about the Governor and his agency chiefs renounce their own wages until we clear up this mess?