Latest round of stimulus relief falls short some say

47 ABC – After nearly 9 months of Congress has agreed upon another stimulus package.

The initial reaction by some, what took so long?

“I think it took far too long. I mean we’ve had families struggling for months,” said Michele Gregory, a Salisbury city council member.

Some of the key pieces include more than $284 billion in Paycheck Protection Program loans for small businesses, $300 dollars a week in unemployment benefits, and $600 in individual direct payments if you make under $75,000 a year. A number that some say falls well short of what Americans need.

“You know $600 after all this time is just, that’s nowhere near enough for these families that have been going without,” said Gregory.

Legislators have said the reason for that dollar amount in part has to do with the nation’s finances.

Dr. Samuel Hoff,  a George Washington distinguished professor at Delaware State University explained legislators most likely factored that into their discussions.

“We finished 2020 with a 3.7 trillion dollar annual deficit, my goodness that’s one-ninth of the total debt of the country,” Dr. Hoff said.

Small businesses though, did get significant money. This round carving out $12 billion for minority-owned and very small businesses.
Money that many businesses here on Delmarva desperately need.

” We hear quite a few horror stories and there are definitely some businesses that will be able to use this funding,” said Jeff Merritt,  a small business owner and member of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce.

Now the hope by many is that president-elect Joe Biden holds true on his promise that this relief package is a down payment, with more funding coming after he gets into the White House. So when could we see round three?

“(Biden) looks like with the cabinet choices and with the pronouncements that he’s already made on certain policies that the Biden team will be aggressive and so we hope perhaps within those first 100 days,” said Dr. Hoff.