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The Checks Are in the Mail

By Staff | Mar 25, 2020

We all stood back waiting for it to happen, hoping and praying it would not. But it did, the first known confirmed case of the Coronavirus showed up in West Virginia on Tuesday evening, March 18, in the Eastern Panhandle of the state.

Governor Jim Justice made the announcement in a televised address, adding the state was taking additional precautions. What followed was the inevitable. All restaurants, bars, gyms and casinos were ordered closed.

On Wednesday morning all of downtown New Martinsville looked deserted. I made my way up town, and fast food drive-by windows were open but the lobbies were closed everywhere except McDonalds. Soon the health department arrived and closed off the inside. Only four or five people were inside eating at the time. One lady working at the front counter said they were staying open, but that didn’t last long.

As a state and a nation we must follow the rules established to get this behind us. It might take a while, so everyone must work together, no exceptions.

This is a trying time for everyone, it’s a major disruption in our daily lives.

One thing I can say for sure is, I will learn to eat at home again, which means saving a lot of money. For those you make a living working in restaurants and bars, this will be a tough time.

I suspect many will find it difficult to pay for everyday necessities.

If the situation prolongs, the economic collapse of the country could be at stake. From what I see the Government is providing some assistance for those in need. I hope they make it easy for people to get the help they need.

It appears likely that Americans will get government money to help increase spending as a result of the economic damage from the coronavirus.

The Trump administration announced it was pushing for a $1 trillion stimulus bill, which would include funding for people to get checks.

It’s increasingly likely that Americans will get a government check of $1,000 or more in the coming weeks.

It’s part of the stimulus bill the Trump administration announced it was seeking on Tuesday in order to arrest the economic damage from the coronavirus and provide a widespread cash injection.

A centerpiece of the plan is sending government checks to Americans, the Washington Post reported, a $500 billion component though it wouldn’t benefit those above a certain income level. Negotiations between Congress and the White House are fluid but Americans could get two $1,000 checks.

The idea isn’t unprecedented as the US sent money directly to people two times in the last two decades.

In 2008, Americans received a check for $300-$600 from the federal government (plus $300 per child under age of 17) just before the financial crisis as part of a massive stimulus bill. The government also cut a $300 check to most Americans in 2001.

The Trump administration is weighing the possibility of even larger checks to encourage spending and help people make ends meet.

The coronavirus has upended modern American life, forcing restaurants, bars, movie theaters, and other businesses to shutter in a bid to curb its spread. That has triggered an initial wave of layoffs, and both companies and consumers are abruptly cutting their spending.

With doors closed, and layoffs happening in an unprecedented way, it looks like help is coming, and soon.