Most businesses, be they big or small, have to fight for funding in the stimulus/rescue package right now.
The Kenney Center was given $25 million, money that most Republicans were furious was in the bill.
Their concerns were proven valid when after receiving the money, the Kennedy Center President told the National Symphony Orchestra the center will not be paying them after next week.
But the Money…
The idea of the stimulus funding was to keep money coming to employees so they would not feel the crunch of the national shutdown.
On the same day the legislation was signed by Trump, though, the entire orchestra was told they will no longer be getting a paycheck.
Ed Malaga, president of the Metropolitan Washington D.C. Federation of Musicians, stated, “They’re shocked, they’re stunned.
“They don’t know how to prepare to know that their last paycheck is coming next Friday.”
Deborah Rutter, the President of the Kennedy Center, told the Washington Post that she is going to use the money to keep essential workers paid and to ensure the Center is ready to open when the lockdown is lifted.
She further stated that while the Center is closed, they cannot afford to pay musicians to stay home.
That, however, is exactly what the stimulus money is supposed to be used for!
As you are reading this, tens of thousands of small business owners are filling out the forms to apply for loans from their local SBA’s to continue to pay their employees during the shutdown.
IF they do that, and only use the loan money to pay rent/mortgage and utilities, that loan will be forgiven.
The Kennedy Center does not have to jump through the hoops like everyone else, but they will instead keep the money in the bank even though the center should have very little operating costs right now.
Malaga stated that the Center is not only NOT using the money the way it is supposed to be used, but furloughing the workers violates their collective bargaining agreement.
He has already filed a grievance.
Kennedy Center needs to return that money since they are not using it the way it was meant to be used. What they did is unconscionable
.
Demand the mosey back now!
They have their money, administrative costs are horrendous.