Last night, our district’s State Representative Carolyn Dykema issued an update on the pandemic situation in the state.* The message includes information on resources for “Residents Experiencing Job Loss or Loss of Income”.
I’d heard of previous daily updates that some residents/officials were on a list for. This is the first one sent to MySouthborough. I presume it’s part of an effort to get the word out on how to access important resources.*
Below is the message introduction. If you have trouble with the link in her first paragraph, click here for the info on For Residents Experiencing Job Loss or Loss of Income.
Dear Neighbor,
I hope you and your family are safe and well. Please find today’s update on Massachusetts coronavirus response efforts below.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact all aspects of our lives and our economy, many Massachusetts residents are unfortunately finding themselves out of work and struggling to make ends meet. To help provide guidance to navigating the Commonwealth’s network of supports, I have included a special section in today’s newsletter highlighting the different kinds of assistance available to individuals who may be unemployed or severely income-limited. This information is also available on my website.
To receive this daily newsletter in your inbox, sign up here. Past issues and additional resources can be found at carolyndykema.com/covid19. You can also check my Facebook page for more up-to-the-minute updates and communications. Overall, the state Dept. of Public Health website is the best source of accurate and up-to-date information and contains a wide-range of information and a likely source of answers to many of your questions.
While the State House is closed to the public, my office continues to operate remotely. The best way to reach me or my staff at this busy time is via email at carolyn.dykema@mahouse.gov. We are also available by phone if necessary at 617-722-2680.
Thursday night’s update also included a state level summary on the following areas:
- Coronavirus Testing and Response
- Health Care
- Education
- Small Business
- Other Items of Interest
- The Department of Labor has released its first round of guidance for the expansion of federal paid leave programs under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. You can review employer requirements, employee rights, or frequently asked questions online.
- Pending municipal and school district legislation has advanced to the House Committee on Ways and Means. The House continues to invite feedback from school and municipal officials on the provisions of the bill.
For that update, click here and scroll down to “New Updates as of March 26th”. For her previous daily updates (which began on March 17th), click here.
The message included a call for volunteer Meals on Wheels drivers to help Baypath and for cash donations for local food pantries. Plus, it reminds residents of the stay at home advisory.
*Note: I’m now on the daily email list – but I don’t plan to share those updates daily. I’m presuming that if you want them you’ll sign up for them directly. Again, you can do that here.
I followed the link to Rep. Dykema’s Facebook page and found lots of helpful information there. Thanks for the link.
How does Rep. Dykema propose to replenish what are likely to be exhausted if not negative state employer unemployment accounts, other than dramatically raising taxes on the wages paid by employers after employment resumes?
Can Rep. Dykema explain where the funds went that were subtracted by the Commonwealth from those employer unemployment reserve accounts (about 1/3 of taxes each year) for the last 20 years as a so-called “solvency assessment”, or justify such subtractions especially during periods of strong employment that now leave those accounts depleted when they are truly needed?
Can Rep. Dykema explain the following PPP “forgiveness amount” calculation “equal to the sum of the following payroll costs incurred during the covered 8 week period compared to the previous year or time period, proportionate to maintaining employees and wages…”?
Payment Protection Program (PPP) Loans
The program would provide cash-flow assistance through 100 percent federally guaranteed loans to employers who maintain their payroll during this emergency. If employers maintain their payroll, the loans would be forgiven, which would help workers remain employed, as well as help affected small businesses and our economy to snap-back quicker after the crisis. PPP has a host of attractive features, such as forgiveness of up to 8 weeks of payroll based on employee retention and salary levels, no SBA fees and at least six months of deferral with maximum deferrals of up to a year.
Question: How is the forgiveness amount calculated?
Answer: Forgiveness on a covered loan is equal to the sum of the following payroll costs incurred during the covered 8 week period compared to the previous year or time period, proportionate to maintaining employees and wages (excluding compensation over $100,000):
• Payroll costs plus any payment of interest on any covered mortgage obligation (not
including any prepayment or payment of principal on a covered mortgage obligation) plus any payment on any covered rent obligation plus and any covered utility payment.
I think you should direct your questions to her office. That’s not directly a town matter, so I won’t be following up.
I assumed Rep. Dykema would be a MySouthborough reader, especially posts headlining her outreach to constituents in a district comprised of Holliston, Hopkinton, Southborough, and precinct 2 of Westborough.
Interesting. Politicians do tend to speak publicly, but not listen and answer in that same fashion.
Anyway, Beth, I wouldn’t have presumed to task you with following-up with her. Thank you for your kind attention.