The Democrat-controlled state legislature just spent nearly $330 million in emergency aid for COVID-19 relief, but what’s in it for you?
Not much, unless you’re a small business owner, or so poor you’re already on public assistance, or an illegal immigrant.
And even then, you still won’t get much.
The three-day special session was mostly an expensive PR stunt by Democrat lawmakers to avert attention from Polis’s latest business shutdowns in the red zones, and to call out some Republicans for not wearing masks.
Outnumbered, Republicans meanwhile failed to curb the governor’s autonomous powers, with which he has executed 230 executive orders in nine months.
If you’re a business in Weld or any county that resists the governor’s regulations defined in his color-coded wheel of closures, you get no tax relief.
Here’s how Coloradans’ taxpayer dollars will be spent to allegedly help those in need:
$100 million in Disaster Relief that goes to the governor’s office to be spent by government agencies on his disaster emergencies. How could we have survived without that?
$57 million for small business and arts relief in counties that police all of Polis’s executive orders to close or restrict operations. Actually, only $37 million goes to businesses, and $7.5 million to the arts. The rest goes to different government offices.
Tax reductions for restaurants that could total anywhere from $39 million to $53 million. This isn’t money going to restaurants, just a four month tax break. They get to keep up to $2,000 a month if they are still open and can earn up to $70,000 a month.
$45 million for child care facilities in small grant amounts to pay for your child care. Just kidding! It doesn’t help Coloradans pay for child care, the grants are for general operations like “staff training, background check fees, cleaning supplies, educational supplies, and capital or facility improvement costs.”
$20 million for internet access to preschoolers, yes preschoolers, students up to 12th grade, teachers and “other staff” as required for online learning. Children should be in school instead, but it’s the least Democrats can do for robbing our kids of a proper education. Seriously, it really is the least they did for our kids’ future.
$44.5 million in housing aid, now we’re talking real money!
No, wait. Only $5 million goes to direct assistance to those who can’t make the rent, including illegal immigrants. Another $1 million of taxpayer dollars goes to the eviction legal defense fund for people who don’t or can’t pay rent to hire lawyers instead.
The rest goes to grant programs and the government and non-profit agencies that will administer grants through June.
$5 million to replenish food banks. That equals about $160 per homeless person in Denver.
$5 million in utility relief: “The money from this bill will go directly to energy companies, with the condition that they use it to maintain service to people who can’t make their utility payments, or who may already be in arrears. The bill does allow for expense on firewood, in addition to the more traditional energy expenditures households make.”
So there you have it, or you won’t — how Democrat lawmakers used their special session and your taxpayer dollars to help others in your time of need.