Include Climbing Gyms in Emergency Stimulus Funding

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​https://www.change.org/p/steve-mnuchin-include-climbing-gyms-in-emergency-stimulus-funding​​​

Let's try and keep this civil

as a first responder whose wife also works in the local hospital, this is borderline offensive...

thanks tammy, but i think we are looking at this very differently.

i have no problem with people looking ahead to try and develop a way through the inevitably hard economic period that is coming. what i have a hard time with is a subscription-based industry that has seen 3.6% growth in the past 5 years asking for "tax relief" to protect investors (google it).

the reality is, as soon as the green light is given for gyms to open, their revenues will be EXACTLY the same as they were before the crisis...and their growth curve will continue. Climbing gyms don't need advocacy, they just need members (and they will return). at the end of the day, what are we advocating for...the availability of indoor fitness?

The healthcare industry needs advocacy. i'm not going to go into all the details of how underfunded the system is (i'm sure you know since it sounds like you work in it), but this is my point. Industries that genuinely provide a public benefit AND are in danger of collapsing deserve stimulus money. climbing gyms aren't going anywhere...

I wouldn't mind if many gyms closed. It would be great to see a decline in the popularity of this sport. 

OK, glad to see everybody sharing  their points of view.

Can we keep this civil?

Time to print some more money!!!

Some detail about all the little nuggets in the COVID bill:

$100,000,000 to Nasa, because, who knows why.

$20,000,000,000 to the USPS, because why the hell not

$300,000,000 to the Endowment for the Arts

$300,000,000 for the Endowment for the Humanities

$15,000,000 for Veterans Employment Training / for when the GI Bill isn't enough

$435,000,000 for mental health support

$30,000,000,000 for the Department of Education stabilization fund/ because that will keep people employed

$200,000,000 to Safe Schools Emergency Response to Violence Program

$300,000,000 to Public Broadcasting

$500,000,000 to Museums and Libraries

$720,000,000 to Social Security Admin / but get this only 200,000,000 is to help people. The rest is for admin costs

$25,000,000 for Cleaning supplies for the Capitol Building / page 136

$7,500,000 to the Smithsonian for additional salaries

$35,000,000 to the JFK Center for performing Arts

$25,000,000 for additional salary for House of Representatives

$3,000,000,000 upgrade to the IT department at the VA

$315,000,000 for State Department Diplomatic Programs

$95,000,000 for the Agency of International Development

$300,000,000 for International Disaster Assistance

$300,000,000 for Migrant and Refugee Assistance pg 147

$90,000,000 for the Peace Corp pg 148

$13,000,000 to Howard University pg 121

9,000,000 Misc Senate Expenses pg 134

$100,000,000 to Essential Air carriers pg 162 This of note because the Airlines are going to need billions in loans to keep them afloat. $100,000,000 is chump change

$40,000,000,000 goes to the Take Responsibility to Workers and Families Act. This sounds like it's direct payments for workers. Pg 164

$1,000,000,000 Airlines Recycle and Save Program pg 163

$25,000,000 to the FAA for administrative costs pg 165

$492,000,000 to National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) pg 167

$526,000,000 Grants to Amtrak to remain available if needed through 2021 pg 168 (what are the odds that doesn't go unused)

Hidden on page 174 the Secretary has 7 days to allocate the funds & notify Congress

$25,000,000,000 for Transit Infrastructure pg 169

$3,000,000 Maritime Administration pg 172

$5,000,000 Salaries and Expensive Office of the Inspector General pg 172

No voter ID to get a ballot, & anonymous “ballot harvesting” pg 650

$2,500,000 Public and Indian Housing pg 175

$5,000,000 Community Planning and Development pg 175

$2,500,000 Office of Housing

$1,500,000,000 Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Office of Public and Indian Housing. 1,000,000,000 of which can be used as "additional administrative and other expenses". pg 176

$720,000,000 to the public housing fund pg 177

$100,000,000 for Community Block Grants for Native Americans pg 183

$250,000,000 for Housing Block Grants for Tribes pg 182

$130,000,000 for AIDS Housing pg 185

$20,000,000 of which goes to one time grantees whatever the hell that means pg 186

$15,000,000,000 for the Community Development Fund pg 188

Only $10,000,000 of which is set aside for infrastructure for fighting infectious disease pg 191

$5,000,000,000 in Homeless Assistance pg 193

$100,000,000,000 for Rental Assistance - pg 198

An additional $7,000,000 enforce the Fair Housing Act - 203

Paid Family Leave for Sickness is 2 paid work weeks pg 213

Emergency Family Leave

Now applies to all employers not just companies over 500 employees pg 208

Guarantees paid leave to employees who have an in-law who gets sick pg 209

Opens up leave for some you are in a "committed relationships with" pg 212

$1,000,000,000 for more Obamaphones!

This shows me that they don't really think this is a big deal. Business as usual. Use a crisis to rob us blind.

Still reading......

$227,000,000 for grants to States for youth

2 activities pg 80

$261,000,000 for grants to States for dislocated worker employment and training activities, including supportive services and needs-related payments; pg 80

$10,000,000 for Migrant and Seasonal

Farmworker programs...WTF??

$100,000,000 for ‘‘Job Corps’’,

$15,000,000 for ‘‘Program Administration’’,

$6,500,000, to the ‘‘Wage and Hour Division’’,

$30,000,000, to OSHA

$10,000,000 for Susan Harwood training grants

$1,300,000,000, for ‘‘Primary Health Care’’,

$75,000,000, for ‘‘Student Aid Administration’’,

$9,500,000,000, for ‘‘Higher Education’’

amarius wrote: OK, glad to see everybody sharing  their points of view.

Can we keep this civil?

dude, this IS civil for MP. where you been?

grog m wrote: I wouldn't mind if many gyms closed. It would be great to see a decline in the popularity of this sport. 

Agreed, if we can dramatically reduce gym access for kids then I might be able to climb harder than some preteens again in a few years

Mike Lane wrote

$720,000,000 to Social Security Admin / but get this only 200,000,000 is to help people. The rest is for admin costs

$25,000,000 for Cleaning supplies for the Capitol Building / page 136

$25,000,000 for additional salary for House of Representatives

$9,000,000 Misc Senate Expenses pg 134

$100,000,000 to Essential Air carriers pg 162 This of note because the Airlines are going to need billions in loans to keep them afloat. $100,000,000 is chump change

No voter ID to get a ballot, & anonymous “ballot harvesting” pg 650

$130,000,000 for AIDS Housing pg 185

Only $10,000,000 of which is set aside for infrastructure for fighting infectious disease pg 191

$100,000,000,000 for Rental Assistance - pg 198

$1,000,000,000 for more Obamaphones!

First of all, the meme is fantastic. Second, while all of those beg the question - why??  I have highlighted my true WTFs above.

I don’t understand why this money needs to go to specific industries, as opposed to people who find themselves temporarily unemployed through no fault of their own.

I actually don’t particularly want to bail out the climbing gym owners. Not more or less than the owners of nail salons. Businesses should have means to weather out a temporary shortfall in revenues. Even small businesses.

I think some sort of “suspend/extend mortgage payments for businesses that are closed due to stay-at-home orders” would be fair.  

But I very much want people who are on unpaid leaves to get replacement income and health insurance for the duration of the shutdown. Regardless of which industry they work in

Lena chita wrote: I don’t understand why this money needs to go to specific industries, as opposed to people who find themselves temporarily unemployed through no fault of their own.

I actually don’t particularly want to bail out the climbing gym owners. Not more or less than the owners of nail salons. Businesses should have means to weather out a temporary shortfall in revenues. Even small businesses.

I think some sort of “suspend/extend mortgage payments for businesses that are closed due to stay-at-home orders” would be fair.  

But I very much want people who are on unpaid leaves to get replacement income and health insurance for the duration of the shutdown. Regardless of which industry they work in

This.

A petition advocating assistance for individuals who find themselves without income is more likely to see any sort of real attention rather than this "please bail out the gyms because I miss them" petition.  That being said, it's difficult to imagine Congress even caring about these petitions at all.

Small businesses already have a number of options to help them stay afloat right now, small business loans on damn near no interest over 30 years are the first that come to mind.  Employees, whether they work at a climbing gym or otherwise, who lost their jobs and aren't being paid by their employer are the ones who are at the most risk of economic disaster right now.

Disclaimer: I am a furloughed climbing gym employee who is not seeing any pay right now. This has made me entirely reconsider my modest career goals that I had set in place in the last year or so.

Lena chita wrote: I don’t understand why this money needs to go to specific industries, as opposed to people who find themselves temporarily unemployed through no fault of their own.

I actually don’t particularly want to bail out the climbing gym owners. Not more or less than the owners of nail salons. Businesses should have means to weather out a temporary shortfall in revenues. Even small businesses.

I think some sort of “suspend/extend mortgage payments for businesses that are closed due to stay-at-home orders” would be fair.  

But I very much want people who are on unpaid leaves to get replacement income and health insurance for the duration of the shutdown. Regardless of which industry they work in

Senators don't own a lot of stock in "people who find themselves temporarily unemployed" or get much in campaign donations from them.

Will G wrote:Disclaimer: I am a furloughed climbing gym employee who is not seeing any pay right now. This has made me entirely reconsider my modest career goals that I had set in place in the last year or so.

Good on you young man! Your future self won't regret it!

Curious the thought process behind your decision. What IS important to you in life?

Im sorry but the parent company of earth treks is not a small business. Get your shit together people, there are businesses out there that are far more in need. 

Signed and paid.

Glad to know our government is spending money on more than just big corporation and tax cuts for the wealthy. . . Nice to see numbers in this size for non defense items.

If the majority of citizens want funding for the Kennedy center, humanities, unions, etc. then why must it be buried in an emergency pandemic measure?  How long did this "add-on" delay help for those that actually need it?

If this wasn't an election year, I bet the size of this bill would be much less than half. It's mostly vote buying and stock market bribing going on (especially the $1200 to everyone including the facebook/google... employees who are working from home with full pay).

It's funny to see how many of the politicians who were/are (trying) making sarcastic fun of the corona virus health recommendations: "OMG! The sky is falling, the sky is falling!" at the same time as they are dead serious when they say "OMG! The sky is falling, the sky is falling!" with respect to the stock market level being the same as three years ago.

Here's a little "challenge" for you who strongly favor more economic support for the health care system: Since health care in this country is private for-profit, this should be the best time ever with lots of customers and profits. Why would an industry swamped with customers need additional support?

Patrik wrote:(especially the $1200 to everyone including the facebook/google... employees who are working from home with full pay).

FYI, majority of Facebook/Google FTE earn more than the income cutoff to qualify for the check. Not to mention it's not like they aren't getting an effective pay cut as the equity grants are worth quite a bit less. And who do you think will end up paying more of each of those $1200 check, you or one of them?

Doesn't mean you need to feel sorry for them, but facts are facts.

Since health care in this country is private for-profit, this should be the best time ever with lots of customers and profits. Why would an industry swamped with customers need additional support?

Did you know that if you are unable to pay and went to the ER, hospitals are still required to treat you?

Dave K wrote:
 
Maybe if Trump spent his evenings at Central Rock Gym we'd see funding for climbing gyms. But who here would trust him to belay them?

At least you wouldn't have to worry about decking because of a lighter belayer being lifted off the ground.

Robert S wrote:

At least you wouldn't have to worry about decking because of a lighter belayer being lifted off the ground.

and i'd be worried about his rope handing ability with those...tiny hands...

plus, he seems like an ATC kinda guy...