MESSAGE FROM
WPT PRESIDENT MIKE MARSCH
|
|
SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDER IS AN OVERREACH
|
I’m back for a 2
nd
week, but let’s hope our old normal is near. Like you, I never thought in my lifetime I’d be dealing with circumstances like this. We’ve read or heard some very inspiring statements from past and present men and women in leadership this past week. Let me assure you, this will be our finest hour. Our great country will get through this and WPT will do its part.
Now is a great opportunity to be about more, except when it pertains to our government. Don’t get me wrong, this is a very serious pandemic we can’t ignore or pretend doesn’t exist, but some in our government will use crisis to justify their views on why big government is the answer. In my opinion, the Government’s decision to close many small businesses this past week was an overreach. To suggest bars, restaurants and hair salons don’t care enough about their patrons or staff and are incapable of taking the necessary precautions to protect their customers is insulting. Government could’ve implemented additional regulations to ensure safety, such as limiting capacity standards, mandatory sanitizer dispensing and wearing gloves, but instead exercised government overreach.
If certain Madison or Milwaukee businesses, where the majority of Covid-19 currently exists, need to shut down, let the mayors or county executives make those decisions. We don’t need the Government telling businesses in rural Wisconsin counties and cities, with no known cases, to shut down and jeopardize our small business livelihoods. Yes, we need to react with a safety-first mentality, but the proponents of government know best, are using this opportunity to further their own political agenda by imposing more regulation and mandates. If they keep this up, the consequences of protecting our public health will cost us our economic health and the long-term destruction could be far worse. Please practice faith over fear and hope over hype.
Today a decision was made to enact shelter-in-place policy, an order which forces the closure of all non-essential businesses. I was of the opinion all of us in small business are essential, but apparently not. A full list of essential businesses that will be allowed to remain open will be released tomorrow. We will send it out as soon as we see it, but from what we understand, the essential list will be modeled after what Ohio enacted. I hope it includes you.
WPT continues to engage the process of governance at all levels. Our intent is to make certain small business get their share of the dollars that will be made available. Big business will be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but they have better access to institutional money and help than small business. Yes, I understand trickle down economics, but we need to make certain there’s something left to trickle down to. Once again, WPT Government and Member Relations Director John Jacobson continues to do an admirable job, providing us with accurate sound information and is lobbying for our rights, protections and resources.
As of tomorrow, our Member Representatives will be forced off the streets. We will be contacting our members, who are up for renewal, by phone to renew your membership, listen to your response and provide an update. Thanks for all your support and the appreciation you’ve expressed for our effort. It’s so awesome knowing you recognize our value and acknowledge our effectiveness as we work through this crisis together. If you need to talk, we’re here to listen. In crisis, we find new ways to adapt and find new ways to create opportunity. God’s greatest miracles have occurred during the worst circumstances. Be faithful!
|
|
CURRENT COVID-19 INFORMATION AND EMPLOYER RESOURCES AVAILABLE
|
|
You will also be able to view various resources for small businesses, and
information regarding the
new paid sick leave requirements for employers
. Should you require our assistance, please call our Madison office at 608-255-7473 or e-mail info@wptonline.org.
|
|
NEWS FROM THE CAPITOL AND AROUND WISCONSIN
|
|
EVERS TO ISSUE SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDER
|
In a Tweet today, Governor Tony Evers announced he will order all non-essential businesses to close later this week, and restrict individuals from leaving their homes for any other purpose than to buy food, go to the doctor, pharmacy, or to exercise.
While details will not be released until tomorrow, here is Evers' Tweet in its entirety.
We have been working hard to ensure the health and safety of the people of our state as we have responded to COVID-19. We’ve taken important steps, but folks, time is of the essence. So today I’m announcing we'll be issuing a
#SaferAtHome
order tomorrow. Here’s what this means
As we’ve worked to respond to and prevent the spread of COVID-19, we've have been careful to listen to public health experts and to be mindful of the effects our proactive steps could and will have on our frontline workers and the most vulnerable in our communities.
Over the past few days, I’ve talked with public health experts and with business leaders and local elected officials around the state. Overwhelmingly the response I heard is that we need an all-hands-on-deck approach to stopping the spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin.
In fact, business leaders have suggested that it is imperative to slow the growth of the disease and that the state cease all non-essential business statewide. And, folks, all hands on deck means you, too.
I know this has been difficult and has disrupted the lives of people across our state. That’s why issuing a
#SaferAtHome
order isn’t something I thought we’d have to do, and it’s not something I take lightly. But here’s the bottom line: folks need to start taking this seriously.
People across our state are still out and about unnecessarily that are putting our friends, our neighbors, and our communities at risk. Please
#StayHome
and help us save lives.
We also need folks to limit their interactions to the same people, not different small groups. Shrinking your circle of interactions will help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Unfortunately that means no sleepovers, no play dates, and no dinner parties with friends and neighbors.
We’re all in this together, and each and every one of us has to do our part to help slow the spread of COVID-19 so we can
#FlattenTheCurve
to ensure our doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers have the opportunity to do their important work.
You can still get out and walk the dogs—it’s good exercise and it’s good for everyone’s mental health—but please don’t take any other unnecessary trips, and limit your travel to essential needs like going to the doctor, grabbing groceries, or getting medication.
Workers providing essential care or services in our communities will be allowed to continue to travel to and from work. That includes folks like healthcare professionals, grocers, family caregivers, among other people whose work is critical for folks across our state.
If it’s essential for you to go outside, please stay 6 feet away from others and shared spaces such as park shelters and visitor centers.
There will be additional details soon about what this order means for you, but I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to prepare and plan ahead so you can help do your part to keep our friends, neighbors, and communities safe.
In the days, weeks, and months ahead we will continue listening to the public health experts, healthcare providers, first responders, and businesses and workers on the frontlines. And as I listen and learn I will continue to share updates with the people of Wisconsin.
In the meantime, everyone is
#SaferAtHome
, folks. Let’s all do our part and work together.
|
|
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SIGNALS SOCIAL DISTANCING RESTRICTIONS COULD BE LIFTED
|
In a Tweet, President Donald J. Trump said he will consider lifting the social distancing requirements.
"WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF. AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO!"
The fifteen day period that the President referenced began on March 16th, and would expire on Tuesday, March 31st.
|
|
GOP LEGISLATIVE LEADERS ON SATURDAY:
FURTHER SHUTDOWN OF BUSINESSES UNNECESSARY
|
Less than 48 hours before Governor Tony Evers announced he would be issuing a "shelter-in-place" order, the GOP leaders of the state legislature issued a statement on Saturday, saying they feel additional closures of businesses would be unnecessary.
The governor of the state can only declare a state of emergency for up to 60 days. After such time, it can only be extended by the state legislature. Given their verbiage on Saturday, it could be assumed that the emergency declaration would not last beyond mid-May.
Here is their statement in its entirety:
"As the state of Wisconsin faces the enormous challenges of responding to a public health crisis due to COVID-19, legislative leaders from both houses would like to acknowledge the efforts made by Wisconsin's health care workers, public health workers, and everyone else in the front lines of this pandemic. We would also like to thank the Evers' administration for their efforts to open up lines of communication so that we, as elected officials, are able to communicate as much as possible to our constituents as the situation changes on an hour-by-hour basis.
"With news that states around the country and even Illinois are moving to suspend business operations, we as legislative leaders agree with the Governor's statements on Friday that a further shutdown of businesses in Wisconsin is unnecessary. The consequences felt by citizens and small businesses around the state has already been tremendous.
"As we move forward together in this fight to defeat the virus, we must keep in mind that the people we serve need the jobs they have today to help weather this storm. Continued economic activity will not only help us in our fight against this virus today, it will also ensure that we don't have to fight to recover from economic collapse tomorrow."
|
|
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS URGE ACTION ON VOTING, ELECTION DAY
|
A group of local officials is calling on state government leaders to take action to protect voters from contracting or spreading COVID-19 on election day and at early voting locations. Some leaders around the state are also calling for Governor Evers to reschedule the election, as other states have done.
Here is their letter in its entirety:
Dear Governor Evers, Speaker Vos and Majority Leader Fitzgerald:
We want to thank you for your leadership related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been thoughtful, responsible, and smartly aggressive, as you take the actions necessary to reduce spread of the illness and keep Wisconsinites safe.
We urgently as you to apply that same approach to voting. Please take action now to reduce the risk of our residents, members of our staff and our election workers, and to avoid unnecessary disenfranchisement of voters.
In many communities across Wisconsin, in-person absentee voting has already begun. Nearly all places will start such voting tomorrow, and it will continue for the next two weeks. Based on the dramatic increase in absentee voting that we have already experienced, it is almost certain that large numbers of people will show up at government buildings to vote this way. The health risks involved will be multiplied once again on the actual Election Day, April 7.
Please offer us solutions to protect those citizens.
Local government leaders and each of the local government organizations have presented a number of options to various state offices for protecting citizens' health and rights to vote. As yet we have not seen a sufficient response from the state. More needs to be done and done quickly.
Advice and orders from federal, state and local public health professionals is clear: Limit personal contact, especially in large groups (more than 10 currently). Please give us the tools to live by this when it comes to voting.
We recognize concerns about disenfranchisement, and we fully support our rules around elections in normal situations. These are not normal circumstances -- and the potential for disenfranchisement is actually higher if we proceed like we are. Many people will stay away from the polls for fear of contacting COVID-19, or spreading it, unless something changes.
Please do not force citizens to choose between getting sick, or voting. Act now.
In good health,
(Signatories)
|
|
UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS SURGED LAST WEEK
|
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has created a website for the public to show the statistics of unemployment claims in Wisconsin during the government's COVID-19 response.
Sunday, 1,499 (2020) vs. 826 (2019)
Monday, 4,392 (2020) vs. 1,329 (2019)
Tuesday 8,603 (2020) vs. 818 (2019)
Wednesday 14,988 (2020) vs. 725 (2019)
Thursday 16,252 (2020) vs. 703 (2019)
Friday 17,094 (2020) vs. 798 (2019)
Saturday 6,514 (2020) vs. 26 (2019)
Total- 69,342 claims in one week, versus the same week last year, which totaled 5,225 claims.
So far this week, on Sunday, 10,872 individuals claimed unemployment, versus 963 last year.
|
|
By clicking the link, you acknowledge that it is the policy of WPT, Inc. to publish all comments that are submitted by members each week, often including broad differences of opinion within the weekly responses. Our organization values our role in fostering dialogue within our membership, but does not take responsibility for the individual views and opinions expressed herein. It is the right of WPT to remove responses that what the organization deems to be vulgar, hateful, or inflammatory language.
|
|
WEEKLY MEMBER POLL RESULTS
|
|
Governor Evers has closed K-12 schools in Wisconsin until at least April 6th. What do you think of this decision?
|
|
better safe than sorry
I would just like the truth about covid not media hype and expected political ideals
Doing a good job but let's not panic.
As a school board member and as a difficult task of still educating our children this presents us, it is better to keep everyone safe from sickness.
This is smart and simple arithmetic. It will slow down the initial spread of the virus by a factor of at least 10x.
Keep this closed as long as it takes. We can take care of all of this easily over the internet!
the ONLY viable way to eliminate transmission of this is to stay away from each other!! A good decision.
time to use common sense - all the young kids are going to be in close quarters with others anyway - either in an overcrowded daycare trying to care of kids or at home where someone isn't working and taking care of as many kids as she can because there's no where else for them to go.
The steps being taken today will help to flatten the epidemic curve and prevent the healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed. It's inconvenient, but it's temporary. These actions must be taken for the greater good.
Corona virus is overhyped by the media and politicians.Remember the "terrible" swine flu some years back? We survived that pretty well without shutting down the world.
Just don't know. Uncharted territory. Doing what we hope is correct.
I don’t know if the state has taken all the correct actions to mitigate this, and time will judge
I think if people who are sick should stay home until healthy and not be penilized for staying home. Children who are sick for more than 14 days from school the parents are notified because they should be in school. We all get sick at sometime and it takes time to get well.
Our area of school was close in February because of so many students being sick and had the school sanitized. I am thinking we had this virus then. But better to be pro active.
Great, keep everyone as safe as possilble.
|
|
Governor Evers announced legislation to combat spring flooding in Wisconsin. What do you think?
|
|
fix the problem rather than try to clean up the aftermath
build in low area or do not follow conservation practices now need bail out
We can pull Fed funds for some of the lake front damage. good choice.
I support these bills, but also think that homeowners and business owners should be advised to purchase flood insurance if they reside in an area that frequently floods.
Can we use existing resources in a team effort with legislature, not just throw money at everything?
Offer buyouts to people in the 100 year flood zone. Convert space to parks / green space.
People should know where the flood plains are before they build on it.
|
|
The Wisconsin Elections Commission has uncovered 43 cases of cross-state voting in the 2018 General Election. Are you surprised?
|
|
identify and prosecute the offenders
still a non measurable amount
These people should be prosecuted because of their actions. Barred from voting at all for a specified number of years.
This has been a problem that others have turned a blind eye hoping to take advantage.
Only 43 out of 2.6m? Then we are doing a good job on this issue.
I think that no matter what you do there is always going to be a number of cases of unscrupulous activity in elections
Surprised its so little, or maybe we caught so few repubs trying to hold onto power...
why isn't everyone required to show id to vote? don't we have controls in place to verify everyone is eligible to vote at the polls?
This represents 0.002% of the 2.6 million votes. Enough said. The amount of voter fraud is so negligible it's not worth the time and effort to investigate. We should be more concerned about voter suppression and gerrymandering.
Yes voter ID and purge election rolls to clean up the list so it is accurate and educate public on voter registration and actual voting requirements in advance
Would like to discover what party was 'favored'.
Yes more should be done. They people who didn't respond to postcards from Wisconsin about where they live then they should be off. They can always reregister.
Absolutely
yes,it is criminal to vote more than once and those who do it should be prosecuted
You bet!
|
|
Have you ever received unclaimed property from the state?
|
|
But I am trying! thx for the link!
|
|
How are you dealing with this situation? Would you like to share any tips that you have implemented for your small business or farm in response? Please share any thoughts here that you would like to share with readers...
...or share an inspiring quote or something you use to get you and your family through difficult times.
|
|
Staying home, watching tv. Did not buy all the TP.
We have had private conversations with all of our employees with school age children and have told them that we will work with them if they have any day care issues. So far, all of these employees say they are managing. We are lucky.
My son owns an auto repair shop. He is wearing gloves when he works on vehicles and when our customers pay their bills, we are keeping those surfaces cleansed for their safety.
I am taking higher vitamins (especially D)and washing more frequently. This to shall pass, so keep focus on getting your job done in a excellent way
We are being vigilant. Our area has no "local" cases as of yet, with the nearest case about 45 minutes away. If things start to pop up, I will have to close my store. I have employees over 60 years of age and with heart conditions. And I, myself, have a lung condition... and 4 of my children have autoimmune issues. So this could be financially very bad if things keep getting worse.
keep people safe close down the state
Life must to on.
Hey, if you live under a rock its easy! Stay away from every body, and wash your damn hands!
use common sense - there are a lot of people out there who can't work because of restrictions that won't be able to make rent. understand this may be a terrible pandemic, but not sure shutting down everything is the answer
We have met with our staff to answer their questions and respond to any concerns. We are now wiping down surfaces that are frequently touched (door handles, light switches, microwave door, faucets, credit card machines, phones, etc.) several times each day. Staff have been told to practice good hygiene and to stay home if they have any symptoms - fever, cough, etc. We're hopeful that the steps taken today will prevent the spread and that business will be back to normal by May/June.
we've simply asked people to avoid large social settings and if they feel at all in compromised health to NOT come to work.
just day to day
We might all be broke after the media and the politicians get done with us.
Keep pushing forward!
Day by day. Our grandfathers and fathers served during WW2 and the Korean Conflict - if we have to hunker down for a month that's no problem.
The facts are facts but positive outlook in the face of adversity beats fear and fear mongering. Use common sense. Be cautious. Follow the experts recommendations. And....if you were the one who had 10 cases of toilet paper in your cart....put nine cases back!
Just trying to eke out a living while Wealthy get bailed out. Another trickle down FAILURE
Our family runs our farm. We have been cleaning our hands and clothing more. Prayer gets you through the tough times. Farmers have been dealing with hard times for 5 years.
Just try to be a little more pro active. And also take any precautions that need to be. Use a little common sense also would be best. And do nkt over react.
It's out of our hands. Time will tell whether the over reaction by our government was necessary. I hope our financial losses were necessary.
I think that it is ridicules that our public schools think that they are responsible to feed students and find day care. It is the parents job!Do you really want the government to control every aspect of your life? That would be socialism! not me!!!
Forget the politics for now and strive to get through this the best we can, united.
|
|
- Association Health Insurance
- Voluntary Employee Benefits
- Legal Services
- Property Tax Assessment Services
- Accounting Services
- WPT Consulting
Please note: Members wishing to take advantage of benefits must be referred by WPT. Click below to learn more and begin the process today.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
