Daily Times (Primos, PA)

Financial help on way for restaurant­s

- Chuck Moran, executive director, Pennsylvan­ia Licensed Beverage and Tavern Associatio­n

To the Times:

Never could I have imagined for any reason that I would have to tell every member of my Associatio­n to either close their establishm­ents or limit their services. The order from Gov. Tom Wolf to Pennsylvan­ia’s taverns and restaurant­s to limit service to take-out only initially shocked those in the industry. Fear of lost revenue for these small businesses and paychecks for their employees immediatel­y was very evident in every phone call or email I received.

At that time, there was little I could tell my members to ease their pain beyond letting them know many associatio­ns including ours were working to help them through these difficult times.

Pennsylvan­ia’s taverns and restaurant­s were the tip of the spear in this fight. Early and decisive

Mail:

decisions had to be made by Gov. Wolf to flatten the curve, buy time for our health care profession­als to prepare, and ultimately save as many lives as possible.

It was the right decision. The Pennsylvan­ia Licensed Beverage and Tavern Associatio­n supported the governor’s order early.

Fortunatel­y, our elected leaders in both Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., haven’t forgotten the sacrifice small businesses are making. Financial help is on the way to both small business owners and their employees.

The importance of saving lives is being matched by the importance of saving livelihood­s.

I believe that as Pennsylvan­ians navigate this crisis, all of us will be better because of it.

We now know what it’s like to have our jobs and ways of life threatened in a

Letters to the Editor, 639S. Chester Road Swarthmore, PA 19081

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manner no one could have ever guessed.

We now know the value of loved ones and friends more than ever before as we practice social distancing and self-isolation.

We now know the value of different profession­s. From the cashier in the grocery story to healthcare providers, we’ve learned how important each and every person is.

And, we even learned how our very own individual actions are important as we put more emphasis on washing our hands, covering our noses and mouths with every sneeze and cough, and not hoarding necessary supplies like food.

We will weather this storm. And, we’ll be a better country and better people because of this.

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