Small business owner realizes that that free Covid money isn't so free

by djbigf

Community

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Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026 Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026 at 11:30:20am PST

Karate Kid, fight scene.. Karate Kid (1984) — No mercy.

https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/5692543-small-business-loan-debt-trap/amp/

How a pandemic rescue became a 30-year debt trap

This is a call for fiscal realism. A focused repair plan can protect taxpayers and keep viable small businesses from closing. Economic Injury Disaster Loan loans were emergency stabilization tools issued during a declared national disaster. That makes them fundamentally different from student loan forgiveness, which addresses voluntary education debt. Fixing this will cost far less than the tax revenue lost when a small business shutters.

Too small to fail? 🙄

Good luck getting any sympathy from the Trump administration, or me. There were a lot of businesses that took that money that didn't need it. Sometimes free money ain't so free. Caveat emptor. The author bringing up student loan forgiveness as a comparator is rich irony (emphasis on voluntary is mine). "Small businesses who pay people starvation wages with no benefits need the money more than lazy art history majors!" Gimme a break.