Actor, activist and entrepreneur Benjamin Evans has penned a letter to government officials stating that the response has been insufficient in helping Americans who are struggling financially as a result of the coronavirus. He posted a video on the subject to Instagram.
Evans sent copies of the letter to the president; California sens. Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein; U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other elected officials in California where he resides. He is also willing to send the letter to officials in other states.
Evans is the owner of Evans & Associates, a full-service strategic branding and business management consulting firm.
He knows first-hand the impact the coronavirus is having on Americans’ livelihood. He rejects putting American lives at risk by sending them back into the workforce prematurely. Instead, Evans favors a more sustainable government response for Americans who would otherwise be working hard and contributing to the economy.
Below is Evans’ full letter to government officials across the nation and accompanying video.
Dear Sir/Madam:
As you are aware, we are all living in unprecedented times. Worst-case scenarios have become our reality and what we’ve only seen in movies have now become our everyday. COVID-19 is a new experience for all of us. We have suffered tremendous loss with no clear end in sight. As we navigate this global outbreak, I want to first thank you for making our health and safety a paramount concern. And while I know most of you are working extremely hard to deal with the impacts of COVID-19, I’d like to bring to your attention some matters that are in need of urgent consideration.
As you know, millions of Americans are now unemployed or unable to work. I am one of those Americans. I am an actor, entrepreneur, and speaker. Most of my livelihood depends on my ability to book gigs and those gigs generally require travel and an audience. In light of the necessary Stay At Home Orders and the pending aftermath of recovery efforts, I (along with many Americans) am uncertain as to when I will be able to get back to work to earn a living wage. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has warned against attempts to place concrete time limits on this coronavirus pandemic, telling CNN’s Chris Cuomo “You don’t make the timeline. The virus makes the timeline.” As such, I have now come to terms with the landscape of our new reality where time and certainty are illusive. And although I have accepted the fact that my inability to earn an income may be for a term longer than anyone can anticipate, a massive gap exists between the expectations placed on the everyday American during this time and the relief made available to those Americans.
Unfortunately, Dr. Fauci’s warnings and the global mandate to make adjustments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have not sufficiently resonated with my bills and their collectors. Consequently, while I am grateful for unemployment benefits and other government assistance programs, it is not enough for the everyday American. Despite being a single man whose responsibilities for care are limited to myself, what has been offered for people like me is insufficient. The challenges that many Americans are facing right now are not difficult to imagine. On top of losing loved ones, canceled graduations, parents becoming teachers, people losing jobs, disruption of normal life, and hours upon hours of sheltering in place, many families are struggling with how to financially care for themselves.
It is important to note that as a result of your swift leadership, many Americans have been given much needed temporary relief. The Economic Impact Payment stimulus checks, mortgage freezes, eviction moratoriums, utility grace periods, and food assistance programs, have all been helpful. Unfortunately, it is still not enough.
First, the eviction moratorium helps protect me against homelessness now, but it will not assist me once demands are made for past-due rent to be paid back within an unreasonable amount of time. Many Americans will find themselves burdened with unrealistic expectations to satisfy outstanding payments. Once Americans are ultimately able to get back to work, it is highly unlikely that they will have the additional resources to meet their monthly obligations while also satisfying past-due rents without penalty.
Second, car note deferment helps protect me now, but it adds tremendous penalty to my financial obligation to my financial institution and also puts my credit score at risk. I called my financial institution and explained my loss of income due to COVID-19. They explained that I could pay my car note late with no late fees or defer for two months. But after 30 days of non-payment they would report me to the credit bureau.
Third, the Treasury Department and Small Business Administration have already used the entirety of funding allotted for the Paycheck Protection Program. Many small businesses, myself included, have not received a dime of that money while some big businesses like Shake Shack and Ruth’s Chris Steak House have been reported to receive 10s of millions of dollars. How is this possible? How was this allocated? What other big businesses did it go to? And what was the percentage given to minority- and women-owned businesses?
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 70: Jamarlin Martin
Jamarlin goes solo to discuss the COVID-19 crisis. He talks about the failed leadership of Trump, Andrew Cuomo, CDC Director Robert Redfield, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, and New York Mayor de Blasio.
While I’m doing everything in my power to keep myself safe and decrease the spread of this virus, I am asking that you do everything in your power to ensure the health, safety and financial protection for every American to the extent possible. If we don’t enact effective financial protection measures that are directly beneficial to the everyday American, we won’t have much of an America to look forward to once we are able to bring this virus to heel.
Here are a few initiatives that I think are critical to America’s future. And with the coordination of all your offices, I believe it can get done quickly. I hope you hear me, put partisan politics to the side, and save America from financial ruin.
Some of these policies may be in the works or already in place in some cities. We need to see them implemented nationally with improved coordination at all levels of government. While the proposed $2,000 monthly stipend is a great idea and well needed, it still insufficient for many families. We need additional policies in place that will mitigate financial decline for the everyday American.
The impact of failing to adequately protect American families will be brutal. So far we have seen trillions in bailouts for large companies with little to no oversight. And even still, those companies are laying off their employees. Additionally, some companies who can afford to keep paying their workforce have stopped. Millions more will lose their jobs and source of income in the coming weeks and months. You have an obligation and the Constitutional authority to do something about it. These policies enacted so far only put a dent in pending financial ruin. As an everyday American, I am requesting you think harder about the long-term economic impact this pandemic will have on American families and take further action.
Please save America!
You can follow Evans on Instagram @ibencarlton.
