Letter: Selective socialism
In case anyone missed the Chicago Tribune article in January, I think revisiting it may serve as a reminder, before heading to the polls. In a Facebook post Darren Bailey denounced both the extension of federally enhanced state jobless benefits as socialism. However, Darren Bailey's operations received multiple handouts in 2020 - 2022.
1. Paycheck Protection Program under the Small Business Administration - $231,475 to support 11 jobs at his family farm, in February.
2. A month later, Bailey Family Farms reported a personal loan of $150,000 to his campaign for governor. I guess his personal campaign would be a "job" in need of support from the federal government? (When asked why Bailey's farm needed the PPP loan if he personally had money to give his campaign for governor, Bailey's campaign did not directly answer the question.)
3. Bailey Family Farms got $282,424 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Coronavirus Food Assistance Program in 2020 to compensate farmers for COVID-19 related losses.
4. Bailey Family Farms, Bailey Family Freight and the Virtue House Ministries Christian School run by his wife, received $569,045 in so-called PPP loans from April 2020 to February 2021.
5. In addition to the PPP and Coronavirus Food Assistance payments, Bailey has received $2.1 million in federal agriculture corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum subsidies for his five-county farming operation, since 1995.
Gary Rabine received $2.7 million. Jesse Sullivan, a Petersburg entrepreneur, received $67,545 for his Alter Global firm to cover four jobs in May 2020.
I guess it depends on who has their very, very big hands out for welfare checks, whether it is SOCIALISM or shush ... socialism.
Sandy Sanderson
Warrenville