KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Essential workers in Kalamazoo County could have some bonus pay coming from the American Rescue Plan.
County officials say they will have about $50-million in COVID-19 relief money to spend, but it’s not enough to fully eradicate the effects of the Pandemic. Other things that could be covered under federal rules include water improvements, broadband costs, fighting gun violence, among other issues.
Mayor Dave Anderson has already suggested a joint effort to deal with the rising gun violence rates and Board Chair Tracy Hall says this could help fund it. There are also provisions for not only giving essential county workers bonuses but tens of thousands of others in the private sector who went to work when others sheltered at home.
Setting those priorities will begin later this month when the board will hold a virtual session to get public input. They may also conduct a survey and there will be other opportunities for input. That session will be on August 24th at 5:00 p.m..
Guys: Grocery, home health aides, VERY dedicated.
The only county workers it should allow to give bonuses to are police and fire fighters who could not control the environment in which they did their work.
The real “front line” workers are those who dealt with sick patients and those who gave vaccinations. Lots of Walgreens and Meijer workers.
The forgotten “near front line workers” were the people who supported the “front line” workers, washing infected clothing, disposing of infected samples and needles, who came into contact with far more dangerous concentrations of the virus than the general public, but were able to take the proper safety precautions. These people, although EXTREMELY APPRECIATED, and were in fact deemed “essential” were able to control the risks and therefore should not get compensated with this bill.
And most certainly, no county government worker who just showed up for work deserves any kind of bonus, because the majority of us in the private sector who were deemed “essential” showed up too and we’re not expecting bonuses.