‘Going to be late on my rent.’ Tearful Tri-City video should be sent to Congress | Editorial

The heartfelt video by community leaders and struggling Tri-Citians asking Gov. Jay Inslee to soften his latest round of COVID restrictions is pitch-perfect.

The video released this week struck just the right tone. It captured the suffering of those whose livelihoods have been decimated by state mandates, while at the same time acknowledged the seriousness of the virus and implored citizens to be safe.

The timing, though, was unfortunate.

It was only hours after the video was released on the Tri-City Herald website that Inslee announced his decision to extend the restrictions he put in place before Thanksgiving.

Indoor dining at restaurants will be prohibited through Jan. 4, and gyms and entertainment venues like movie theaters and bowling alleys will continue to be shut down.

Considering that COVID-19 cases are worse than ever, deaths are climbing and exhausted hospital workers across the state say space for ICU patients is at a breaking point, it is no wonder that Inslee decided to keep the restrictions going into the new year.

But while the video is aimed at Inslee, there is no reason it can’t also be a tool used to get our federal leaders to quit their bickering and pass a meaningful stimulus bill.

Its message is powerful enough that it should be sent out to Washington, D.C., and we would encourage our congressional delegation to take it to heart and use it to get a financial aid package together as quickly as possible.

The federal government took no time at all to get the first $1,200 relief checks to citizens last spring. But now, as the pandemic has dragged on and people are struggling more than ever, political posturing on both sides of the aisle has gotten in the way of providing financial help to those who are on the brink of losing everything

Taking away people’s incomes and not providing them with a guaranteed safety net is cruel and inhumane. The state has helped some, but more must be done and the federal government has stalled too long.

While we understand the pleas to reopen the Tri-Cities, with COVID cases on the rise it’s a tough ask.

In the Tri-Cities, coronavirus cases are shooting up like a rocket — 315 new cases reported on Tuesday, according to the Benton Franklin Health District.

That brings the number of confirmed cases to 16,311, and comes just one day after the health district reported a 676-case increase from over a 3-day period.

Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 184,404 cases and 2,941 deaths, up from 177,447 cases Sunday and 2,925 deaths Friday.

With such a deadly surge in cases, we would have been shocked if Inslee had decided against lifting restrictions on businesses.

To his credit, Inslee pledged Tuesday to release an additional $50 million to help those businesses most affected by the COVID restrictions, and he also promised to provide unemployment aid for people who will lose their benefits if Congress doesn’t extend them before the end of the year.

But in practically the same breath, Inslee admitted the extra $50 million wouldn’t be enough to cover all struggling business owners in the state. And judging by our Letters to the Editor, people are still having trouble getting help through Washington state’s unemployment office, which has been overwhelmed since the start of the pandemic.

Many Tri-Citians are feeling helpless and ignored.

While a statewide news conference from the governor can address many concerns, there is no substitute for a direct message from Inslee to our community.

In the video, Isidro Ortiz, with Fiesta Mexican restaurant, said his sales have dropped 80%. “That is really hard to operate. I don’t think I can continue to operate much longer like this,” he said.

Logan Westfall, a SagePort Grille employee, was near tears and choked up as he said, “I think for the first time in four years, I’m going to be late on my rent this month.”

Inslee should respond to the video and let Tri-Citians know he understands their pain, and he should provide more help if he can.

And then he should pass the video along to our congressional leaders with a plea of his own — that they finally set partisan politics aside and pass a financial aid package to help people through this time of distress.

This story was originally published December 9, 2020 at 12:50 PM.