Small business owner to Newsom: 'We don't want handouts, we want to work'
California small business owner Pam Nusser slams Gov. Newsom for not helping the growing labor shortage
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday the state will expand small business pandemic benefits to $4 billion, and allocate an additional $1 billion to workers displaced during the pandemic.
Small business owner Pam Nusser and gubernatorial candidate John Cox joined "America Reports" to respond to Newsom’s legislation, arguing small businesses are competing with the government for workers.
"We have had ads for over two months for cooks and servers, and either we don't get any applicants or when we get them, they don't show up," Nusser said. "People are demanding a certain amount of money per hour that is just totally ridiculous, or they are wanting cash. We can't compete with the government right now."
Nusser emphasized that additional stimulus checks won’t help small businesses.
"We don't want handouts. We want to work. We don't want to be applying, sitting there on our computers, applying for money. We don't need money. We need workers," Nusser said.
GOP GOVERNORS REFUSE BIDEN'S UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
There are more than 8 million available jobs in the U.S., and a growing labor shortage as businesses have reported difficulty in onboarding new workers.
"We don't have enough employees to go to the tables and wait," Nusser said. "It's just gotten insane because everybody is getting these checks. We want to work."
Cox agreed with Nusser’s sentiment, and said the cost of living in California has risen significantly as a result of Gov. Newsom’s extended stimulus payments.
"Newsom is running around the state giving out money to people," Cox said, "and what people don't realize is that the cost of living is soaring instead of doing permanent things that would reduce the cost of living and reduce tax burdens."
Seventeen Republican-led states have now set deadlines ending federal unemployment benefits.
GOP lawmakers held a press conference on Capitol Hill Thursday, calling on others to end the federal payments.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said many in his state are making equal or more money from weekly unemployment benefits instead of working.
"It’s not because people are lazy, I am not accusing anyone of being lazy. It’s because people are logical," Rubio said.
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But Cox predicts the people of California will see through Newsom "trying to buy votes."
"The people of this state, in particular in California, are going to rise up, and want a lower cost of living, lower taxes and a chance to have a good opportunity to have a small business just like Pam," Cox said.
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