During this pandemic small businesses like mine had to close down. We did so in order to save lives. We could not pay our leases, our utilities, or employees for those that had them. Instead funds for small businesses went to larger companies and corporations. Those companies with a conscious are giving it back. We cannot let this administration get away with money earmarked for small businesses to be taken by those that don't need it. America must stand up for small businesses and support this petition. Large corporations should give it back. We applaud Shake Shack for giving $10,000,000 back; others should do the same.

The survival of the independent beauty professionals is at risk. We are facing a grave financial hardship.

This stay at home order is killing the economy and small businesses are heavily suffering.

Tanning salons are primarily women-owned small businesses. We are extremely seasonal and unfortunately this is the "season". In most cases, the income we earn during the spring months pay our bills during the slower months. It will be very difficult to recover from our losses. The PPP and EIDL programs have failed a majority of us and we are left without any means of income while being shut down. Tanning salons have always prided themselves in being extremely clean and sanitary places. We already practice heightened sanitary and privacy/spacing procedures. New procedures would include: Clients will be instructed to stand in appropriately spaced places in lobby upon check-in and then sent to a private room that has been sanitized thoroughly. Check-in procedure will be a brief as possible and area will be cleaned upon client going to their room. No more than 10 people at a time will be allowed in the salon at one time. If more than one door to business is present, one door will be labeled "enter" and one "exit". Please consider reasons our customers tan (it's NOT just for vanity!): Tanning is good for mental health, increases Vitamin D production, and helps customers with psoriasis and other skin conditions. I encourage you to sign our petition and help us get open ASAP!

April 20, 2020 Dear Governor Cuomo, I hope you, family, friends, and staff stay well in this scary time. I am starting a petition today to urge you to find the money necessary to provide some economic relief for undocumented immigrants in our New York State community. In New York City, Mayor de Blasio is tapping George Soros's nonprofit, Open Society Foundations, and in California Governor Newsom is drawing on non-profits founded by the widow of Steve Jobs and the Zuckermans respectively. Perhaps most city and state immigrant-rights nonprofits are not as well-heeled as those coming out of Silicon Valley, but surely there are other nonprofits out there willing to step in. Mayor de Blasio found the Open Society Foundations. I think we both know a former mayor who likes to present himself these days as a "progressive." This is the perfect opportunity for him to burnish that image. Then I remember the richest man in the world wanted to open an Amazon factory in Queens, but local opposition squashed the deal. I'm sure you had some contact with Mr. Bezos in trying to woo Amazon, why not call upon those positive connections now? You could sell Amazon financing as paving a better reputation for Amazon in the city for the future. We both know that whatever financing Amazon provides - my guess is it would be about the same as the 20 mil from Soros's organization - won't be enough to smooth relations completely with the NYC Council, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do for our city and state. Governor Cuomo, as the antithesis of Trump, you have won gushing media approval in recent weeks. What about using some of that star power to appeal to the many left-leaning and philanthropic stars in Hollywood, or even better, keeping it local, in the rap world - which has its origins in the Bronx, after all? In any case, you must come up with the money somehow. As Mayor de Blasio stated, “Immigrants are the heart of this City — they are our friends, neighbors and colleagues." And Patrick Gaspard, the president of the Foundations stated, “This crisis has laid bare just how much we depend on low-wage workers who stock our grocery shelves, harvest and deliver our food, staff society’s essential services. These essential workers are also the people with the least access to services and benefits, many of them beyond the reach of the government’s stimulus package.” Gaspard's comments are well put. And although the city's plan, targeting to reach 20,000 people with payments between $400 and $1000 dollars, is a positive first step, more is needed, both for immigrants in the city and, of course, the state. Immigrants, often on the front lines as essential workers, are one of the most vulnerable populations in our community. It is imperative on us to do the right thing morally by them. It is also the prudent thing to do. With the vicious spread of this virus, we are only as safe as the weakest member in our community. Stay safe, Ed Kilcullen

The financial survival of all California mobile pet grooming businesses are at risk. We are facing challenging financial hardships. It imperative that mobile pet salons are reinstated. We need to work in order to service our clients who’s pets are long-over due for grooming, feed our families, pay our bills, and support our economy. We are not given Paid Time Off or Insurance Benefits.

The survival of the independent beauty professionals is at risk. We are facing a grave financial hardship.

If these teenagers don't take their permit test it will take them longer to get their driver's licenses which will create hardship for families who need these teens to drive when they turn 16. Currently, the DMV does not have a plan for all the teenagers who missed their permit test.

The coronavirus is only one in a series of pandemics which have emerged in the 21st century. Our battle against covid 19 has been severely hampered causing over 10,000 deaths by lack of personal protective equipment for our hospital, nursing home and long term care facilities as well as for those in the grocery stores, warehouses, supply chain and delivery systems for food. This includes doctors, nurses, nurses' aides and orderlies, janitorial people, food service workers and warehouse workers, grocery store personal and the delivery systems. These inexpensive items were supplied on an as needed basis from China and other Asian countries. When there was no emergency, the system worked but has collapsed in our time of greatest need. We need to manufacture and control the production in this country. The factories for these jobs could be based in areas where unemployment is high because industries have become obsolete such as coal mining though the whole the fossil fuel industry is heading in this direction. We are hypocrites when we applaud the work of people on the front lines of disease and yet send them to battle without the low tech equipment they need because corporations could make more money by having it made elsewhere. Our military has already done the research on essential supply chain disruption. Our government should act upon it.

It is important because not only are we risking our health but we are not staying at home like the others, therefore a little help would be much appreciated as well. It is a great risk we are taking and a small grant would benefit the workers as well.

The survival of the independent beauty professionals is at risk. We are facing a grave financial hardship.

Massage therapy is important not only because it is our chosen profession and source of income, but also because our clients need their regularly scheduled massage therapy sessions to deal with pain, stress, anxiety and mobility problems. The government has deemed us "non-essential", but I assure you that massage therapists are essential and even crucial to our patients. Some clients can still have appointments with physical therapists in our state, but that doesn’t always help with soft tissue maladies and the emotional well being of our clients. Massage is a huge factor in improving physical, mental and emotional health for many people and an integral part of their health regimens. Many massage therapists are self employed and only work one on one with clients that they have known for years and with whom they have developed a level of trust and confidence. Getting massage therapists back to work will be beneficial to the therapists as well as our clients and the well being of our community. Please join me and other massage therapists in requesting essential status from the state of South Carolina, so that we are able to get back to work as soon as possible to keep our small businesses open and help our clients.