By now everyone’s heard that there is over $2 trillion in relief funding available for individuals and businesses, but unwrapping it has been confusing. (Flickr photo/CafeCredit)

Congress recently passed an economic stimulus bill valued at nearly 10-percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), but some Sitka businesses haven’t yet seen any benefit.

Chris Eyler is the executive director of the Pacific Northwest Region of the US Chamber of Commerce. He spoke during a videoconference meeting of the Sitka Chamber this week (4-8-20), to explain the $2 trillion-dollar Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Recovery Act — also known as CARES.

In general it was about a $2 trillion package, which is about 10-percent of GDP. It is intended to be a bridge to help the economy get to the other side of the crisis. There is very little disagreement that we’re going to experience some form of a recession in the coming months — or, rather, we’re currently in a recession. Going forward, this package is intended to make that recession as short and as shallow as possible, and to enable businesses to continue operating, and most importantly, to continue paying their employees during the crisis.

CARES is the third — and by far the largest — of three relief bills passed since the coronavirus pandemic began. While it does include direct payments to individuals who earn less than $75,000, there are also loans (the Paycheck Protection Program) and tax credits aimed at businesses.

One Sitka business owner at the meeting struggled — both with accessing the paperwork through her bank, and to make sense of the rationale. 

Eyler tried to reassure her that the Act had an important goal.

Business owner – You know I don’t know what to do about a lot of these things. It doesn’t sit right with me either to pay a lot of people to do nothing, when there is no work. But we’re supposed to pay people for not working, instead of having them on unemployment? I don’t know — it’s just strange.

Eyler – Again, like I said, the objective here is to give you the money from the government so that the employee can remain tied to your business, so that once things return to normal it’s easier to bring them back on board and for you to start business back up. We also don’t want to see the unemployment system getting more overwhelmed than it already is. The intention is to enable as many businesses as possible to continue paying, with as little cost to you as possible.

Learn more about the Small Business Administration’s Coronavirus Loan Resources.

Other business owners also expressed some frustration with accessing the programs under the CARES Act, when banks were operating with fewer staff. A lodge owner from Port Alexander who joined the meeting said he was concerned about spending down savings while running up loans “to keep things going.”

Over 60 participants logged into the virtual Chamber luncheon — a far bigger crowd than typically attends in person. Chamber director Rachel Roy told participants that she planned to schedule similar events in the future, with programs intended to help inform businesses as they navigate the coronavirus emergency.

In addition to becoming involved in key senate elections, Eyler said the US Chamber is actively lobbying on fiscal, energy, and immigration policy. (KCAW photo/Robert Woolsey)

The US Chamber of Commerce has thrown its weight behind the effort to unseat Alaska Sen. Mark Begich in this fall’s election.

Chris Eyler, the executive director of the Northwest Region of the US Chamber of Commerce, says the process of endorsing candidates attempts to be objective, and not every local chamber agrees with the national organization’s picks.

He spoke about election-year politics with the Sitka Chamber of Commerce this week (6-25-14). KCAW’s Robert Woolsey attended and filed this report.

The political ad running on TV stations across Alaska blasts Begich on several issues. Maybe you’ve seen it:

(Ad audio) Obamacare. Mark Begich sided with Washington, putting the bureaucrats in control. EPA regulations that could hurt the Alaska economy and cost jobs, Begich sided with Washington — again.

The ad caught the attention of one regular Sitka Chamber attendee, who wanted to learn more about it when Chris Eyler opened the floor to questions.

Chamber audience – If you quick enough at who sponsors it, it says US Chamber of Commerce. How does that support come about?
Eyler – We look at every single senate race. From our point of view, yes, Sen. Murkowski and Sen. Begich are your senators. They represent you in DC. But they are also making decisions that impact the entire country. So from that point of view, we look at it as our responsibility to look at each race and make a decision about getting involved.

Eyler told the Sitka Chamber that the national organization’s main function was to lobby congress and the president on policy issues important to business, and that not every statewide or local chamber was on board when it came to backing candidates. He said the candidates were vetted by a questionnaire, interviews, and other research that the US Chamber’s board uses to make a recommendation or not.

In the case of the Alaska Senate race, they’re going with…

(Ad audio) Dan Sullivan puts Alaska first. He has a track record of taking on Washington in the big fights over Obamacare and the out-of-control EPA. That’s Dan Sullivan.

That’s former Attorney General Dan Sullivan, and not Anchorage mayor Dan Sullivan, who’s running for Lt. Governor.

Eyler said there are five senate races the US Chamber considers “toss-ups” this fall, Alaska’s among them. Those five seats, plus two that the Chamber considers “wild cards,” would be enough to give Republicans a majority in the United States Senate, which is currently held by Democrats. Their spending — despite the vetting process — heavily favors Republicans. According to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, the US Chamber has spent just over $14-million in the current election cycle — with $12-million going to support Republicans.

Although the US Chamber has spent some money — around $1-million — opposing some Republicans, it has spent nothing in support of Democrats.

Even though Begich is an incumbent, Eyler said the Alaska Democrat did not pass muster on enough chamber issues to win an endorsement.

“With incumbents, we also have a legislative scorecard. We score votes in the senate, then have a scorecard based on those votes. If a member of the senate doesn’t score above 70-percent, they don’t receive our support. In the case of Sen. Begich, on our most recent scorecard he got 50.”

When the US Chamber released the ad in April of this year, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce — where Begich served as mayor for many years — immediately distanced itself. In a statement, Anchorage Chamber president Andrew Halcro wrote, “these ads… have no affiliation with the Anchorage Chamber.”

Alaska State Chamber president Rachael Petro told the Alaska Public Radio Network at the time, “We just have no opinion on this topic and we have nothing to do with those ads.”

Sitka Chamber president Ptarmica McConnell said her board receives questions like this often, especially when the US Chamber visits. “We don’t endorse candidates,” she said. “Even though we’re members of the US Chamber, we’re our own Chamber.”