Drs. Robert sent a message to William Rogers that said:
Dear Mr. Rogers,
My wife and I are small business owners in Miami, Florida and have been for the past 20 years. My wife has an Acupuncture practice in South Miami, and I have a pharmacy consulting business that services long term care facilities (i.e. nursing homes).
My wife closed her business one month ago in early March. She treats a lot of medical professionals and thought it prudent to close her practice to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 to her patients especially those patients who work in hospitals and with frail home health patients.
My business entails consulting in nursing homes and as you know the department of health suspended unnecessary visits and visitors to nursing homes during this crisis. The board of pharmacy mandated that all consultant pharmacists stay away from the homes for the next 90 days. I have 3 employees which I am still paying, although they are not working at this time and will not for at least the next 90 days.
The loans we needed were not for large amounts ($5,000 for my business and $25,000 for my wife's business totalling $30,000 for both businesses), and these loans would help keep our businesses open and our employees working and paid.
It would make the most sense, and provide assistance to the greatest number of small businesses if the loans were allocated by the smallest loans first, basically working from the bottom to the top as far as the amounts of the loans go to service the greatest number of businesses in need (not just the largest few). If and when more money is allocated to the PPP program, please consider the businesses most in need to keep them afloat, rather than the largest businesses many of which have over 500 employees but diversified into smaller entities to qualify for these loans, basically using loopholes without true government oversight.
My wife and I both have been customers of your bank Sun Trust bank for over 25 years and contacted them to attempt to secure a small business loan thru the PPP program. We contacted them before the program was officially released and were told we would be put on a list. We received several e-mails from the bank telling us we were on the waiting list. We never even received an application. A few days ago we were informed that there was no more money for the PPP program and we would not be getting a loan.
I am writing you to see if there is anything you or your office, as CEO, could do to help expedite or insure that when more money is appropriated that our businesses will be included in this essential program. Please consider allocations of loans from the smallest loans first and work their way up, which would facilitate helping the greatest number of the smallest businesses in need.
As I mentioned it seems that the majority of the money allocated for small businesses went to large businesses with over 500 employees and they subdivided their companies into smaller entities so as to qualify for the loans. Many of these companies received millions of dollars in loans that they really did not need to stay afloat. In fact one such loan from Shake Shack was returned after realizing they took money from many smaller businesses in need. I realize that there is very little oversight in the issuing of these loans, and connections seem to matter, and wanted to see if someone would help look out for the little small business owners who are trying to do the right thing to stay afloat in these difficult times.
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter and any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Best Regards,
Robert Litman RPh, CPh, CGP, Vivian Litman A.P., DOM
305-389-4258,
