Brad Botes Featured in Bloomberg Article on COVID-19 Relief

In March of 2020, the United States passed China and Italy and became the world’s leader in confirmed Coronavirus cases. Almost a year later, the trend hasn’t slowed. On January 20th, 2021, John Hopkins University reported that the United States had crossed 400,000 deaths from Covid-19.

And even with relief on the horizon, Americans are still struggling to get by in a world turned upside down by the pandemic. While Congress has released stimulus checks directly to American citizens, it may not be enough. Bloomberg News reached out to Bond & Botes partner Brad Botes for his thoughts on the relief packages offered so far.

“That money was used by people just to get by,” he said, referring to the stimulus checks issued by Congress. “The additional stimulus has not been sufficient to make any type of difference for average Americans.”

Here, Mr. Botes is right on the money: the stimulus checks, while welcome, have done little to soften the blow for everyday workers. The economy as a whole may be on the upswing, but the recovery has largely been an invite-only party. As noted by Bloomberg, there is a massive wealth gap that has left rich Americans better off than before, while average Americans have been left stranded.

Agreeing with Mr. Botes, writer Davide Scigliuzzo writes that, while “the fiscal packages passed by Washington have been among the biggest the country has ever seen”, it is still not enough: “the widening economic inequality that accompanied those efforts illustrates the limitations of the response.” The result of that gap is clear: Congress is in gridlock and working-class Americans are trapped in the middle.

“People simply feel that they are nearing or at rock bottom,” Mr. Botes told Bloomberg, speaking for millions of Americans whose income has been cut dramatically or shut down completely. Like many attorneys specializing in financial management, Attorney Botes has heard dozens upon dozens of heartbreaking stories over the last year. He sums up his experience to Bloomberg: “We are hearing a lot more hopelessness.”

If you are feeling hopeless or lost in financial crisis, a consultation with an experienced attorney may be your next best step. At Bond & Botes, we help people resolve debt in Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi. For no money down, you can meet face-to-face (or via the digital platform of your preference) with one of the attorneys from our team, headed by Mr. Botes. You can schedule your free consultation now by calling 855-932-2156 or filling out the contact form on our website.