Chief Government Affairs Officer Chrissy Buteas
Dear NJBIA Member,
Thank you for answering the call during the coronavirus pandemic and for the tremendous support you have demonstrated to your employees and your communities. Your sacrifice in having to close or restrict your business operations is helping all of New Jersey beat this disease.
From the beginning, NJBIA’s first goal was to protect public health and prevent our healthcare system from being overwhelmed. The situation is still treacherous, but there is no doubt that we are in much better shape than we would have been because of the effective way the business community and the public in general have responded to the crisis.
While still acknowledging the peak of cases is yet to hit, NJBIA has been working with our policymakers to ensure we don’t lose sight of the need to keep the recovery of our business community at the forefront as well.
Rebuilding our economy will be the next critical phase of the crisis. As we get ready to enter the third week of sheltering in place and social distancing, NJBIA has been preparing for an all-out effort to get funding and regulatory relief for businesses in the weeks to come so that we can protect the health of our economy. We were able to secure some quick assistance earlier this week and will continue to do everything we can to help our members as we move forward.
It is hard to ask more of a group of people who have already given so much, but if NJBIA is going to be successful in getting the kind of economic assistance businesses need, we are going to need your help. To that end, I have three specific asks.
- If you have not already done so, please fill out our survey on how the coronavirus is impacting your workplace. NJBIA uses this information both to develop effective policies and educate legislators about the need for assistance.
- Be prepared to tell your story to legislators. We don’t anticipate committee hearings or any kind of public gathering, but we will still need to make the case for economic relief. How long were you closed? How long did you provide employees with pay and/or benefits? What do you need to keep your business economically viable throughout the crisis? Whatever it is, gather the information and have it ready to go when the time comes.
- Tell us your good news stories. How has your company stepped up to help people? From manufacturers retooling their operations to make desperately needed protective gear to owners of closed businesses continuing to pay their employees, these examples show the importance of maintaining a strong private sector in a way that numbers and spreadsheets cannot. Let us know at communications@njbia.org or let us know on NJBIA’s Facebook and Instagram sites under #NJBIAtogether.
For now, we will continue to fight the spread of coronavirus, but the time will come soon when we will ask that you reach out to legislators and the governor to support or oppose certain bills or initiatives
Sincerely,
Chrissy Buteas
Chief Government Affairs Officer
