Like many, American Gaming Association President Bill Miller is in favor of the stimulus package overwhelmingly passed by Congress … with reservations. It lacks three key items on Miller’s Christmas wish list: expansion of the CARES Act Employee Retention Tax Credit; tribal inclusion in the extension of the Coronavirus Relief Fund through Dec. 21 of next year; the “three-martini lunch” tax deduction for business meals in 2021 and 2022. We agree with Miller on the first two points. (The White House meanwhile showed what it thought of Native Americans by pardoning Phil Lyman, who desecrated Indian historical sites.) Miller all but called for a third round of stimulus, writing, “Clearly, much work remains to be done in Congress to urgently address the many economic challenges facing our nation and our industry.”
He added, “We are engaged with the incoming Biden administration and leadership for the 117th Congress to quickly advance new measures that will provide” tax cuts “to save gaming jobs and alleviate costs,” unspecified “liability protections,” probably much like the blanket waiver that Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) pushed through at the behest of the Nevada Resort Association, “incentives [unspecified] for reviving travel and tourism” and additional tribal-targeted relief. We applaud Miller for taking up the cudgels on behalf of our Native American compatriots but think he is putting the cart before the horse on travel incentives, at least until vaccine distribution reaches widespread levels. Even Miller obliquely acknowledged as much, penning, “These measures will set up our industry—and the broader economy—for what will be a resurgent spring and summer in the coming year as COVID-19 vaccines become broadly available.” (emphasis added) While almost nobody—from Miller to Donald Trump to Bernie Sanders—seems to think that Stimulus II does enough, it’s at least half a loaf and for that we are duly thankful.
If the POTUS truly wanted $2000 checks to be doled out to every American, he had six months to interject that into the negotiations, and did nothing. I am all for it, as were the House Democrats who included it in their bill that passed months ago. People need a boost, and most will spend the money, which will help the economy out. Hopefully this is for real… And the USA buying a bunch of vaccine from Pfizer yesterday is a big positive…
It is now called Caesars of Southern Indiana.
My bad, Gramps 169. But thanks for reading all the way to the end.
The President and his Treasury Secretary and other key Republican leaders have negotiated all summer and fall with Nancy Pelosi and her team, and got nowhere. Nancy made it clear after the election that we could now go forward (with the election over). Talk about playing politics. President Trump made it clear from the first that he wanted direct payments to the people, the bigger the better. The current package voted out has a meager $600 per person–that is pitiful–while including millions and billions for non-covid stuff that the Democrats stuffed into the package. President Trump should continue to hold out for higher payments to people in need and to cut out all the pork included in this package, without increasing the total.