YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Pandemic politics shadowed President Donald Trump’s trip to Michigan on Thursday as he highlighted lifesaving medical devices, with the president and officials from the electoral battleground state clashing over federal aid, mail-in ballots and face masks.

Trump visited Ypsilanti, outside Detroit, to tour a Ford Motor Co. factory that had been repurposed to manufacture ventilators, the medical breathing machines governors begged for during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But his visit came amid a long-running feud with the state’s Democratic governor and a day after the president threatened to withhold federal funds over the state’s expanded vote-by-mail effort. And, again, the president did not publicly wear a face covering despite a warning from the state’s top law enforcement officer that a refusal to do so might lead to a ban on his return.

All of the Ford executives giving Trump the tour were wearings masks, the president standing alone without one. At one point, he did take a White House-branded mask from his pocket and tell reporters he had worn it elsewhere on the tour, out of public view.

“I did not want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it,” Trump said.

For a moment, he also teasingly held up a clear shield in front of his face. A statement from Ford said that Bill Ford, the company’s executive chairman, “encouraged President Trump to wear a mask when he arrived” and said the president wore it during “a private viewing of three Ford GTs from over the years” before removing it.

The United Auto Workers union noted in a statement that “some in his entourage’” declined face masks and said “it is vitally important that our members continue to follow the protocols that have been put in place to safeguard them, their families and their communities.”

The UAW also noted Trump’s statement that he had just been tested for the virus and said it wanted to make sure he understood the wider “need for an economical instant test that can be administered daily to further protect our members -- and all Americans.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Trump’s decision “wasn’t surprising but it was disappointing.” Speaking to MSNBC, she added that anyone with a public platform “has a responsiblity to make sure that they model precisely what we’re asking everyone else to do.”

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said mask wearing isn’t just Ford’s policy — it’s also the law in a state that’s among those hardest hit by the virus. Nessel said that if Trump refused to wear a mask Thursday “he’s going to be asked not to return to any enclosed facilities inside our state” and “we’re going to have to take action” against any company that allows it in the future.

Trump has refused to wear a face mask in public, telling aides he believes it makes him look weak, though it is a practice that federal health authorities say all Americans should adopt to help slow the spread of the virus.

<a href="https://apnews.com/9ca93f81c2aa227184247b4e19c46e86">Ford said everyone in its factories must wear personal protective equipment</a>, including masks, and that its policy had been communicated to the White House. At least two people who work in the White House and had been physically close to Trump recently tested positive for the virus.

The Republican president and Whitmer have clashed during the coronavirus outbreak over her criticism of the federal response to the state’s needs for medical equipment, like ventilators, and personal protective gear, such as gloves, masks and gowns. Trump on Thursday criticized Democratic governors, suggesting they were proceeding too slowly in reopening their states’ economies.

“You have a lot of, unfortunately, in this case Democrat governors (who) think it’s good politics to keep it closed,” Trump said. “I think they’re being forced to open, frankly, the people want to get out. You’ll break the country if you don’t.”

The day before, Trump threatened to withhold federal funds from Michigan after its secretary of state mailed absentee ballot applications to millions of voters. Trump first tweeted — falsely — that the Democratic state official had mailed absentee ballots to Michigan voters. He later sent a corrected tweet specifying that applications to request absentee ballots had been mailed and seemed to back off his funding threat.

Trump narrowly won Michigan in 2016. He insists mail-in voting is ripe for fraud, although there is scant evidence of wrongdoing.

“We don’t want them to do mail in ballots because it’s going to lead to total election fraud,” Trump said Thursday. But then he allowed for some exceptions, including for himself.

“Now, if somebody has to mail it in because they’re sick, or by the way because they live in the White House and they have to vote in Florida and they won’t be in Florida. But there’s a reason for it, that’s OK.”

Trying to signal to the nation that life is returning to normal, the president has begun traveling again, with all of his initial trips to states that will be hotly contested in this November’s election. Campaign advisers have grown increasingly worried about Michigan, believing that the president’s attacks on Whitmer have not worked and that the toll the virus has taken in the Detroit area, particularly among African Americans, will prove costly politically.

Trump, at a roundtable with African American supporters in front of a sign with his slogan for reopening the economy, “Transition to Greatness,” noted low minority unemployment numbers before the pandemic and also pointed to his administration’s work on criminal justice reform.

The president’s advisers have become convinced that of the three Rust Belt states that Trump took from Democrats in 2016, Michigan would be much more difficult to win again than Pennsylvania and, especially, Wisconsin.

In the early days of the crisis, Whitmer and other governors and medical workers clamored for ventilators, fearing a shortage of the machines would prove deadly as the virus made breathing difficult for the scores of afflicted patients who were being brought to hospitals.

But the U.S. now has a surplus of the breathing machines, leading Trump to begin describing the nation as the “king of ventilators.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590095219713.png" alt="President Trump listened to a factory employee speak during his tour of the Ford plant-White House image" />
 <figcaption>President Trump listened to a factory employee speak during his tour of the Ford plant-White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Pandemic politics shadowed President Donald Trump’s trip to Michigan on Thursday as he highlighted lifesaving medical devices, with the president and officials from the electoral battleground state clashing over federal aid, mail-in ballots and face masks.Trump visited Ypsilanti, outside Detroit, to tour a Ford Motor Co. factory that had been repurposed to manufacture ventilators, the medical breathing machines governors begged for during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.But his visit came amid a long-running feud with the state’s Democratic governor and a day after the president threatened to withhold federal funds over the state’s expanded vote-by-mail effort. And, again, the president did not publicly wear a face covering despite a warning from the state’s top law enforcement officer that a refusal to do so might lead to a ban on his return.All of the Ford executives giving Trump the tour were wearings masks, the president standing alone without one. At one point, he did take a White House-branded mask from his pocket and tell reporters he had worn it elsewhere on the tour, out of public view.“I did not want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it,” Trump said.For a moment, he also teasingly held up a clear shield in front of his face. A statement from Ford said that Bill Ford, the company’s executive chairman, “encouraged President Trump to wear a mask when he arrived” and said the president wore it during “a private viewing of three Ford GTs from over the years” before removing it.The United Auto Workers union noted in a statement that “some in his entourage’” declined face masks and said “it is vitally important that our members continue to follow the protocols that have been put in place to safeguard them, their families and their communities.”The UAW also noted Trump’s statement that he had just been tested for the virus and said it wanted to make sure he understood the wider “need for an economical instant test that can be administered daily to further protect our members -- and all Americans.”Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Trump’s decision “wasn’t surprising but it was disappointing.” Speaking to MSNBC, she added that anyone with a public platform “has a responsiblity to make sure that they model precisely what we’re asking everyone else to do.”Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said mask wearing isn’t just Ford’s policy — it’s also the law in a state that’s among those hardest hit by the virus. Nessel said that if Trump refused to wear a mask Thursday “he’s going to be asked not to return to any enclosed facilities inside our state” and “we’re going to have to take action” against any company that allows it in the future.Trump has refused to wear a face mask in public, telling aides he believes it makes him look weak, though it is a practice that federal health authorities say all Americans should adopt to help slow the spread of the virus.<a href="https://apnews.com/9ca93f81c2aa227184247b4e19c46e86">Ford said everyone in its factories must wear personal protective equipment</a>, including masks, and that its policy had been communicated to the White House. At least two people who work in the White House and had been physically close to Trump recently tested positive for the virus.The Republican president and Whitmer have clashed during the coronavirus outbreak over her criticism of the federal response to the state’s needs for medical equipment, like ventilators, and personal protective gear, such as gloves, masks and gowns. Trump on Thursday criticized Democratic governors, suggesting they were proceeding too slowly in reopening their states’ economies.“You have a lot of, unfortunately, in this case Democrat governors (who) think it’s good politics to keep it closed,” Trump said. “I think they’re being forced to open, frankly, the people want to get out. You’ll break the country if you don’t.”The day before, Trump threatened to withhold federal funds from Michigan after its secretary of state mailed absentee ballot applications to millions of voters. Trump first tweeted — falsely — that the Democratic state official had mailed absentee ballots to Michigan voters. He later sent a corrected tweet specifying that applications to request absentee ballots had been mailed and seemed to back off his funding threat.Trump narrowly won Michigan in 2016. He insists mail-in voting is ripe for fraud, although there is scant evidence of wrongdoing.“We don’t want them to do mail in ballots because it’s going to lead to total election fraud,” Trump said Thursday. But then he allowed for some exceptions, including for himself.“Now, if somebody has to mail it in because they’re sick, or by the way because they live in the White House and they have to vote in Florida and they won’t be in Florida. But there’s a reason for it, that’s OK.”Trying to signal to the nation that life is returning to normal, the president has begun traveling again, with all of his initial trips to states that will be hotly contested in this November’s election. Campaign advisers have grown increasingly worried about Michigan, believing that the president’s attacks on Whitmer have not worked and that the toll the virus has taken in the Detroit area, particularly among African Americans, will prove costly politically.Trump, at a roundtable with African American supporters in front of a sign with his slogan for reopening the economy, “Transition to Greatness,” noted low minority unemployment numbers before the pandemic and also pointed to his administration’s work on criminal justice reform.The president’s advisers have become convinced that of the three Rust Belt states that Trump took from Democrats in 2016, Michigan would be much more difficult to win again than Pennsylvania and, especially, Wisconsin.In the early days of the crisis, Whitmer and other governors and medical workers clamored for ventilators, fearing a shortage of the machines would prove deadly as the virus made breathing difficult for the scores of afflicted patients who were being brought to hospitals.But the U.S. now has a surplus of the breathing machines, leading Trump to begin describing the nation as the “king of ventilators.”___

Pandemic politics: Maskless Trump tours Ford plant

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing the gravest U.S. economic crisis in decades, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell offered U.S. Senators contrasting views Tuesday of what the government’s most urgent priority should be.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPDl_xETXoI">Click here to watch&nbsp;</a>Senator Moran's turn at questioning Mnuchin and Powell.

Striking a theme frequently pushed by President Donald Trump, Mnuchin warned that prolonged business shutdowns would pose long-term threats to the economy, from widespread bankruptcies for small businesses to long-term unemployment for millions of Americans.

“There is risk of permanent damage,” Mnuchin said.

Powell, by contrast, stressed, as he has in recent weeks, that the nation is gripped by an economic shock “without modern precedent” and that Congress must consider providing further financial aid soon to support states, localities, businesses and individuals to prevent an even deeper recession.

“What Congress has done to date has been remarkably timely and forceful,” Powell said. “But we need to step back and ask, ’Is it enough?”

Their points of emphasis reflect the contours of a debate occurring across the country, among individuals, business people and political leaders, about when and under what circumstances the economy should reopen and what further help the government can or should provide.

Mnuchin and Powell offered their views at an oversight hearing of the Senate Banking Committee at which members of both parties questioned them about when their agencies will distribute more of the emergency aid that Congress provided in late March to struggling small businesses and households.

Powell said that a highly anticipated lending program the Fed is creating for small businesses should be operating by the end of the month. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0abbc3e930e7d8cff7da05bbd7921ee2">in a turnaround</a>, Mnuchin said the Treasury is now prepared to absorb some losses in that program, which is funded by Treasury. Doing so could enable the Fed to take on further risk with the program and help more struggling companies.

During the hearing, Mnuchin clashed sharply with Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts over the administration’s support for a phased reopening of the economy and over its reluctance to require that all companies that receive government aid keep their workers on the payroll.

Brown charged that the Trump administration was risking the lives of lower-income workers by supporting reopening efforts and was doing so simply to boost financial markets. He asserted that the administration hasn’t done enough to protect front-line workers — by, for example, ramping up viral testing — even as most states start allowing restaurants, stores and gyms to reopen.

“The administration wants to put more workers at risk to boost the stock market,” Brown said.

“Your characterization is unfair,” Mnuchin responded.

The hearing was the first in a planned series of quarterly oversight sessions focused on spending programs authorized in the $2 trillion&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20200409a.htm">federal relief package</a>&nbsp;that is overseen by the Treasury Department and Fed. They include the $660 billion small business lending facility, known as the paycheck protection program, as well as $46 billion in grants to airlines and $454 billion to support the Fed’s lending.

The Fed announced in March that it would set up the Main Street Lending Program, which will provide up to $600 billion in loans to medium-sized businesses that are too large to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program. The Treasury has provided $75 billion, drawn from the $454 billion set aside by Congress, to cover any losses from the Main Street program.

Mnuchin said that under some scenarios the Treasury could lose some or all of that $75 billion.

“Our intention is that we intend to take some losses,” he said.

The Fed has also said it will buy debt issued by state and local governments, which are facing plummeting revenues as the viral outbreak has eliminated tens of millions of jobs and slashed income tax and sales tax revenue. At the same time, states and cities are facing much higher health care costs.

Yet the Fed’s program will make it easier for governments to borrow in the municipal bond market. Powell, under questioning, said that states might need more direct help from the federal government to avoid laying off workers, with the unemployment rate, at 14.7%, already the highest since the Great Depression.

Mnuchin came under sharp questioning from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who charged that he wasn’t doing enough to force companies that receive aid from the Main Street Lending program, as well as other aid provided by the Fed and Treasury, to keep workers on their payrolls.

The senator pressed Mnuchin to ensure that the loans include that requirement. When Mnuchin declined to commit to that change, Warren said, “You’re boosting your Wall Street buddies.”

Mnuchin told Warren that the legislation providing the funds includes restrictions on top executive pay and on company dividends and stock buybacks.

Mnuchin said in prepared testimony that so far, the paycheck program has processed more than 4.2 million loans for over $530 billion “to keep tens of millions of hardworking Americans on the payroll.” The loans need not be repaid as long as the borrowing business uses 75% of the money to cover workers’ paychecks.

But many small companies&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/380b07b9292ea7ae4d382f091d99bf10">say the terms are too onerous</a>. To have the loans forgiven, they must rehire all their employees within eight weeks of receiving the funds, even if they have little business or work for them to do. These companies argue that they might have to lay off their workers again at the end of the eight weeks — and may have little money left to help ramp up when business does return.

Mnuchin, pressed about those issues and about opening the loan program to more nonprofits, said his department was considering making changes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will likely come under tough questioning from senators Tuesday about a small business lending program included in the government’s $2 trillion relief package.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?472163-1/fed-reserve-chair-powell-treasury-secretary-mnuchin-testify-cares-act-coronavirus-relief-bill&amp;live">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;Tuesday's hearing that started at 9a.m. CDT

Lawmakers from both parties have criticized the Payroll Protection Program, which initially provided $349 billion in forgivable loans to small companies but has been plagued by a host of problems.

Many businesses were unable to get loans before the initial funding was exhausted. A second round of loans faced computer processing delays and a number of publicly traded companies ended up receiving money that Mnuchin demanded be paid back to the government.

<a href="https://www.banking.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Mnuchin%20Testimony%205-19-201.pdf">Click here to read</a> Treasury Secretary Mnuchin's opening statement.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A small, overlooked federal agency is shouldering a massive relief effort for the nation’s small businesses and their workers left reeling by the pandemic.

The Small Business Administration has committed to auditing every sizable emergency loan it approves.

But six weeks after the $600 billion-plus program was launched, the agency has yet to make public the recipients of taxpayer aid.

A signature piece of Congress’ multitrillion-dollar pandemic rescue, the unprecedented lending program is targeted to help small employers stay afloat and preserve jobs in a cratering economy losing tens of millions of them.

“Our swift action supported or saved 30 million American jobs at least,” President Donald Trump said at a White House event on small business late last month with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza.

Managing the program fell to the SBA, an agency with some 3,200 employees and an $819 million annual budget that’s one-tenth the size of the Commerce Department’s. On at least two occasions last month, the SBA’s computer system slowed under the crush of loan applications, creating a bottleneck. The agency says it has processed 4.2 million loans for some $530 billion in awards.

The need for a detailed public accounting of the small-business relief program is amplified by controversy over how it has unfolded since early April. It’s important as a way for the public to know whether the program is working as Congress intended.

Several hundred publicly traded companies received hundreds of millions of the low-interest, potentially forgivable loans. They tapped the federal aid despite their likely ability to get the money from private financial sources. Some had market values well over $100 million, and many had executives earning millions annually.

On its website, the SBA says it “is becoming more transparent, participatory and collaborative through open government.” It cites, among other things, its Freedom of Information Act program and improvements to online services.

So far, the agency has only provided general information, such as the total amounts of loans awarded in a given time period.

With huge amounts of money flying out the government’s door in a crisis, full public disclosure can help prevent fraud and improper spending, says Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis and expert in government ethics.

Otherwise, “the risks to taxpayers are greater,” Clark said. “I would think the SBA would be proactive in making information public.”

Asked by news organizations for information on the companies receiving loans and when it might be provided, the SBA has said it’s too consumed now by the urgent effort of helping small businesses through the economic downturn. It says specific loan data may be released sometime “in the near future.”

“At this time, the agency is focusing its efforts on assisting small businesses during this unprecedented disruption to the economy,” the SBA says. “The agency recognizes the need to balance the interests of transparency with the privacy and confidentiality issues release of loan information raises.”

The loans made to big deep-pocketed companies in the Paycheck Protection Program meant that less money was available for smaller businesses. Publicly shamed, big corporations, including national restaurant chains Shake Shack, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Potbelly Sandwich Shop, said they would return their loans.

It was news reports of big companies receiving loans that sparked the public outcry. The Associated Press and several other news organizations combed through voluminous filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission to unearth public companies that had received PPP loans. The SBA did not make the information public.

That may be surprising because, until now, the SBA has regularly released information on businesses that have borrowed under its main lending program, the so-called 7(a) program.

In fact, the loan application for the Paycheck Protection Program includes this notice to potential borrowers: Under the Freedom of Information Act and with certain exceptions, the SBA “must supply information reflected in agency files and records to a person requesting it.”

Several news organizations, including The Washington Post and The New York Times, have sued the SBA in federal court over its not having released the loan data despite several FOIA requests. They accuse the agency of violating the FOIA law. The SBA has declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Amid the public outcry, Mnuchin recently threatened criminal prosecution and warned companies they must return the money if they falsely certified that they needed federal aid to operate and couldn’t get it elsewhere. SBA set a deadline of Monday for companies with improperly received loans to return the money without penalty.

But last week, SBA issued revised guidance indicating that criminal action won’t be pursued if companies found to have falsely certified their needs return the money.

Elsewhere in the government, the Treasury Department recently released an accounting of its emergency lending program for airlines and air cargo carriers under the pandemic relief legislation.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589905117701.png" alt="As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, Senator Jerry Moran attended the virtual hearing&nbsp; with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell " />
 <figcaption>As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, Senator Jerry Moran attended the virtual hearing&nbsp; with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing the gravest U.S. economic crisis in decades, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell offered U.S. Senators contrasting views Tuesday of what the government’s most urgent priority should be.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPDl_xETXoI">Click here to watch&nbsp;</a>Senator Moran's turn at questioning Mnuchin and Powell.Striking a theme frequently pushed by President Donald Trump, Mnuchin warned that prolonged business shutdowns would pose long-term threats to the economy, from widespread bankruptcies for small businesses to long-term unemployment for millions of Americans.“There is risk of permanent damage,” Mnuchin said.Powell, by contrast, stressed, as he has in recent weeks, that the nation is gripped by an economic shock “without modern precedent” and that Congress must consider providing further financial aid soon to support states, localities, businesses and individuals to prevent an even deeper recession.“What Congress has done to date has been remarkably timely and forceful,” Powell said. “But we need to step back and ask, ’Is it enough?”Their points of emphasis reflect the contours of a debate occurring across the country, among individuals, business people and political leaders, about when and under what circumstances the economy should reopen and what further help the government can or should provide.Mnuchin and Powell offered their views at an oversight hearing of the Senate Banking Committee at which members of both parties questioned them about when their agencies will distribute more of the emergency aid that Congress provided in late March to struggling small businesses and households.Powell said that a highly anticipated lending program the Fed is creating for small businesses should be operating by the end of the month. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0abbc3e930e7d8cff7da05bbd7921ee2">in a turnaround</a>, Mnuchin said the Treasury is now prepared to absorb some losses in that program, which is funded by Treasury. Doing so could enable the Fed to take on further risk with the program and help more struggling companies.During the hearing, Mnuchin clashed sharply with Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts over the administration’s support for a phased reopening of the economy and over its reluctance to require that all companies that receive government aid keep their workers on the payroll.Brown charged that the Trump administration was risking the lives of lower-income workers by supporting reopening efforts and was doing so simply to boost financial markets. He asserted that the administration hasn’t done enough to protect front-line workers — by, for example, ramping up viral testing — even as most states start allowing restaurants, stores and gyms to reopen.“The administration wants to put more workers at risk to boost the stock market,” Brown said.“Your characterization is unfair,” Mnuchin responded.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589897693671.png" alt="Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin during Tuesday's virtual Senate Banking Committee hearing" />
 <figcaption>Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin during Tuesday's virtual Senate Banking Committee hearing</figcaption>
 </figure>The hearing was the first in a planned series of quarterly oversight sessions focused on spending programs authorized in the $2 trillion&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20200409a.htm">federal relief package</a>&nbsp;that is overseen by the Treasury Department and Fed. They include the $660 billion small business lending facility, known as the paycheck protection program, as well as $46 billion in grants to airlines and $454 billion to support the Fed’s lending.The Fed announced in March that it would set up the Main Street Lending Program, which will provide up to $600 billion in loans to medium-sized businesses that are too large to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program. The Treasury has provided $75 billion, drawn from the $454 billion set aside by Congress, to cover any losses from the Main Street program.Mnuchin said that under some scenarios the Treasury could lose some or all of that $75 billion.“Our intention is that we intend to take some losses,” he said.The Fed has also said it will buy debt issued by state and local governments, which are facing plummeting revenues as the viral outbreak has eliminated tens of millions of jobs and slashed income tax and sales tax revenue. At the same time, states and cities are facing much higher health care costs.Yet the Fed’s program will make it easier for governments to borrow in the municipal bond market. Powell, under questioning, said that states might need more direct help from the federal government to avoid laying off workers, with the unemployment rate, at 14.7%, already the highest since the Great Depression.Mnuchin came under sharp questioning from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who charged that he wasn’t doing enough to force companies that receive aid from the Main Street Lending program, as well as other aid provided by the Fed and Treasury, to keep workers on their payrolls.The senator pressed Mnuchin to ensure that the loans include that requirement. When Mnuchin declined to commit to that change, Warren said, “You’re boosting your Wall Street buddies.”Mnuchin told Warren that the legislation providing the funds includes restrictions on top executive pay and on company dividends and stock buybacks.Mnuchin said in prepared testimony that so far, the paycheck program has processed more than 4.2 million loans for over $530 billion “to keep tens of millions of hardworking Americans on the payroll.” The loans need not be repaid as long as the borrowing business uses 75% of the money to cover workers’ paychecks.But many small companies&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/380b07b9292ea7ae4d382f091d99bf10">say the terms are too onerous</a>. To have the loans forgiven, they must rehire all their employees within eight weeks of receiving the funds, even if they have little business or work for them to do. These companies argue that they might have to lay off their workers again at the end of the eight weeks — and may have little money left to help ramp up when business does return.Mnuchin, pressed about those issues and about opening the loan program to more nonprofits, said his department was considering making changes.---------WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will likely come under tough questioning from senators Tuesday about a small business lending program included in the government’s $2 trillion relief package.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?472163-1/fed-reserve-chair-powell-treasury-secretary-mnuchin-testify-cares-act-coronavirus-relief-bill&amp;live">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;Tuesday's hearing that started at 9a.m. CDTLawmakers from both parties have criticized the Payroll Protection Program, which initially provided $349 billion in forgivable loans to small companies but has been plagued by a host of problems.Many businesses were unable to get loans before the initial funding was exhausted. A second round of loans faced computer processing delays and a number of publicly traded companies ended up receiving money that Mnuchin demanded be paid back to the government.<a href="https://www.banking.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Mnuchin%20Testimony%205-19-201.pdf">Click here to read</a> Treasury Secretary Mnuchin's opening statement.---------WASHINGTON (AP) — A small, overlooked federal agency is shouldering a massive relief effort for the nation’s small businesses and their workers left reeling by the pandemic.The Small Business Administration has committed to auditing every sizable emergency loan it approves.But six weeks after the $600 billion-plus program was launched, the agency has yet to make public the recipients of taxpayer aid.A signature piece of Congress’ multitrillion-dollar pandemic rescue, the unprecedented lending program is targeted to help small employers stay afloat and preserve jobs in a cratering economy losing tens of millions of them.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584462219509.png" alt="President Trump listens to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin during a Coronavirus Task Force meeting last month. -Image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump listens to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin during a Coronavirus Task Force meeting last month. -Image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>“Our swift action supported or saved 30 million American jobs at least,” President Donald Trump said at a White House event on small business late last month with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza.Managing the program fell to the SBA, an agency with some 3,200 employees and an $819 million annual budget that’s one-tenth the size of the Commerce Department’s. On at least two occasions last month, the SBA’s computer system slowed under the crush of loan applications, creating a bottleneck. The agency says it has processed 4.2 million loans for some $530 billion in awards.The need for a detailed public accounting of the small-business relief program is amplified by controversy over how it has unfolded since early April. It’s important as a way for the public to know whether the program is working as Congress intended.Several hundred publicly traded companies received hundreds of millions of the low-interest, potentially forgivable loans. They tapped the federal aid despite their likely ability to get the money from private financial sources. Some had market values well over $100 million, and many had executives earning millions annually.On its website, the SBA says it “is becoming more transparent, participatory and collaborative through open government.” It cites, among other things, its Freedom of Information Act program and improvements to online services.So far, the agency has only provided general information, such as the total amounts of loans awarded in a given time period.With huge amounts of money flying out the government’s door in a crisis, full public disclosure can help prevent fraud and improper spending, says Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis and expert in government ethics.Otherwise, “the risks to taxpayers are greater,” Clark said. “I would think the SBA would be proactive in making information public.”Asked by news organizations for information on the companies receiving loans and when it might be provided, the SBA has said it’s too consumed now by the urgent effort of helping small businesses through the economic downturn. It says specific loan data may be released sometime “in the near future.”“At this time, the agency is focusing its efforts on assisting small businesses during this unprecedented disruption to the economy,” the SBA says. “The agency recognizes the need to balance the interests of transparency with the privacy and confidentiality issues release of loan information raises.”The loans made to big deep-pocketed companies in the Paycheck Protection Program meant that less money was available for smaller businesses. Publicly shamed, big corporations, including national restaurant chains Shake Shack, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Potbelly Sandwich Shop, said they would return their loans.It was news reports of big companies receiving loans that sparked the public outcry. The Associated Press and several other news organizations combed through voluminous filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission to unearth public companies that had received PPP loans. The SBA did not make the information public.That may be surprising because, until now, the SBA has regularly released information on businesses that have borrowed under its main lending program, the so-called 7(a) program.In fact, the loan application for the Paycheck Protection Program includes this notice to potential borrowers: Under the Freedom of Information Act and with certain exceptions, the SBA “must supply information reflected in agency files and records to a person requesting it.”Several news organizations, including The Washington Post and The New York Times, have sued the SBA in federal court over its not having released the loan data despite several FOIA requests. They accuse the agency of violating the FOIA law. The SBA has declined to comment on the lawsuit.Amid the public outcry, Mnuchin recently threatened criminal prosecution and warned companies they must return the money if they falsely certified that they needed federal aid to operate and couldn’t get it elsewhere. SBA set a deadline of Monday for companies with improperly received loans to return the money without penalty.But last week, SBA issued revised guidance indicating that criminal action won’t be pursued if companies found to have falsely certified their needs return the money.Elsewhere in the government, the Treasury Department recently released an accounting of its emergency lending program for airlines and air cargo carriers under the pandemic relief legislation.&nbsp;

🎥 Who got what? Moran questions small-business virus relief effort

Terresa Louise (Acheson) Pridey, 60, of Estacada, OR passed away Friday, May 15th, 2020 at her home. She was born on May 14, 1960 to her parents Charlotte and Alfred Acheson. 

Terresa was a beloved Mother, Grandmother, Aunt, Sister, and Friend and will be dearly missed by all who knew her. 

Her fun-loving nature and ability to sit with a cup of coffee and listen will be missed by everyone who knew her. 

Terresa was preceded in death by Charlotte and Alfred, and her sister Gayl Kaul. 

Terresa is survived by her siblings Charlene Mixon, Gloria Ballew, Mark and Tom Acheson, her daughter Carli (Adam) Rudder and son Louis (Rosie) Pridey, and numerous beloved grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins. 

A celebration of life will be held at a later date due to the restrictions from Covid 19.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589843146560.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Terresa Louise (Acheson) Pridey, 60, of Estacada, OR passed away Friday, May 15th, 2020 at her home. She was born on May 14, 1960 to her parents Charlotte and Alfred Acheson. Terresa was a beloved Mother, Grandmother, Aunt, Sister, and Friend and will be dearly missed by all who knew her. Her fun-loving nature and ability to sit with a cup of coffee and listen will be missed by everyone who knew her. Terresa was preceded in death by Charlotte and Alfred, and her sister Gayl Kaul. Terresa is survived by her siblings Charlene Mixon, Gloria Ballew, Mark and Tom Acheson, her daughter Carli (Adam) Rudder and son Louis (Rosie) Pridey, and numerous beloved grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins. A celebration of life will be held at a later date due to the restrictions from Covid 19.

Terresa Louise (Acheson) Pridey

If you missed today's graduation ceremonies for the classes of 2020 from Salina Central and Salina South, we've got you covered!

Earlier today, Shane McClintock and 99KG hosted on-air versions of the 2020 graduation ceremonies for Salina Central and Salina South. You can listen to them here:

<a href="https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/digitalads/SalinaPost/Central2020Grad.mp3">Salina Central 2020 Graduation on 99KG</a>

<a href="https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/digitalads/SalinaPost/South2020Grad.mp3">Salina South 2020 Graduation on 99KG</a>

If you missed today's graduation ceremonies for the classes of 2020 from Salina Central and Salina South, we've got you covered!Earlier today, Shane McClintock and 99KG hosted on-air versions of the 2020 graduation ceremonies for Salina Central and Salina South. You can listen to them here:<a href="https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/digitalads/SalinaPost/Central2020Grad.mp3">Salina Central 2020 Graduation on 99KG</a><a href="https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/digitalads/SalinaPost/South2020Grad.mp3">Salina South 2020 Graduation on 99KG</a>

Listen to Salina Central and Salina South graduation ceremonies here

Despite cancellations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Eagle Radio in Salina is creating a special event for seniors at Salina Central and Salina South high schools, and it's getting some national attention. 

Shane McClintock and 99KG are hosting the 2020 graduation ceremonies for Salina Central and Salina South on Sunday. 

Salina Central's ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. followed by the Salina South ceremony at 5 p.m. Speakers for each graduation ceremony will include the school principal, the class president, four graduating students reading the names of their classmates, and a commencement speaker who will address each class.&nbsp;

The 2020 graduation ceremony for Salina Central and Salina South has seen national attention. The Bobby Bones Show hosted out of WSIX-FM studios in Nashville, Tenn., applauded the idea to host the ceremony over the air on 99KG. 

Bobby Bones said, "I think every radio station should steal that idea...I give this an A+ and I applaud you for it!" 

Sponsors of the graduation event include the following.

•Anesthesia Associates of Central Kansas

•Travis Godfrey at Long McArthur #ASKFORTRAVIS

Despite cancellations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Eagle Radio in Salina is creating a special event for seniors at Salina Central and Salina South high schools, and it's getting some national attention. Shane McClintock and 99KG are hosting the 2020 graduation ceremonies for Salina Central and Salina South on Sunday. Salina Central's ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. followed by the Salina South ceremony at 5 p.m. Speakers for each graduation ceremony will include the school principal, the class president, four graduating students reading the names of their classmates, and a commencement speaker who will address each class.&nbsp;The 2020 graduation ceremony for Salina Central and Salina South has seen national attention. The Bobby Bones Show hosted out of WSIX-FM studios in Nashville, Tenn., applauded the idea to host the ceremony over the air on 99KG. Bobby Bones said, "I think every radio station should steal that idea...I give this an A+ and I applaud you for it!" You can listen to the clip here:<div><iframe width="100%" height="20" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/818551588&color=%23ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true"></iframe></div>Sponsors of the graduation event include the following.•Tony's Pizza Event Center&nbsp;•Bennington State Bank•Long McArthur Ford•Comfort Heating and Air•Salina Area Technical College•Anesthesia Associates of Central Kansas•Stardust Trophy•Hassman Termite and Pest Control•Salina Regional Health Center•Travis Godfrey at Long McArthur #ASKFORTRAVIS•Roselawn Mortuary and Memorial Park•Jeff Wells American Family Insurance•Mahaska Bottling•Bobcat of Salina•Bank VI•La Curva Mexican Restaurant•The Appliance Center•First Bank Kansas &nbsp;•Precision Electric of Salina

Salina Central and Salina South Graduation 2020 on 99KG

By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN FHSU University Relations and Marketing

HAYS – Every single person has been affected in one way or another by the outbreak of the coronavirus that hit the United States in February.

Nursing graduates from Fort Hays State University are dealing with effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on a day-to-day basis all across the country.

Curtis Kramer is a 2009 graduate who says he and fellow medical personnel appreciate the overwhelming support and gestures of gratitude they are getting for their work during these challenging times.

However, he says there are a lot of heroes who he thinks deserve recognition for how they are dealing with situations that put them at increased risk.

“I chose a career in nursing for this very reason – to care for others,” Kramer said. “A lot of people didn’t choose this way of life. But most are rolling with the punches.”

In addition to those working on the front line, Kramer thinks others who should be recognized for doing their part are – well, basically everyone.

“We should be thanking and appreciating each other,” Kramer said. “Although I’m working in a hospital, I’m not the only one making sacrifices. There are people out of jobs trying to make their way, parents working at home while teaching their children at home, people who are staying home, doing what they are supposed to be doing, because that’s protecting us.”

Following is Kramer’s story of his journey from FHSU to San Francisco, as well the journeys of two other alums. Although working in different parts of the country, they all credit the Fort Hays State experience for preparing them for their pivotal roles during this pandemic, something never before seen in their lifetime.

Curtis Kramer, interventional radiology nurse, University of San Francisco Medical Center

After traveling the country and working in numerous ICU units for several years after his graduation from FHSU, Kramer had the chance to move to radiology about a year and a half ago at USF Medical Center.

“I just wanted a change of pace,” he said.

That was before the pandemic hit. While he doesn’t work on the frontline, Kramer still sedates and cares for patients during procedures.

Now accustomed to city life, Kramer – who grew up in Cimarron, a town of about 2,200 in southwest Kansas – said he will never forget his roots.

“I feel very fortunate to have grown up in the most amazing circumstances in Kansas,” he said. “Now in my adult life, I am blessed to live where science is revered and people kind of look out for each other in that sense.”

After working at HaysMed for about two years after graduation, he decided to pursue traveling nursing, working from California to Hawaii, then New York, before settling down in California. After four years of caring for “some of the sickest patients I’d ever seen” at Stanford University Hospital, he moved north to San Francisco to take the radiology job.

Working in so many different venues was invaluable experience for Kramer, but he maintains that it all started at his alma mater in his native state.

“Fort Hays State prepared me to work in large hospitals and with high-tech scientific medicine,” he said. “Not only did I get the background to navigate work proficiently in those hospitals, but I was able to take with me the spirit of FHSU and the spirit of Kansas when I work with and care for patients.”

Kramer learned about caregiving in high school and college when both his parents were battling cancer.

Fort Hays State University was the closest four-year university to home, and its affordability was attractive. But there was something closer to his heart that drew Kramer to FHSU.

“Fort Hays State won me over with its charm,” he said. “I felt at home.”

During his parents’ battles with cancer, Kramer spent time in ICU units, and that cemented his decision to become a nurse.

“I felt like I was raised in ICU,” he said. “I’ve always been a caretaker with my friends and family, and when my parents were sick, I loved what nurses did. They were the caring ones.”

Brian Pfannenstiel, director of critical care, Hays Medical Center, Hays

A native of Chapman, Pfannenstiel stayed in Hays after graduating with his bachelor of nursing in December 2003.

He has worked at Hays Medical Center ever since, and his duties have ranged from the surgical floor to the progressive care unit to his current position in critical care. He is set to graduate later this month with a master’s in nursing administration.

While the pandemic brought with it different issues he had never before encountered, Pfannenstiel didn’t panic because of what he had learned in his master’s preparation classes.

“There’s the complexity theory, where we learned how changing one variable can affect 10 other consequences,” he said. “As nurses, we take care of sick patients every day. Obviously, this is a different situation, but during our program, we looked at all kinds of care models.”

Pfannenstiel said he is able to manage the additional stress these days by keeping in mind the healthcare code of ethics.

“We need to look at the patients holistically and put the patients first. But,” he admitted, “we are doing things I wouldn’t have even considered six months ago.”

For instance, HaysMed can move patients to an outside window so they can see their loved one’s face to face while visiting them on the phone.

HaysMed also has iPads available for patients to visit with loved ones through Zoom.

“Going through the master’s program, we learn about the necessity to be prepared for anything we might experience, and I believe that we are,” he said.

As a director, Pfannenstiel said in addition to keeping up-to-date with the scientific and evidence-based care for patients, he feels it’s his responsibility to give his staff up-to-date information daily to help decrease anxiety.

“It’s important that we have increased communication at this time,” he said. “I try to keep them factually informed. We have to be well prepared for any eventuality.”

Madison Putman, registered nurse, ICU, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.

Similar to Kramer, Putman’s decision to become a nurse was cemented while dealing with her mother’s cancer as a high school senior in Wichita.

She attributes not only the nursing skills learned at Fort Hays State but another college experience that made an indelible impression on her. Putman played outfield for the Tiger softball team from 2012-15.

“I think being a college athlete prepared me the most for this kind of situation,” said Putman, who graduated with her bachelor of nursing in 2016. “Our coach always taught us to pay attention to detail, to be prepared for whatever might come, and then you aren’t caught off guard as much.”

That adaptability has now become a way of life for Putman, who works primarily in ICU. She referred to a presentation during her senior year in college as a defining moment. The presenter told the students that one day they were going to be the ones who will need to step up and react while the world is still in shock.

“He was right,” Putman said. “These COVID-19 patients are like nothing I’ve ever seen. We, as health care professionals, are still learning and adapting to how these patients present themselves and how they change during their hospital stay.”

Putman learned early on in the pandemic how serious it is&nbsp;when her first patient who tested positive for the virus didn’t survive.

“That was a huge reality check for us,” she said. “All the unknowns about the virus can be frustrating.”

Even with all the uncertainty surrounding her, Putman said that listening to and caring for the patients is rewarding. She often calls on lessons learned at FHSU to help her keep moving forward.

“When things get chaotic, the best thing we can do is stay calm and keep our emotions at bay,” she said. “Everyone is going to benefit from that in the long run.”

In what has become the new normal, Putman takes each day one at a time without planning too far ahead. Whatever she will face in the coming days, weeks and months, she is certain of one thing.

“Nursing is a calling, and it was my calling,” Putman said. “I’ve never doubted it, even in this pandemic.”



<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589554237191.jpeg" alt="Photos courtesy FHSU" />
 <figcaption>Photos courtesy FHSU</figcaption>
 </figure>

By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN FHSU University Relations and MarketingHAYS – Every single person has been affected in one way or another by the outbreak of the coronavirus that hit the United States in February.Nursing graduates from Fort Hays State University are dealing with effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on a day-to-day basis all across the country.Curtis Kramer is a 2009 graduate who says he and fellow medical personnel appreciate the overwhelming support and gestures of gratitude they are getting for their work during these challenging times.However, he says there are a lot of heroes who he thinks deserve recognition for how they are dealing with situations that put them at increased risk.“I chose a career in nursing for this very reason – to care for others,” Kramer said. “A lot of people didn’t choose this way of life. But most are rolling with the punches.”In addition to those working on the front line, Kramer thinks others who should be recognized for doing their part are – well, basically everyone.“We should be thanking and appreciating each other,” Kramer said. “Although I’m working in a hospital, I’m not the only one making sacrifices. There are people out of jobs trying to make their way, parents working at home while teaching their children at home, people who are staying home, doing what they are supposed to be doing, because that’s protecting us.”Following is Kramer’s story of his journey from FHSU to San Francisco, as well the journeys of two other alums. Although working in different parts of the country, they all credit the Fort Hays State experience for preparing them for their pivotal roles during this pandemic, something never before seen in their lifetime.Curtis Kramer, interventional radiology nurse, University of San Francisco Medical CenterAfter traveling the country and working in numerous ICU units for several years after his graduation from FHSU, Kramer had the chance to move to radiology about a year and a half ago at USF Medical Center.“I just wanted a change of pace,” he said.That was before the pandemic hit. While he doesn’t work on the frontline, Kramer still sedates and cares for patients during procedures.Now accustomed to city life, Kramer – who grew up in Cimarron, a town of about 2,200 in southwest Kansas – said he will never forget his roots.“I feel very fortunate to have grown up in the most amazing circumstances in Kansas,” he said. “Now in my adult life, I am blessed to live where science is revered and people kind of look out for each other in that sense.”After working at HaysMed for about two years after graduation, he decided to pursue traveling nursing, working from California to Hawaii, then New York, before settling down in California. After four years of caring for “some of the sickest patients I’d ever seen” at Stanford University Hospital, he moved north to San Francisco to take the radiology job.Working in so many different venues was invaluable experience for Kramer, but he maintains that it all started at his alma mater in his native state.“Fort Hays State prepared me to work in large hospitals and with high-tech scientific medicine,” he said. “Not only did I get the background to navigate work proficiently in those hospitals, but I was able to take with me the spirit of FHSU and the spirit of Kansas when I work with and care for patients.”Kramer learned about caregiving in high school and college when both his parents were battling cancer.Fort Hays State University was the closest four-year university to home, and its affordability was attractive. But there was something closer to his heart that drew Kramer to FHSU.“Fort Hays State won me over with its charm,” he said. “I felt at home.”During his parents’ battles with cancer, Kramer spent time in ICU units, and that cemented his decision to become a nurse.“I felt like I was raised in ICU,” he said. “I’ve always been a caretaker with my friends and family, and when my parents were sick, I loved what nurses did. They were the caring ones.”Brian Pfannenstiel, director of critical care, Hays Medical Center, HaysA native of Chapman, Pfannenstiel stayed in Hays after graduating with his bachelor of nursing in December 2003.He has worked at Hays Medical Center ever since, and his duties have ranged from the surgical floor to the progressive care unit to his current position in critical care. He is set to graduate later this month with a master’s in nursing administration.While the pandemic brought with it different issues he had never before encountered, Pfannenstiel didn’t panic because of what he had learned in his master’s preparation classes.“There’s the complexity theory, where we learned how changing one variable can affect 10 other consequences,” he said. “As nurses, we take care of sick patients every day. Obviously, this is a different situation, but during our program, we looked at all kinds of care models.”Pfannenstiel said he is able to manage the additional stress these days by keeping in mind the healthcare code of ethics.“We need to look at the patients holistically and put the patients first. But,” he admitted, “we are doing things I wouldn’t have even considered six months ago.”For instance, HaysMed can move patients to an outside window so they can see their loved one’s face to face while visiting them on the phone.HaysMed also has iPads available for patients to visit with loved ones through Zoom.“Going through the master’s program, we learn about the necessity to be prepared for anything we might experience, and I believe that we are,” he said.As a director, Pfannenstiel said in addition to keeping up-to-date with the scientific and evidence-based care for patients, he feels it’s his responsibility to give his staff up-to-date information daily to help decrease anxiety.“It’s important that we have increased communication at this time,” he said. “I try to keep them factually informed. We have to be well prepared for any eventuality.”Madison Putman, registered nurse, ICU, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.Similar to Kramer, Putman’s decision to become a nurse was cemented while dealing with her mother’s cancer as a high school senior in Wichita.She attributes not only the nursing skills learned at Fort Hays State but another college experience that made an indelible impression on her. Putman played outfield for the Tiger softball team from 2012-15.“I think being a college athlete prepared me the most for this kind of situation,” said Putman, who graduated with her bachelor of nursing in 2016. “Our coach always taught us to pay attention to detail, to be prepared for whatever might come, and then you aren’t caught off guard as much.”That adaptability has now become a way of life for Putman, who works primarily in ICU. She referred to a presentation during her senior year in college as a defining moment. The presenter told the students that one day they were going to be the ones who will need to step up and react while the world is still in shock.“He was right,” Putman said. “These COVID-19 patients are like nothing I’ve ever seen. We, as health care professionals, are still learning and adapting to how these patients present themselves and how they change during their hospital stay.”Putman learned early on in the pandemic how serious it is&nbsp;when her first patient who tested positive for the virus didn’t survive.“That was a huge reality check for us,” she said. “All the unknowns about the virus can be frustrating.”Even with all the uncertainty surrounding her, Putman said that listening to and caring for the patients is rewarding. She often calls on lessons learned at FHSU to help her keep moving forward.“When things get chaotic, the best thing we can do is stay calm and keep our emotions at bay,” she said. “Everyone is going to benefit from that in the long run.”In what has become the new normal, Putman takes each day one at a time without planning too far ahead. Whatever she will face in the coming days, weeks and months, she is certain of one thing.“Nursing is a calling, and it was my calling,” Putman said. “I’ve never doubted it, even in this pandemic.”

FHSU nursing grads fighting COVID-19 throughout US

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT,&nbsp;Hays Post

What was supposed to be a benign budget meeting Thursday ended with the Ellis County Treasurer getting escorted from the commission chambers.

After previously presenting the commission with drafts, each individual department head planned to present their budget to the commission.&nbsp;

After a brief question, Commission Chair Butch Schlyer pressed County Treasurer Lisa Schlegel on adding a new employee. The commission had previously asked that any department heads who were looking to hire a new employee to discuss it with the commission first.

Schlegell did not. In March, she elected to fill a position that had been vacant in her department for several weeks.

Schlyer contended that position was open for six months. During the conversation, Schlegel interrupted Schlyer several times claiming it was four months.

“Earlier in the year, we did ask that department heads and elected officials discuss personnel issues with us,” Schlyer said. “You decided not too.”

“You never asked me about the position,” Schlegel replied.

"I didn’t know you was hiring,"&nbsp;Schlyer responded.

After Schlegel asked Schlyer, “Why are you asking now?” Schlyer said, “Because I don’t believe you needed the position and I’m going to ask the board to remove it.”

Schlegel then interrupted him and said, “You don’t know what my office does.”

“You have no bearing to make a statement that my office does not need that staff,” she said. “That’s an ignorant statement and is incorrect.”

Schlyer responded, “You’re being rude and disrepecful.”

To that Schlegel responded, “No you’re lying and you’re misrepresenting the facts. I’m standing up for myself. That’s not rude and disrespectful.”

Schlegel interrupted Schlyer several more times as he told the commission he wanted that position taken from the budget.

She then claimed he was threatened by a woman standing up to him.

Schlyer said in response, “I’m not threatened by any woman.”

Schlegel said, “We’ll sure you are. When you lie, misrepresent, call names yell and bully, that is disrespectful.”

Schlyer interrupted her and said, “you keep interrupting me so I’d appreciate it if you’d just shut up for a minute.”

Schlyer asked to board to remove the position for the treasurer’s budget.

To that, she said, “The position will not be removed.”

The position was budgeted in 2020, and Schlegel asked what had changed.

“I don’t believe you needed it because you went a long time without it,” Schlyer said. “You went through tax season without it.”

Schlyer added that she took her time to fill the position while other departments did not.

Schlegel said, “If you understood how the treasury functioned, you would understand that no treasurer is going to hire and train a new person in tax season.”

Schlegel went on to claim that Schlyer makes decisions on “non-fact (and) ignorance." While the moves she makes are based on “facts.”

She went on to claim that Schlyer has made “numerous, lies, mistruths and misrepresentations” about her since he was elected.

When pressed on what he has said, she did not provide any examples.

She then told the commission her expenditures for 2021 would be $515,000.

“That’s what its going to cost to operate the treasurer,” Schlegel said.

After Schlyer again told her that he doesn’t believe the treasurer’s office needs the extra position, she told him he does not know what he is talking about.

When Schlyer shifted the discussion to the treasurer’s advertising budget, she said she would not discuss it.

She then brought up her summer newsletter that she mailed out to residents of Ellis County. She said the money for those didn’t come from the advertising budget and said that two commissioners lied about it when they talked about it at a prior meeting.

“Which is completely ignorant,” Schlegel said, “and it breaches on stupid.”

Commissioner Dustin Roths, who addressed the newsletter at a prior meeting, asked where the funding for the newsletter came from. He was ignored.

At this time, Schlyer asked Sheriff Ed Harbin to the front of the chambers and had Schlegel escorted from the meeting.

“I’m tired of listening to this,” Schlyer said. “We’ll do her budget without her.”

When she asked why she was being escorted from the meeting, his answer was, “because you’re obnoxious.”

“You are disrespectful. And let the record state,” Schlegel said, “that you told me to shut up.”

She continued to yell as she was being escorted out of the meeting and said the number she gave them was going to be what it cost to run the treasury “whether you like it or not.”

Just outside the commission chambers, Schlegel can be heard yelling, “Butch, you’re lucky you had me escorted out because I have a lot of stuff here you don’t want the public to hear."

At that time, she was told that if she came back to the meeting she would be arrested for disorderly conduct.

The commission then proceeded to go through the 2021 budget request for the treasurer line by line.

According to numbers presented to the commission, from January 2019 through this year, the treasurer’s office only used 105 hours of overtime. That was minus one employee for the busy tax season.

“Right through her busy season tax season, she was an employee low, didn’t rehire and (then) rehired at the beginning of the year without requesting from us,” said Roths.

The commission agreed to not put that position in the 2021 budget, and Roths said this is the reason why they didn’t want to hire new employees if there wasn’t going to be a position available.

“It’s not fair to that employee,” Roths said. “What Ms. Schlegel did to that employee is not fair and who she decides to let go of next year is not fair.”

While going through more line items and made a list of questions for Sclegel to address at another time.

Some of the smaller items they trimmed were the amount of money set aside for tuition reimbursement, subsistence spending and ending a line item for employee incentives.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XKdPnYL6rJ0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT,&nbsp;Hays PostWhat was supposed to be a benign budget meeting Thursday ended with the Ellis County Treasurer getting escorted from the commission chambers.After previously presenting the commission with drafts, each individual department head planned to present their budget to the commission.&nbsp;After a brief question, Commission Chair Butch Schlyer pressed County Treasurer Lisa Schlegel on adding a new employee. The commission had previously asked that any department heads who were looking to hire a new employee to discuss it with the commission first.Schlegell did not. In March, she elected to fill a position that had been vacant in her department for several weeks.Schlyer contended that position was open for six months. During the conversation, Schlegel interrupted Schlyer several times claiming it was four months.“Earlier in the year, we did ask that department heads and elected officials discuss personnel issues with us,” Schlyer said. “You decided not too.”“You never asked me about the position,” Schlegel replied."I didn’t know you was hiring,"&nbsp;Schlyer responded.After Schlegel asked Schlyer, “Why are you asking now?” Schlyer said, “Because I don’t believe you needed the position and I’m going to ask the board to remove it.”Schlegel then interrupted him and said, “You don’t know what my office does.”“You have no bearing to make a statement that my office does not need that staff,” she said. “That’s an ignorant statement and is incorrect.”Schlyer responded, “You’re being rude and disrepecful.”To that Schlegel responded, “No you’re lying and you’re misrepresenting the facts. I’m standing up for myself. That’s not rude and disrespectful.”Schlegel interrupted Schlyer several more times as he told the commission he wanted that position taken from the budget.She then claimed he was threatened by a woman standing up to him.Schlyer said in response, “I’m not threatened by any woman.”Schlegel said, “We’ll sure you are. When you lie, misrepresent, call names yell and bully, that is disrespectful.”Schlyer interrupted her and said, “you keep interrupting me so I’d appreciate it if you’d just shut up for a minute.”Schlyer asked to board to remove the position for the treasurer’s budget.To that, she said, “The position will not be removed.”The position was budgeted in 2020, and Schlegel asked what had changed.“I don’t believe you needed it because you went a long time without it,” Schlyer said. “You went through tax season without it.”Schlyer added that she took her time to fill the position while other departments did not.Schlegel said, “If you understood how the treasury functioned, you would understand that no treasurer is going to hire and train a new person in tax season.”Schlegel went on to claim that Schlyer makes decisions on “non-fact (and) ignorance." While the moves she makes are based on “facts.”She went on to claim that Schlyer has made “numerous, lies, mistruths and misrepresentations” about her since he was elected.When pressed on what he has said, she did not provide any examples.She then told the commission her expenditures for 2021 would be $515,000.“That’s what its going to cost to operate the treasurer,” Schlegel said.After Schlyer again told her that he doesn’t believe the treasurer’s office needs the extra position, she told him he does not know what he is talking about.When Schlyer shifted the discussion to the treasurer’s advertising budget, she said she would not discuss it.She then brought up her summer newsletter that she mailed out to residents of Ellis County. She said the money for those didn’t come from the advertising budget and said that two commissioners lied about it when they talked about it at a prior meeting.“Which is completely ignorant,” Schlegel said, “and it breaches on stupid.”Commissioner Dustin Roths, who addressed the newsletter at a prior meeting, asked where the funding for the newsletter came from. He was ignored.At this time, Schlyer asked Sheriff Ed Harbin to the front of the chambers and had Schlegel escorted from the meeting.“I’m tired of listening to this,” Schlyer said. “We’ll do her budget without her.”When she asked why she was being escorted from the meeting, his answer was, “because you’re obnoxious.”“You are disrespectful. And let the record state,” Schlegel said, “that you told me to shut up.”She continued to yell as she was being escorted out of the meeting and said the number she gave them was going to be what it cost to run the treasury “whether you like it or not.”Just outside the commission chambers, Schlegel can be heard yelling, “Butch, you’re lucky you had me escorted out because I have a lot of stuff here you don’t want the public to hear."At that time, she was told that if she came back to the meeting she would be arrested for disorderly conduct.The commission then proceeded to go through the 2021 budget request for the treasurer line by line.According to numbers presented to the commission, from January 2019 through this year, the treasurer’s office only used 105 hours of overtime. That was minus one employee for the busy tax season.“Right through her busy season tax season, she was an employee low, didn’t rehire and (then) rehired at the beginning of the year without requesting from us,” said Roths.The commission agreed to not put that position in the 2021 budget, and Roths said this is the reason why they didn’t want to hire new employees if there wasn’t going to be a position available.“It’s not fair to that employee,” Roths said. “What Ms. Schlegel did to that employee is not fair and who she decides to let go of next year is not fair.”While going through more line items and made a list of questions for Sclegel to address at another time.Some of the smaller items they trimmed were the amount of money set aside for tuition reimbursement, subsistence spending and ending a line item for employee incentives.The commission also addressed a roughly $30,000 expenditure for bulletproof glass and chose to remove it from the budget.Interim County Administrator Darin Myers said they aren’t really sure on the exact cost but wanted to make sure it was on the budget for approval.Schlyer called the bulletproof glass “overkill.”Roths said, “How bad do we have to be at customer service while people are paying their taxes to need bulletproof glass partisans between us and the person whose taking our money?”Schlyer also called it an inconsistency to want bulletproof glass but remove security cameras in the office.The commission discussed the current security camera setup within the treasurer’s office.IT Director Mike Leiker told the commission that his department does have security cameras in the treasurer’s office with the recording equipment in the IT department. But Leiker said “recently” the treasurer had staff come and get the equipment.He said while the cameras can be monitored in real-time, they currently cannot record. There are 20 cameras in the treasurer’s office, but only 18 are active because Schlegel had them disconnect two, according to Leiker.Leiker estimated it would cost about $3,000 to get the system back to recording.County Counselor Bill Jeter told the commission he has looked into this situation before and called it a “gray area.”He said there isn’t any guidelines on placing camera’s in an elected official’s office, adding he couldn’t give the commission an opinion on what the outcome of the case would be.Roths said, “Maybe it should be litigated. If Treasurer Schlegel would like to have a problem with us recording things in the treasury, that might be something we have to take up as litigation.”“I believe we should be recording in the treasury,” Roths added, “for the safety of the treasury (and) for the safety of her employees.”Jeter suggested the county look at installing cameras in the lobby in an effort to cover the front of the treasurer’s office.Roths said he would be worried about fraud and mistakes in transactions.“Those are the type of things I would expect, from my treasurer, to want to know.”Roths said he would be in favor of zero-funding the treasurer’s capital outlay budget so the office doesn’t have the funds to do any construction on the office.The commission also walked through the EMS and Health Services Budgets, and budgets for the county attorney, appraiser, sheriff and IT.They will continue budget discussions Friday.