Gov. Newsom Promotes COVID Relief for Small Businesses with Oakland Visit
OAKLAND (KPIX 5) -- Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday visited small businesses in Oakland as he continued to promote the financial support the state has made available to business owners hit hard by the pandemic.
Days after the state's full reopening, many businesses that survived COVID are looking ahead. Business owners said the governor's visit means a lot as the recovery continues.
"Just his presence and making sure the people in the community are doing good. We are rebounding, said BeastMode Barbershop CEO Tyranny Allen. "We have been shut down for a year or more. Some businesses didn't make it, you know what I mean? BeastMode Barbershop, we started right in the beginning of the pandemic. We didn't qualify for a lot of grants and things like tha, but we kept it positive and kept pushing to stay consistent."
One of Newsom's stops was at the Alameda barbershop owned by former Raider Marshawn Lynch. Newsom also visited Graffiti Pizza as part of his Thursday tour showcasing the state's support to boost local business and help the state's economy recover.
Part of Newsom's $100 billion California Comeback recovery plan includes an extra $1.5 billion in COVID-relief grants for small businesses that struggled through the pandemic.
"This is not just about dollars and sense. This is about magical moments. This is about community. Small business is about community; about people coming together across differences," said Newsom. "It's the serendipity of life, strangers that become friends, friends that become family members. That's small business. That's what the 4.1 million small businesses in the state of California represent.
Newsom said he knows about small businesses because he says it was a small business that gave him his first job. He said he will continue advocating and providing help for these people who suffered so much during the pandemic shutdown.
Earlier this year, Newsom gave a historic $6.2 billion tax cut for businesses that helped business owners significantly.
