I’m certainly not painting everyone with the same brush. As a small business owner myself, I considered applying for a PPP loan. There are plenty of businesses that used the funds appropriately. The only people who should be offended by my statement are those who didn’t

Unfortunately, not all mom-and-pops are saintly. Plenty of them use shoddy business practices. I’ve heard dozens of reports of small-town restaurateurs who took out huge PPP loans and still laid off their staff. And many small businesses get away with wage theft and abusive practices precisely BECAUSE there is no corporate office making them wary of lawsuits.

SO, no, I’m not lumping them together. I’m talking about exploitative employers, no matter the size.