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octoberlib

(14,971 posts)
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 10:15 AM Dec 2020

Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church got $4.4 million in federal PPP loans

Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church is among the large local congregations that received multi-million dollar loans as part of the federal government’s COVID-19 stimulus package.

Lakewood received a $4.4 million loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, a part of the federal CARES Act that provided loans to pay employee wages or for other basic operational costs such as utilities.

The program marked the first time federal lawmakers allowed for direct financial assistance to houses of worship.


Lakewood officials said earlier this year that they had not applied for a loan through the PPP, and the church was not included on the list of recipients released by the Small Business Administration early in the summer. The SBA later reopened the program, and its most recent data shows that Lakewood’s loan was approved in mid-July.


https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/religion/article/Joel-Osteen-s-Lakewood-Church-got-4-4M-in-15800887.php

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bullimiami

(13,044 posts)
1. utter corruption. probably could have helped 40 actual small businesses with that money.
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 10:18 AM
Dec 2020

we need to claw back every corrupt penny that was stolen from the ppp fund.

Pisces

(5,592 posts)
3. Seems like very little of the money went to the actual people who needed it. Lawyers for bigger
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 10:35 AM
Dec 2020

Companies were able to fill out paperwork and file it quickly. Meanwhile business owners struggle to fill out the forms and didn’t turn them in same day.

octoberlib

(14,971 posts)
5. Bigger companies should have been banned from receiving it.
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 01:17 PM
Dec 2020

Trump admin was just awarding their supporters.

Pisces

(5,592 posts)
7. I think many companies have found loopholes on how they classify employees ie ( independent
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 02:22 PM
Dec 2020

Contractor etc. in order to make them look smaller. I agree that money should have gone to a much smaller pool and I also think they should have excluded religious groups.

Blue Owl

(49,934 posts)
4. I'd like to know the person or persons who signed off on this bullshit
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 12:41 PM
Dec 2020

They should be removed from their jobs immediately

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