Stockton mayor: Small businesses want clear, safe way to operate during COVID-19

Government has a responsibility to give small businesses accurate data and information to help them operate during the coronavirus pandemic, Stockton, Calif., Mayor Michael Tubbs said at an Axios virtual event on Thursday.

What he's saying: "Our small businesses are being hit hard. But they also aren’t willing to sacrifice the lives of themselves, their employees, for their livelihoods, but are looking for a clear, common sense, data-backed way to operate as safely if possible," Stockton said.

• Tubbs added that programs including unemployment and stimulus checks have seemed to "be enough to kind of not end the pain, but to dull the pain."
• "We’re walking into a Great Depression and we have to do everything we can to make sure folks are able to provide for themselves and their families," he added.