John Kerry meets virtually with Manchester brewery owners for small business event

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Aaron Share shows off some equipment during the virtual event. Screencapture

MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Friday, former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met virtually with the proprietors of Manchester’s own To Share Brewery in an online event discussing the proposed small business policies of Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden.

To Share’s Jenni and Aaron Share said that they had to furlough several employees during the pandemic and they currently have six on staff, below pre-pandemic levels. The pair provided a virtual tour of the Union Street-based brewery and taphouse as it is now, with games removed and tables distanced six feet apart and menus put onto QR codes to maximize social distancing.

The Shares normally expect the fall to be their busiest time of year, but feared customers may not return at pre-pandemic levels for the near future, also asking those watching the virtual meeting to go out and vote.

“This can’t continue,” said Jenni.

Kerry said that the Shares’ experience didn’t have to happen, citing the Obama/Biden Administration’s response to the Ebola crisis and how a multi-national proactive response limited that epidemic to only 11,000 deaths and a negligible impact in the United States.

Instead, Kerry criticized Trump for exacerbating the pandemic through what he saw as willful ignorance, falsehoods and ignoring social distancing during campaign events. Kerry also criticized Trump and indirectly Congress as a whole regarding the help for small business, stating that many small businesses such as To Share did not get the help they need due to confusing procedures within the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which gave larger businesses aid they did not need.

“Folks, what you’ve heard is the cry for help from two incredibly self-motivated folks who just grab the bull by the horns and get the job done. They’re not asking for handouts, they’re asking for a fair shot,” said Kerry. “Donald Trump has done anything but give small business owners a fair shot. The people who have benefited under Donald Trump are the Mar-a-Lago crowd and the folks with the most money to lobby in Washington.”

Rhett Buttle, Executive Director of the Small Business Roundtable and Biden for President National Business Advisor, explained the Biden campaign’s four-point plan for helping small businesses if Biden is elected.

First, Biden would increase aid to small businesses specifically during the pandemic, according to Bhuttle. Then Biden would aim to help businesses of all sizes obtain capital for growth, institute new regulations that would provide an even playing field for small businesses and work with small businesses in the field of government procurement purchases.

In past months, the Trump Administration and its allies have touted aid from the U.S. Small Business Administration such as the PPP as well as tax policies such as delaying the federal tax deadline until July and a 20 percent tax deduction for small businesses.

About this Author

Andrew Sylvia

Assistant EditorManchester Ink Link

Born and raised in the Granite State, Andrew Sylvia has written approximately 10,000 pieces over his career for outlets across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. On top of that, he's a licensed notary and licensed to sell property, casualty and life insurance, he's been a USSF trained youth soccer and futsal referee for the past six years and he can name over 60 national flags in under 60 seconds according to that flag game app he has on his phone, which makes sense because he also has a bachelor's degree in geography (like Michael Jordan). He can also type over 100 words a minute on a good day.