West Oakland Women Of The Black Panther Party Mural YouTube Livestream

Women Of The Black Panther Party Mural

Women of The Black Panther Party Mural From YouTube Channel: February 14, 2021 at 04:46PM ONN – West Oakland Women Of The Black Panther Party Mural YouTube Livestream Where YouTuber Jilchristina Vest writes: I was born and raised in Chicago. I moved to the Bay in 1986 @ 18 yrs old. In 1995, after earning … Read more

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Applauds Opening of Community Vaccination Site at Oakland Coliseum

Barbara Lee Oakland California Congresswoman Receives COVID-19 Vaccine

Oakland, CA –– Congresswoman Barbara lee (CA-13) issued the following statement today regarding the opening of a community vaccination site in the parking lot of the Oakland Coliseum: “I applaud this critical investment by the federal government and the state of California to help communities like ours that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. … Read more

Bank Of America PPP Loan Mess Leads To Wrongly Asking Americans To Give EIDL Money Back

Bank of America

Bank Of America’s PPP Loan (Payroll Protection Program) Program Is A Horrible Mess

Early on, Bank of America was the focus of a lawsuit because the banking giant was not properly processing the Payroll Protection Program Loans that were applied for as million of businesses were being impacted by or fearing impact of the Coronavirus. The Charlotte Business Journal wrote:

Four businesses filed a lawsuit against Charlotte’s Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) on Sunday, criticizing the way it handled loan applications for the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. The suit was filed in federal court in Los Angeles.
The lawsuit alleges BofA prioritized applications for higher loan amounts because those would generate more origination fees for the bank. The SBA previously said PPP applications would be accepted and processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

“BofA has, once again, prioritized corporate greed at the expense of its small business customers,” the suit reads. “Had BofA been honest, small businesses could have (and would have) submitted their PPP applications to other financial institutions. … As a result of BofA’s dishonest and deplorable behavior, however, thousands of small businesses that were entitled to loans under the PPP were left with nothing.”

UPDATE: Bank Of America Should Stop Twisting SBA PPP Rules To Collect Money To Offset Losses

During the frantic push to get financial shelter from COVID-19, the Small Business Administration (or SBA) had one program for economic help during disasters called “Economic Injury Disaster Loan”. I signed up for the program, but received no word back. I didn’t even get an acknowledgement of my application.

Then, the PPP program was advanced, and I applied twice (filled out the application twice because they were not acknowledging my entry) and it asked me if I was eligible for the “economic help during disasters” or “Economic Injury Disaster Loan”, between January and April, and I said yes (why would I not?). I also had not received the Economic Injury Disaster Loan I applied for.

And what was the EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loan) described as, you ask? This:

In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, small business owners, including agricultural businesses, and nonprofit organizations in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories can apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan. The EIDL program is designed to provide economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue due to coronavirus (COVID-19).https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/economic-injury-disaster-loans

So, the PPP I got was part the EIDL I should have received, or so I understood that case to be, since both were related to the Coronavirus problem.Now, Bank of America is saying that I got an EIDL, and the PPP contained an “additional” EIDL amount of money to refinance the EIDL they say I got – but I never got even though I applied for it, too. Now, they want me to give back something that I never got out of the PPP money Zennie62Media received and disbursed to contractors. And in 10 days!

That’s nuts.

Bank of America made so many changes in the PPP Loan Application it wasn’t funny, and eventually set up an online portal for business clients. The complicated stuff about seeking a refinancing of a loan I did not get was not said then – they simply asked if Zennie62Media was eligible, which means we should get one. And a simple ask at that, since we didn’t have one, and the SBA was not responsive because it was slammed. I guess memories are short.

So now, Bank of America asked to go into my account and, of the $23,750 PPP Loan, get the $10,000 in what B Of A is calling “extra money” that in point of fact I never got – and gave me the choice, “yes”, to allow it to get it, or “no”. There was no “HELL NO” option. If so, I would have selected it, especially since Bank of America’s attempted action to me is based on a rule that did not exist when I applied for the PPP and received the loan, EIDL and all, on May 4th, 2020. Yep, you read that right.

And to add to that, we’re talking about my firm, Zennie62Media, a Delaware c-corp approved December 30,2019, and with a Certificate Of Good Standing from the State of Delaware. A firm that’s paid out several thousand dollars to my family of vlogger contractors, some who are disabled or between full-time jobs, and really needed and got another way of making money and having fun in the process.

What’s SBA Procedural notice 5000-20032: Refinance of EIDL Loans with PPP Loan Proceeds and Lender Remittance of EIDL Refinance Proceeds to SBA?

According to an online document I found called “SBA Procedural notice 5000-20032: Refinance of EIDL Loans with PPP Loan Proceeds and Lender Remittance of EIDL Refinance Proceeds to SBA”, “The purpose of this Notice is to provide guidance for when Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan proceeds must be used to refinance SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and to inform PPP Lenders of the procedure for remitting to the SBA any PPP loan proceeds designated for the refinance of an EIDL.”

And then it goes on to provide rules for handling of an EIDL in a refinancing situation that I was not involved in. And then, here’s the kicker: the entire SBA Procedural notice 5000-20032 was effective June 19th, 2020 – a good month after I received my PPP Loan on May 4th, and a full two months after I applied for it. https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/5000-20032-508.pdf

So, not only did the SBA notice not exist during the frantic frenzy to get money out to help people (ostensibly) during the early days of the Pandemic’s economic impact, it also does not call for Bank of America to go raiding someone’s bank account to get money they never received to refinance in the first place!

As explained in an August 4th 2020 Journal of Accountancy post by Ken Tysiac, a lender like Bank of America was supposed to do this: “…if a borrower received an EIDL advance in excess of the amount of its PPP loan. Lenders must notify the borrower when the first payment will be due, and the loan must be repaid by the borrower before the maturity date, either two or five years.” Not 10 days – and even then, the EIDL advance in my case was not in excess of the amount of my PPP Loan.

All of this seems to have been made just so lenders like Bank of America can get back some PPP Loan money. That even as Gerri Detweiler in Nav.com writes that “borrowers generally don’t have to repay an EIDL grant”!

Since Bank of America was sued for favoring the rich, the action its trying to take against me seems to be right along those lines, and criminal. And at that, Zennie62Media is one of a total number of black-owned businesses and black American that represented two percent of the total number of people and firms who got PPP Loans! 83 percent of the PPP Loans issued went to white folks.

Congress should write a bill or provision that helps save the little guy: simply terminate any rule that allows a Lender to try and take PPP Loan-related money back from an American who rightfully received it.

If that person or business followed all of the basic guidelines of the criteria for the PPP, fine – then leave them alone. EIDL money (It’s disaster related, right?) should simply be part of the PPP: if it’s forgiven, so be it – plus the whole program is to be terminated June of 2021, anyway (Why that is, is yet another mystery considering how many millions of people still need help in America?)

But this way where lenders like Bank of America are left to write “we understand how hard this is during this difficult time” before they take part of your money must be terminated. It will contribute to a wrecking of the American economy to a degree far worse than what we’re already experiencing now.

Stay tuned.

Democrats Underscore Long Road Ahead in Fight for Racial Justice

Democratic National Convention 2020

Mayor Muriel Bowser, Rep. Jim Clyburn, Floyd family call for reflection and reckoning in convention segment “We the People Demand Racial Justice” MILWAUKEE—Tonight at the Democratic National Convention, elected leaders and activists had the tough conversations in a segment titled “We the People Demand Racial Justice,” and laid out the party’s vision for a future where America’s … Read more

U.S. Chamber Calls on Congress To Pass Bills To Address Race-Based Opportunity Gaps

U.S.-Chamber-Of-Commerce

Washington – In a letter sent to all members of Congress, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce today formally endorsed more than a dozen individual bills in Congress that would help close longstanding opportunity gaps that exist for Black Americans and people of color. The move is part of the Chamber’s national Equality of Opportunity initiative … Read more

Toby Gene Levingston Oakland East Bay Dragons Founder Passed Away This Week Tuesday

Toby Gene Levingston Oakland East Bay Dragons Founder Passed Away This Week Tuesday

Toby Gene Levingston Oakland East Bay Dragons Founder Passed Away This Week Tuesday ONN – Toby Gene Levingston Oakland East Bay Dragons Founder Passed Away This Week Tuesday As his obituary in the Martinez Tribune reads: Tobie Gene Levingston, who founded the East Bay Dragons, one of the nation’s first all-Black motorcycle clubs, died Tuesday … Read more

AIDS Quilt Installed At Oakland City Hall

Oakland City Hall AIDS Quilt

Oakland, CA – On  Monday, July 6, 2020, the City of Oakland started hosting panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt to hang on the front of Oakland City Hall. The AIDS Memorial quilt has more than 100,000 names stitched in remembrance of loved ones that have been lost to AIDS. Panels are hung in Cities … Read more

Victor Anari Sengbe: Lake Merritt Noose Dude Not Oakland Resident, But Tech Genius

The Victor Sengbe Oakland Noose Story Does Not Explain The Effigy Fake Body Bag Lake Merritt Problem

A Tech Story: Victor Anari Sengbe: Lake Merritt Hangman Noose Dude Not Oakland Resident, But Tech Genius Victor Anari Sengbe, the man who’s the focus of at least one of the hangman noose’s that were spotted around Lake Merritt on June 17th (no word who was responsible for the fake body effigy also hung with … Read more

USA Juneteenth Rally: Port Of Oakland Shut Down As Thousands March Against Police Brutality

Usa: Port Of Oakland Shuts Down As Thousands March Against Police Brutality On Juneteenth

USA: Port of Oakland shuts down as thousands march against police brutality on Juneteenth ONN – USA Juneteenth Rally: Port of Oakland Shut Down As Thousands March Against Police Brutality Subscribe to our channel! rupt.ly/subscribe Operations at the Port of Oakland came to a halt on Friday, as thousands of dockworkers and supporters marched through … Read more

Oakland Council Members Nikki Bas, Rebecca Kaplan, Sheng Thao, Want Immediate Halt Of Tear Gas

Rebecca Kaplan, Nikki Bas, Sheng Thao

Oakland, CA: (June 3 , 2020) – Today, Oakland Council Members Nikki Bas, Rebecca Kaplan and Sheng Thao sent a joint letter to Mayor Schaaf, City Administrator Reiskin and Interim Police Chief Manheimer to urge the immediate halt of the use of tear gas for crowd control during the COVID-19 pandemic “ Dear Mayor Schaaf, … Read more

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Calls For Formation Of Truth, Racial Healing, Transformation Commission

Congresswoman Barbara Lee

In the Wake of COVID-19 and Murder of George Floyd, Congresswoman Barbara Lee Calls for Formation of Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Commission Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee announced legislation calling for the establishment of the first United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT). The Commission will examine the effects … Read more

Targeting Of Journalists By Police Threatens Freedom Of The Press – Save Journalism Project

Save Journalism Project

Washington, DC – Shot with rubber bullets, targeted with stun grenades, tear gassed, physically attacked, pepper sprayed and arrested. Cleveland even tried to ban the press from the city. This is journalism in America right now as reporters cover the unrest across the country following the murder of George Floyd. As journalists risk their safety … Read more

Las Vegas Stadium Worker Virus Count Up To 60; Colin Kaepernick Worth $6 Billion To NFL Team

Las Vegas Stadium Worker Virus Count Up To 60; Colin Kaepernick Worth $6 Billion To Nfl Team

Las Vegas Stadium Worker Virus Count Up To 60; Colin Kaepernick Worth $6 Billion To NFL Team ONN – Las Vegas Stadium Worker Virus Count Up To 60; Colin Kaepernick Worth $6 Billion To NFL Team. According to blogger Vital Vegas, who’s accuracy is better than other media in Las Vegas, the unreported by the … Read more

Oakland Adams Point Apartment Dwellers Victims Of Brazen Mail Theft Caught On Camera

Oakland Adams Point Apartment Dwellers Victims Of Brazen Mail Theft Caught On Camera

Oakland Adams Point Apartment Dwellers Victims Of Brazen Mail Theft Caught On Camera ONN – Oakland Adams Point Apartment Dwellers Victims Of Brazen Mail Theft Caught On Camera This video was posted on Nextdoor two days ago, and shows a three-person team of mail theft bandits reportedly active in Oakland’s Adams Point neighborhood. One reason … Read more

Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor’s Criticism Of President Obama And Joe Biden Was Baseless And Myopic

Keeanga Yamahtta Taylor’s Criticism Of President Obama And Joe Biden Was Baseless And Myopic

Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor’s Criticism Of President Obama And Joe Biden Was Baseless And Myopic ONN – Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor’s Criticism Of President Obama And Joe Biden Was Baseless And Myopic This is a counter to Professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor’s column in the New York Times, dated February 5th, 2020. In it, she goes back to a trope that … Read more

Pete Buttigieg In The State: A Buttigieg Presidency Will Invest In Black America

Mayor Pete Buttigieg Runs For President

Today, as we observe the chosen birthday and legacy of Frederick Douglass, Pete Buttigieg penned an op-ed in The State discussing how we must invest in Black America to create a truly equitable America: The State: A Pete Buttigieg presidency will invest in building a stronger future for Black America By Pete Buttigieg South Carolina … Read more