Mayor Berke Says Recent Talk Of Robust Job Growth At Chattanooga Now "A Distant Memory"

  • Monday, April 6, 2020

Mayor Andy Berke said, due to the coronavirus crisis, that recent talk about robust job growth at Chattanooga is "a distant memory."

He said:

I appreciate everyone in Chattanooga who observed our shelter-in-place order this past weekend -- your good judgement now makes a difference and will save lives. If you see a place of business or public gathering that is out of compliance, please call Chattanooga 311 and let them know so that we can follow up. Please keep checking cha.city/covidfaqs if you have questions.

I realize how difficult and strange all of this is. The next couple of weeks will dictate how hard this crisis hits our local hospital systems, so please know how much we appreciate the sacrifice that each of you are making. It's always been true that when times are toughest, we see the best in ourselves and our neighbors. Remember -- staying at home and keeping yourself safe protects your friends and family every bit as much as it protects you.

To that point, you may have seen some recent media reports about the Governor's plan to establish "overflow centers" for non-critical COVID-19 patients in cities across Tennessee, including here in Chattanooga. I am in frequent contact with the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency and the Health Department as they make these preparations. My office will do whatever is necessary to assist them so that we are as prepared as possible for patients who need urgent care.

Two months ago, Forbes said Chattanooga would have the strongest job growth in the country this year. Today, that seems like a distant memory. We continue to reach out to locally-owned small businesses to connect them with resources that will help them weather the current economic storm. I'm glad that Congress has taken some meaningful steps that will stimulate the economy and help workers who are feeling the worst shocks right now. Our safety net is being stretched to its limit, so we must take action to prevent as many people we can from falling through.

Right now, recovery feels very far away and we're focusing all of our energies on protecting the public's health. At the same time, we know that we'll need to be more proactive, rather than reactive, in thinking about how we want Chattanooga's economy to look in the future so that we can be prepared when the recovery begins. Congress has a chance to enact more legislation that will employ Americans this fall, address long-term needs, and eventually build our middle class. 

Today, I offered some thoughts about this in The Hill. Building a nationwide fiber plan, upskilling displaced workers, and investing in more research hubs are a few of the things that I think we need to do to make our economy more equitable, fair, and resilient. I'll be talking more about this in the weeks and months ahead. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

I look forward to answering your questions about coronavirus this evening during our Facebook chat at 5:30 p.m. Stay safe and thank you again for all you're doing.

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