Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Thousands of Gloucester workers haven’t earned any money for the last eight weeks and are currently unemployed—with many businesses closed or about to be closed forever. My business has earned $200 dollars in 10 weeks. Soon we’re all going to be faced with tax bills that we can’t pay and many of us will lose our businesses and homes.

I agree on using the $600,000 in CARES Act money for obtaining online classes, expanding homeschooling materials, adding days to next year’s calendar, summer school … all things that help the student’s loss of education this year.

I disagree using the CARES Act to fund overtime pay for people complaining about being asked to work in jobs they are already being paid for. Seems like a scam to use CARES Act money for overtime pay.

I challenge the board members to justify their vote to pay overtime in this economic crisis—“it’s not what CARES Act money for.” CARES Act money is needed for businesses not overtime pay.

The...