The PPP program shows us how American values have changed since World War II

I have a personal story to share about the "payroll protection program" or "PPP" loans.

My dad runs three automotive repair centers outside of Philadelphia. His business, while allowed to remain open, has been losing money since the 'stay at home' orders went into place in March.

He was unable to secure PPP money during the initial round of funding. It has led to a ton of anxiety and worry about what will happen to his business.

Of course, the headlines are now full of public companies that took PPP money that should not have, and have prevented businesses like my dad's from getting access to the funds. But that is only part of the story. I am personally aware of several private companies that took 7-figure PPP loans. These are companies that are still fully operational and do not have immediate cash flow issues.

Of all the things we could not have predicted over the past few months, the greed associated with the PPP program is certainly one of them. It also shows you have far we have strayed from the "greatest generation" that won World War II.

Back in WWII, my great-grandfather, Joseph Gerben, ran a salvage yard. It was a place where automobiles that outlived their usefulness were taken. Cars built in that era did not have the modern day technologies of today. They didn't have rust prevention and the engines had a much shorter life span.

During WWII, certain items, like gasoline and sugar, became rationed by the United States government to support the war effort. Unless you had what they called a "ration coupon", you could not buy gas for your car or even something as basic as milk.

These "ration coupons" had an expiration date and the general population had very limited access to the coupons. Like anything else that has limitations, a black market existed where the rations fetched a price.

My great-grandfather was a big supporter of the war effort. All of his scrap metal from the cars and trucks in his yard, along with rubber tires, went to the government to supply the military. Because he supplied so much, the government gave him an excessive amount of rations for gas to keep his business going. His son, my grandfather, told me this story many times: instead of selling these ration coupons on the black market or giving them discreetly to people he knew, Joseph would throw the excess coupons into the fire they used to keep warm. He would not even allow his kids to have more than what the government allowed.

Why? Because he knew the more he took, the less others would have. 

So I ask, what has happened to that American spirit? The truth will eventually come out. Private companies that took PPP loans will be the subject of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Everyone that took money will eventually be held accountable. The decision to take these funds will undoubtedly harm the brand value of companies that took them unnecessarily.

That said, there is still time for change. We are just at the beginning of this pandemic. There is still time to calibrate companies and brands to the "new normal" and recognize that this is not a personal endeavor. Getting through the pandemic will require everyone to do their part and make decisions for the greater good. I hope this story inspires you to make those decisions for your company.