July 2020, the situation, or rather the crisis whose name must not be spoken, remains unchanged. As a DJ during the Corona lockdown and essentially banned from working, I closely and meticulously follow the news and developments regarding the easing of restrictions and responsible behavior. After all, I haven't lost hope that things will eventually return to normal and that I can resume my work as usual. Since Germany has a federal system, the pandemic-related rules and regulations vary from state to state.

Since I live here in Bavaria, it's quite alright compared to other German states, but this also raises the question of why, for example, in Bavaria you're currently only allowed to celebrate privately and indoors with 100 people (as of July 7, 2020), since the rules are different in other states. In this context, the media is already fearing "party tourism," which thankfully hasn't materialized so far, because you can really have a great time celebrating in Bavaria, if you're allowed to...

Passing on responsibility through relaxations...

That we will have to find a way back to normality in these difficult pandemic times is clear to everyone. Easing restrictions is therefore important and appropriate if it serves to revive the sluggish economy and social life. However, I find these exuberant and hyper-positive announcements from certain sectors (especially the wedding industry, as the event and club sector is still struggling ) simply foolish and ill-considered. While wishful thinking is all well and good, let's be honest: clients who had their planned celebrations, which were supposed to take place in July or August, postponed them months ago, and these latest relaxations won't change that.

The uncertainty among customers is simply too great. Who wants a company summer party where one guest becomes infected and then (not necessarily) infects everyone else, forcing the entire company to shut down due to COVID-19 quarantine? Or even worse, what if, after a wedding with 100 guests, the grandparents become infected and end up in intensive care? New orders are also drying up for 2020, as no one wants to be seen as irresponsibly organizing a party, event, or similar gathering should it result in a widespread outbreak.

While the easing of restrictions is important, as already mentioned, in the current situation the state is the only one that "benefits" most from them. By easing restrictions and the proverbial "You're allowed to go again," it absolves itself of the responsibility to provide further financial resources and emergency aid to continue supporting the event and entertainment industry, as well as artists.

Easing restrictions should not end the state's responsibility...

In Bavaria, the state where I live, work, and pay taxes, three emergency aid programs have been launched that I can apply to. These are the Bavarian state's Corona emergency aid, the federal government's Corona emergency aid, and the KSK Corona emergency aid. (I won't even mention unemployment benefits (ALGII) here, because my own experience tells me how difficult it is to get out of that cycle.)

I myself am a KSK member and it has always been communicated that the KSK emergency aid can also be used for living expenses, which is not the case with the first two programs, as these are only intended for operating costs.

Now my story on this topic:

Back in March 2020, I applied for and received €4,000 in emergency aid from the state of Bavaria (€5,000 would have been possible, but since I still had savings, I didn't want to use the full amount). At that time, the intended use of the funds wasn't defined; in other words, there was no mention anywhere that this sum could only be used for operating costs. Unfortunately, all official statements and documents regarding this matter, where this wasn't yet defined, have disappeared and been updated over time, leaving no proof that the funds were still available for use (including living expenses) at the time of application.

Some time later, the federal government's Corona emergency aid package arrived, and it was already clear that the requested sum could only be used for operating costs. Great, I applied anyway, but it was rejected. Then, in June 2020, the KSK Corona emergency aid program was launched, which was explicitly intended for living expenses and also offered staggered payments of €1,000 per month for three months. I was like: "Great," I applied right away...

The application process via the website alone was technically flawed, and if you had already entered your tax ID (the tax number is apparently no longer relevant) for the Bavarian state's Corona emergency aid, the system kicked you out again with the explanation "you are not eligible because you have already applied for the Bavarian state's emergency aid." (What about GDPR compliance here...? Data matching between two "supposedly" so different programs...?)

However, this was changed after massive protests from many KSK members and artists in Bavaria, and it was then possible, two weeks later, to complete and submit the application, even if one had already received or applied for emergency aid from the Bavarian Corona package.

I received an email today informing me that my application for KSK Corona emergency aid was rejected because I've already received more than €3,000 from Bavaria's emergency aid program. Yeah, right...

Now, common sense doesn't really apply here, because the federal and Bavarian state emergency aid programs are actually intended for operating costs, not living expenses, and the KSK emergency aid program is for living expenses, not operating costs. Spot the flaw...

This definitely doesn't make sense, and the terms "emergency aid," "operating costs," and "living expenses" make me want to laugh uncontrollably inside. You couldn't design "emergency aid" in a more illogical and complicated way... (Hahahahahah - there it is again)

To add insult to injury, the notification sent to me by email stated that I now have one month to file a lawsuit. No, not just an objection, no, only a lawsuit can be filed. Seriously, friends of the house where you drive people crazy (note: the Bavarian State Parliament, and what it's like there can be seen in "Asterix and Cleopatra" – this is what politics in Corona times looks like), you reject an application for KSK emergency aid, which is intended for living expenses, on the grounds that I've already received Corona emergency aid from the state of Bavaria, which can only be used for operating costs, and then you garnish the rejected application with the addendum that one cannot file an objection in the normal sense against this decision, but can only file an appeal by filing a lawsuit with the Bavarian Administrative Court in Munich...?

That's just one kind of humor... #ironymodeoff

Artists who have had virtually no income since March, and whose savings are dwindling faster than butter in the August Greek sun, surely still have the money to fight the decision with a lawyer. Here, an entire sector of the economy is being systematically silenced and forced onto welfare. It's a damning indictment of any state or country that employs highly paid Ministers of Culture, yet for these ministers, art and culture end with Wagner, Schiller, and Picasso, while the small, vital, and important branches of the arts and culture scene, and the people who work there and dutifully pay their taxes, still have to endure the denigration of "artist scum"...

For my part, I will now consider filing a lawsuit, because this, in the context of short-time work compensation and all the other aid that was distributed indiscriminately, constitutes unequal treatment of those people who are part of the system (paying taxes - yes, always happy to do so) but have never been a burden on the system (or only in genuine emergencies) and have built a life for themselves through their own creativity and motivation...

Yes, I know, the coronavirus is still here and will continue to affect us and our industry for some time. We have to learn to deal with it, BUT what's also important is to help all industries and working people equally and proportionately, and not just fire a massive bazooka indiscriminately into the crowd, only hitting the fat cats of companies that will still pay out dividends anyway...

Oh yes, a little food for thought: In the world's football leagues, highly paid football stars agreed to salary reductions, yet for German politicians, freezing or even cutting their allowances has never been considered since the beginning of the pandemic. Nope, nope, nope, the 2020 allowance increase was simply approved, even before the Corona budget, and this fact went unnoticed by the media, because they were only covering Corona news (and racism). This is almost like the Brazilian government, which proposed and decided to quickly deforest more rainforest during the Corona crisis, since the media was busy with Corona...

Exactly my kind of humor, and welcome to the Banana Republic...