PPP Bailout Search by Zipcode
July 8, 2020 9:47 AM Subscribe
Pro Publica has a searchable database of all the recipients of PPP bailout loans greater than $150,000.
I'm seeing a lot of churches where I am...
posted by demonic winged headgear at 10:04 AM on July 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by demonic winged headgear at 10:04 AM on July 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
In downtown Little Rock, recipients include the Rose Law Firm. Although it's the oldest law firm west of the Mississippi, and it has plenty of money, it's probably best known for having employed Hillary Clinton. On the plus side (from my perspective at least), the local science museum was able to secure a loan.
posted by box at 10:06 AM on July 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by box at 10:06 AM on July 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
So I did my zipcode. First the data format is terrible. Either make it usable with Excel, or provide machine readable formats (like CSV) for researchers.
Anyways, mine had 96 loans worth about $102 million at the high end. The max askers were car dealerships, each at $2-5 million. About 10 churches, each asking $1-2million.
4 private schools also $1-2m.
Lots of small private firms, most asking $150-$350k.
5 medical service companies.
Only 1 identifiable restaurant.
The local food bank is also in my zipcode, asking $2-5million.
posted by The_Vegetables at 10:07 AM on July 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
Anyways, mine had 96 loans worth about $102 million at the high end. The max askers were car dealerships, each at $2-5 million. About 10 churches, each asking $1-2million.
4 private schools also $1-2m.
Lots of small private firms, most asking $150-$350k.
5 medical service companies.
Only 1 identifiable restaurant.
The local food bank is also in my zipcode, asking $2-5million.
posted by The_Vegetables at 10:07 AM on July 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
My company is in there for Ten Mil back in April. Which, btw, is when they laid off 1/3 of the company.
posted by Lokheed at 10:07 AM on July 8, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by Lokheed at 10:07 AM on July 8, 2020 [5 favorites]
The Ayn Rand Institute: The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism
posted by justkevin at 10:12 AM on July 8, 2020 [8 favorites]
posted by justkevin at 10:12 AM on July 8, 2020 [8 favorites]
Either make it usable with Excel, or provide machine readable formats (like CSV) for researchers.
I think this was a "get it out and accessible fast" thing. I'm friends with one of the creators, and I know they're working on making it better, like building a cross-reference with nursing homes and adding sorting options. He's a huge proponent of accessible data and heads the Open Elections project, which is trying to get all the voting data from every precinct in the country and get it into electronic form for downloads. (He's still finding counties who still distribute on paper, handwritten.)
PS- If you'd like to help with Open Elections (like I do), they're always looking for people who are comfortable with spreadsheets and have some time to parse data. They'll give you tasks that match your abilities -- if you just type and cut-and-paste, great; if you can clean and reformat with Python, also great.
posted by martin q blank at 10:17 AM on July 8, 2020 [4 favorites]
I think this was a "get it out and accessible fast" thing. I'm friends with one of the creators, and I know they're working on making it better, like building a cross-reference with nursing homes and adding sorting options. He's a huge proponent of accessible data and heads the Open Elections project, which is trying to get all the voting data from every precinct in the country and get it into electronic form for downloads. (He's still finding counties who still distribute on paper, handwritten.)
PS- If you'd like to help with Open Elections (like I do), they're always looking for people who are comfortable with spreadsheets and have some time to parse data. They'll give you tasks that match your abilities -- if you just type and cut-and-paste, great; if you can clean and reformat with Python, also great.
posted by martin q blank at 10:17 AM on July 8, 2020 [4 favorites]
Should I be concerned that every single zip code I enter has at least one entry that is in a completely different location (usually Arizona)?
posted by ckape at 10:50 AM on July 8, 2020
posted by ckape at 10:50 AM on July 8, 2020
Huh, the results in my area look completely reasonable -- restaurants, large daycares, private schools, nonprofits, and a few dentists. I'm sure the results in downtown SF would look a lot different.
posted by benzenedream at 11:21 AM on July 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by benzenedream at 11:21 AM on July 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
Hey, my Orthodontist is in there!
posted by Biblio at 11:35 AM on July 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Biblio at 11:35 AM on July 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
My ex-company got ~$1M. I thought they might. But I've been told through the grapevine that 80% of the remaining employees are still on furlough. In my neighborhood, the NY Botanical Gardens got between $5M-$10M. I certainly don't begrudge them that. Most businesses around here got $150K-$350K.
posted by droplet at 11:54 AM on July 8, 2020
posted by droplet at 11:54 AM on July 8, 2020
Interesting--big companies and relatively small in my zip. One is a restaurant that has since gone out of business--how does that work? Car dealerships--several that I always thought were owned by the same family, but apparently are all set up as separate businesses--so a number of different loans that I think may ultimately end up in the same pockets?
I was thinking of pasting the link to my local Facebook group, but stuff like this tends to turn ugly so I've decided not to. Yes, I know it is public info, etc., but still why make a sh*t storm easier?
posted by agatha_magatha at 12:04 PM on July 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
I was thinking of pasting the link to my local Facebook group, but stuff like this tends to turn ugly so I've decided not to. Yes, I know it is public info, etc., but still why make a sh*t storm easier?
posted by agatha_magatha at 12:04 PM on July 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Hilariously sad to see two ardent anti-tax conservative groups in WA state took PPP loans.
The Washington Policy Center took a $350K-$1M package and yet their annual report reads:
"We don’t receive government money. We don’t ask for it and we wouldn’t take it even if it were offered. WPC relies on the generous support of our donors — people like you who understand that free-markets are superior to a government rigged economy, and liberty is the air that a free people must breathe.”
Story at the Seattle Times. The comments are sad.
posted by bz at 12:22 PM on July 8, 2020 [5 favorites]
The Washington Policy Center took a $350K-$1M package and yet their annual report reads:
"We don’t receive government money. We don’t ask for it and we wouldn’t take it even if it were offered. WPC relies on the generous support of our donors — people like you who understand that free-markets are superior to a government rigged economy, and liberty is the air that a free people must breathe.”
Story at the Seattle Times. The comments are sad.
posted by bz at 12:22 PM on July 8, 2020 [5 favorites]
Quiver Quantitative has an interactive map going up with the data.
They're about 20% done so don't fret if it looks like Alabama and Florida got all the money at the moment.
posted by JoeZydeco at 12:41 PM on July 8, 2020
They're about 20% done so don't fret if it looks like Alabama and Florida got all the money at the moment.
posted by JoeZydeco at 12:41 PM on July 8, 2020
Hmm - my company's loan isn't in there under either my home zip or my office zip
posted by stevil at 12:50 PM on July 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by stevil at 12:50 PM on July 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
Honestly, I was kind of pleasantly surprised at the list in my zipcode. Lots of actual small businesses, including some that I would be very sad to see go out of business. There were a couple of questionable ones (a deeply terrible and exploitative property management company, in particular), but mostly it seemed like the kind of things that this was intended to support.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 1:07 PM on July 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 1:07 PM on July 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Hey, look, it's that charter school in my town!
The town's schools are already laying off teachers and cutting programs before the summer even ends, and these people asked for "2 to 5 million" -- and admitted that they didn't need it, but it seemed prudent. Jesus.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:17 PM on July 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
SFX: SQUEAKING OF A GUILLOTINE BEING WHEELED OUTThey were actually mentioned around here early on, and they defended the decision, and now the town wants the state AG to look into it.
The town's schools are already laying off teachers and cutting programs before the summer even ends, and these people asked for "2 to 5 million" -- and admitted that they didn't need it, but it seemed prudent. Jesus.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:17 PM on July 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
Following the trail of some in my zip code led me to some very scary, interesting, and horrifying places. I haven't blinked in a few hours.
posted by lextex at 2:05 PM on July 8, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by lextex at 2:05 PM on July 8, 2020 [5 favorites]
All the local TN zip codes I've tried have been entirely companies in CA. Unsure if their search is broken or the data provided in loan apps is so bad even zip codes are wrong.
posted by joeyh at 2:37 PM on July 8, 2020
posted by joeyh at 2:37 PM on July 8, 2020
24207 - 1 result: STONECRAFTERS, LLCAll in AZ, zips are in VA. Not fishy at all.
24208 - 1 result: STONERIDGE GOLF CLUB, INC.
24209 - 1 result: STONETOWN L.L.C.
Similar runs in 24220-24226 all single results, in AZ, all starting with "ST"
posted by joeyh at 2:46 PM on July 8, 2020
First the data format is terrible. Either make it usable with Excel, or provide machine readable formats (like CSV) for researchers.
Then go straight to the source – The U.S. Small Business Administration has the data available in one giant CSV file (in All Data By State/150k Plus/PPP Data 150k plus.csv). ProPublica and anyone else with PPP loan data online is using this CSV as their data source.
posted by zsazsa at 2:48 PM on July 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Then go straight to the source – The U.S. Small Business Administration has the data available in one giant CSV file (in All Data By State/150k Plus/PPP Data 150k plus.csv). ProPublica and anyone else with PPP loan data online is using this CSV as their data source.
posted by zsazsa at 2:48 PM on July 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Ok so I downloaded the CSV and the weird results are not reflected there, propublica's search is broken somehow and is missing some busnesses in a zip code and inserting random other ones.
posted by joeyh at 3:06 PM on July 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by joeyh at 3:06 PM on July 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
Southern California FAA TRACON: Loan Amount: $150,000 - 350,000; Jobs Retained: 21; Business Type: Non-Profit Organization
[This may be for the Southern California TRACON Child Center, the on-site day care facility. Or, a program there? The determination letter link goes to the wrong outfit.]
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:15 PM on July 8, 2020
[This may be for the Southern California TRACON Child Center, the on-site day care facility. Or, a program there? The determination letter link goes to the wrong outfit.]
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:15 PM on July 8, 2020
24207 - 1 result: STONECRAFTERS, LLC
24208 - 1 result: STONERIDGE GOLF CLUB, INC.
These don't appear to be US zip codes by any source I have access to (24209 is Bristol VA) so they shouldn't be returning anything at all.
posted by PMdixon at 3:26 PM on July 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
24208 - 1 result: STONERIDGE GOLF CLUB, INC.
These don't appear to be US zip codes by any source I have access to (24209 is Bristol VA) so they shouldn't be returning anything at all.
posted by PMdixon at 3:26 PM on July 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Hmm - my company's loan isn't in there under either my home zip or my office zip
My wife's business' loan isn't on there because it was under $150,000. Says it up top, but I missed that part.
My zip had a lot of those corps with other states/cities in the name, too. And I still can't figure out why private schools and churches need loans. For churches I guess people stopped tithing, so are they paying property tax and the staff of 12 or whatever? And really, what did private schools lose in terms of funding? Did their FY end in April or something? Does someone have a line on that sector?
posted by Snowishberlin at 3:27 PM on July 8, 2020
My wife's business' loan isn't on there because it was under $150,000. Says it up top, but I missed that part.
My zip had a lot of those corps with other states/cities in the name, too. And I still can't figure out why private schools and churches need loans. For churches I guess people stopped tithing, so are they paying property tax and the staff of 12 or whatever? And really, what did private schools lose in terms of funding? Did their FY end in April or something? Does someone have a line on that sector?
posted by Snowishberlin at 3:27 PM on July 8, 2020
I'm pretty sure their search is checking all columns, so when you enter in a 5-digit number like a zip code, it includes the hidden index column, which is why an out of place entry for every zip code. The numbering doesn't quite match up with the CSV file zsazsa linked to (STONECRAFTERS, LLC is line 24054, STONERIDGE GOLF CLUB, INC. is line 24056, STONETOWN L.L.C. is 24057) but it could be they did something to the data before importing it.
posted by ckape at 3:28 PM on July 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by ckape at 3:28 PM on July 8, 2020 [3 favorites]
Keep in mind that most of the PPP money must be spent keeping workers on the payroll, whether they have to show up for work or sit at home.
posted by JackFlash at 3:53 PM on July 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by JackFlash at 3:53 PM on July 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
I got in touch with Propublica and they've fixed the bogus search results.
posted by joeyh at 4:47 PM on July 8, 2020 [8 favorites]
posted by joeyh at 4:47 PM on July 8, 2020 [8 favorites]
Also pleasantly surprised that I didn't see anything for my home town that set off alarm bells. No churches, no traders, etc. Lots and lots of mechanical companies (materials testing companies, pipe manufacturers, etc.) which totally makes sense given the kinds of companies in my home town, but not quite who I had pictured as suffering from lost revenue. I'm guessing that the places I imagined were all in the under-$150,000 category.
posted by Bugbread at 6:23 PM on July 8, 2020
posted by Bugbread at 6:23 PM on July 8, 2020
Personally, IDGAF who got loans, so long as they are using them as intended. What disturbs me are the reports of businesses that took the money and still furloughed employees or didn't bring them back in a timely manner. Also the "small businesses" that are wholly owned by a single company that, in aggregate, shouldn't qualify as small businesses, but to a lesser degree.
It will be interesting to see if any in that first category have the balls to argue they should still have their loans forgiven.
The hypocrisy of the Randroids that whine about government support and still took the loans is rich, but if it kept people on the payroll the program is doing exactly what it was supposed to do.
posted by wierdo at 7:14 PM on July 8, 2020 [4 favorites]
It will be interesting to see if any in that first category have the balls to argue they should still have their loans forgiven.
The hypocrisy of the Randroids that whine about government support and still took the loans is rich, but if it kept people on the payroll the program is doing exactly what it was supposed to do.
posted by wierdo at 7:14 PM on July 8, 2020 [4 favorites]
And really, what did private schools lose in terms of funding? Did their FY end in April or something? Does someone have a line on that sector?
Infrastructure upgrades (online learning), virtualizing summer camps - a big driver of revenue throughout the summer that keeps teachers employed, fundraisers/events canceled (big revenue driver at EOY), families pulling out of pre-K programs, etc. All schools are going to need to reconfigure their structure if they want to potentially reopen in the fall which requires planning, at least double the class space, and that comes in conjunction with lower enrollment in dense urban areas where families are moving out to the burbs. The school my kids go to took out a loan and I'm glad. They haven't furloughed any teachers. But enrollments are down and we live in a very expensive city for real estate.
posted by ryoshu at 7:52 PM on July 8, 2020
Infrastructure upgrades (online learning), virtualizing summer camps - a big driver of revenue throughout the summer that keeps teachers employed, fundraisers/events canceled (big revenue driver at EOY), families pulling out of pre-K programs, etc. All schools are going to need to reconfigure their structure if they want to potentially reopen in the fall which requires planning, at least double the class space, and that comes in conjunction with lower enrollment in dense urban areas where families are moving out to the burbs. The school my kids go to took out a loan and I'm glad. They haven't furloughed any teachers. But enrollments are down and we live in a very expensive city for real estate.
posted by ryoshu at 7:52 PM on July 8, 2020
I checked my own ZIP code and was astonished at the outfits that got loans considering I know people who got told there was no money by the same bank. This should apparently be a scandal in every locality and the perpetrators should be locally shamed.
posted by ob1quixote at 8:32 PM on July 8, 2020
posted by ob1quixote at 8:32 PM on July 8, 2020
Went down a rabbit hole involving looking for weird companies on known oddball zip codes. Was disappointed that no CIA shell companies claimed PPP under the CIA’s 20500 ZIP code or that Smokey the Bear doesn’t employee anyone on his personal zip code (20252)
posted by inflatablekiwi at 5:52 AM on July 9, 2020
posted by inflatablekiwi at 5:52 AM on July 9, 2020
Delighted to see that the independent women’s health clinic that provides abortions AND the fancy restaurant that trains formerly incarcerated people to work in hospitality got healthy loans.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:27 PM on July 9, 2020
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:27 PM on July 9, 2020
The appearance of the Ayn Rand Institute on this list makes perfect sense, as Ayn Rand herself once penned an essay explaining why it was scientifically optimal for her to collect Social Security benefits.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 5:52 AM on July 10, 2020
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 5:52 AM on July 10, 2020
FWIW, I do very much give a fuck about the reports of Trump family-associated businesses having received PPP loans, but only because they were specifically excluded from the program in the law passed by Congress.
posted by wierdo at 12:32 PM on July 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by wierdo at 12:32 PM on July 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
$1B+ went to the Catholic Church
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/10/889842694/reporter-on-catholic-church-getting-over-1-billion-in-coronavirus-aid
posted by joeyh at 3:24 PM on July 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/10/889842694/reporter-on-catholic-church-getting-over-1-billion-in-coronavirus-aid
posted by joeyh at 3:24 PM on July 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
The #1 recipient in my zip code was "JEFF PAT CHRIS LLC," which turned out to be... Domino's Pizza?
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:57 PM on July 11, 2020
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:57 PM on July 11, 2020
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posted by PMdixon at 10:02 AM on July 8, 2020 [8 favorites]