Will County Gazette

Illinois conservative activist Mike Fricilone fumes that under Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the worse may be yet to come for the state’s small business industry.

“From the very start of the pandemic, I don’t think the governor’s plan has been in the best interest of the state,” Fricilone told the Will County Gazette. “There’s no reason we should be hearing about over 10,000 restaurants now having to close for good when there is no data to support all the rules and restrictions the governor has put in place leading to such a sad ending.”

Overall, a new TrackTheRecovery.org analysis finds that since the start of the year, the state has lost more than one-third of its small businesses as the effects of the COVID crisis lingers and all the effects of the governor’s actions continue to be felt. In addition, data compiled by Harvard and Brown universities and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also shows that as of Nov. 16, 2020, the number of small businesses open dipped by some 35.4 percent compared to January of this year with the industry also experiencing a revenue decline topping 39% since January.

“Restaurants are already a risky enough business to begin with and now you’ve got the governor throwing up even more obstacles,” Fricilone added. “I really don’t think he takes the time to consider all the damage his actions are meaning for people. When you listen to his rantings, he doesn’t even talk about that side of things much anymore. There’s no talk about how the state gets back on its feet. His whole focus seems on what he can get from the federal government.”

Fricilone adds the governor’s uneven approach to doing things have only made matters worse.

“When these struggling small business owners look around and see how all the big box stores are being allowed to move forward without interference, they can’t understand it,” he said. “When you have big box stores open with all these customers shopping, why would you feel a need to shut down small stores with just a few people inside?”