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With new COVID-19 mitigation measures announced, my colleagues and I are continuing to advocate for the small bars and restaurants that make up an integral part of our districts. Read our letter to Mayor Lightfoot and Governor Pritzker below: pic.twitter.com/KsmoFW7SG7
— Rep. Ann Williams (@RepAnnWilliams) October 28, 2020
*** UPDATE *** The governor has sent a letter in response…
Thank you for your October 28, 2020 letter regarding the impact of the second COVID-19 wave on independent businesses, especially restaurants. We agree that small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and COVID is having a devastating impact on them and the entire economy.
The restrictions are necessary as cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rising and will not subside without mitigations. We are glad to have created the Business Interruption Grant (“BIG”) program to support small businesses through these difficult times. We have already expedited BIG grants to businesses affected by resurgence mitigations with $220 million available in the latest round. We have already distributed 1,900 grants to taverns and restaurants across the state and 630 of those grants in Chicago. Of those 630 Chicago grants, 195 were granted in your respective districts, totaling over $3.4 million dollars of direct state investment.
We have been a vocal and active in our advocacy for more support from the federal government directly to bars and restaurants. None of the Republican U.S. Representatives have indicated a willingness to support any new resources to support the impacts of COVID on bars and restaurants- let alone any other industry in Illinois.
Sincerely,
Governor JB Pritzker
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 6:01 am
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Previous Post: A tale of two counties
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Those are god ideas. If the Government shuts you down, they ought to do everything they can to prop you up.
Comment by Mellow Fellow Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 6:56 am
Why do politicians care so much about these small businesses that can close, but they are doing nothing for housing which is forced to stay open but can’t generate revenue?
Comment by Just Me 2 Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 7:04 am
Businesses facing mitigation already get priority for BIG grants. It’s right on the website, which none of these legislators can read apparently.
Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 8:26 am
Plenty of bars and restaurants in Greg Harris’s district but he couldn’t be bothered to sign this letter? Very disappointing.
Comment by Consigliere Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 8:51 am
PC Yes. We know. BIG grants are a start, but total funding is nowhere near big enough, to cover the multitude of critical cases.
Comment by walker Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 8:52 am
==If the Government shuts you down,==
If the virus shuts you down,
There, fixed it for you.
Comment by don the legend Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 9:16 am
The relief that these businesses require should come from the federal government. With this said, many of these business owners only direct their ire at the state. Shortsighted.
Comment by Powdered Whig Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 9:37 am
Messaging on anything related to the pandemic, most especially by DEMOCRATS, should start with the fact that the federal government, led by a REPUBLICAN president, has abandoned us all to our fates.
Instead, that fundamental reality is barely an afterthought in this letter. So, they choose to lay the problem at the governor’s feet when the scale of resources needed to address it (and help us beat the pandemic, too) is only available from the national government.
Comment by Moe Berg Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 9:48 am
Paying people to stay home when they are sick is simply good public health policy.
Even without COVID, do you want a 19 y.o. kid with stomach flu working in the kitchen because he can’t pay the rent, otherwise. COVID merely raises the stakes on this.
===
Sweden, the darling nation of the libertarian GOP has universal health care and mandatory paid sick leave.
Comment by Hamlet's Ghost Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 10:00 am
Hamlet. How many paid sick days do you recommend?
Comment by Blue Dog Dem Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 11:28 am
There’s no question that these and other businesses need the help. The challenge is that a lot of these solutions deepen the revenue hole that governments are facing during the pandemic.
Comment by Father Ted Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 12:00 pm
I feel so bad for restaurant and bar owners…neighborhood dining areas in Chicago like Greektown and Little Italy have been hard hit…something has to be done to support restaurants/bars across the State…I fear in the future our dining choices will be Chick fil a or Olive Garden…And buying a six pack and taking it home…
Comment by Loop Lady Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 12:11 pm
“Why do politicians care so much about these small businesses that can close, but they are doing nothing for housing which is forced to stay open but can’t generate revenue?”
A) You do realize there is a difference between someone not being able to go out to eat and someone not having a place to live, right?
B) Landlords cannot generate any revenue? really? I would love to see your data that shows no one, or even a majority, are not paying rent.
C) The same federal government that can’t get its act together to support restaurants and bars is failing to pass funding to support renters and landlords. Lots of folks are advocating for action.
Comment by Montrose Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 12:53 pm
Maybe an update from the IML would be helpful. I’ve heard some local governments and small businesses have found the BIG and CURES process difficult.
https://wlds.com/iml-calling-on-dceo-to-loosen-restrictions-on-federal-money-to-municipalities/
Comment by JustaThought Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 2:47 pm
@Consigliere -
The letter is virtue signalling. The signers want to send a message that they are pro-business to Sam Toia without saying that they oppose Governor Pritzker’s public health mitigations.
Greg Harris doesn’t do virtue signalling. Anyone who knows Harris knows is values right-up-front.
As for the letter itself, I don’t understand why restaurants who claim they are not selling any food are worried about paying over the sales tax they collect. I do know that sales tax is not theirs to use to float their business a short-term loan. It’s money from the customer to the state. I also know that if the state starts telling businesses they can use that money to pad their bottom line, we will never see it when the business goes under.
If the lakeview Chamber of Commerce wants to seek voluntary donations to make grants to struggling small businesses, they can already do that. Ricketts ought to write a check for $50 million.
Comment by Thomas Paine Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 3:13 pm
Lip service. From JB’s and Lori’s biggest cheerleaders.
Comment by Stella Rauner Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 3:19 pm
@Oswego
Responded to you several times. Somehow cyberspace is not posting them.
Comment by Unconventionalwisdom Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 4:30 pm
All these legislators that are complaining should be out there doing pressers about how important it is to follow the guidelines. The results of masks in Kansas that was linked above shows what works. Stop crying and show up and speak out.
Comment by jimbo26 Thursday, Oct 29, 20 @ 5:17 pm