The presidents of chambers of commerce in Madison and St. Clair counties are urging Gov. JB Pritzker to reconsider his latest COVID-19 edict for "Region 4" - restricting indoor dining in the Metro East.
Desirée Bennyhoff, president of the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce wrote the following letter to the governor:
Dear Governor Pritzker:
The Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce stands with businesses. I write to share our grave concerns with today’s decision to implement what we believe are further unfair restrictions targeting the hospitality industry – namely, closure of indoor dining.
Food and beverage establishments were one of the first heavily impacted industries. Now, more than 160 days after the initial executive order, the impact on businesses – specifically dining and entertainment facilities – are significant and increasing.
Our market’s proximity to the Missouri border poses additional risk to our regional economy.
Elimination of indoor dining in our local establishments will only encourage Region 4 residents to make the short trek – in many cases a 10-minute drive – to St. Louis restaurants that are open for business.
This is concerning from both virus transmission and economic perspectives, and we favor proven measures aimed at preventing the spread of the pandemic. Negatively affecting our job-creators has broad implications on our local units of government through significant loss of sales tax revenue, on employees through loss of wages and jobs, and on communities and families through the socioeconomic fallout of widespread un- and underemployment.
Small businesses are operating in an increasingly uncertain climate, with expectations and plans now fluctuating in 14-day increments. These policies will undoubtedly lead to shuttering of beloved localmestablishments. For the sake of our neighbors, our friends, our families, the fabric of our communities, and the future of our economy, it is critical to embrace and support our local businesses – not further damage them.
I respectfully ask that you reconsider these mitigation measures, and that Illinois and DCEO immediately implement an automatic approval system for all affected by these mandates to receive relief in the next round of Business Interruption Grants.
All businesses are essential. It is time to re-open our region and re-open our state. Your consideration is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Desirée Bennyhoff, IOM, ACE, President & CEO
Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce president Wendy Pfeil wrote this letter:
Dear Governor Pritzker:
On behalf of the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce, we stand with our businesses and write to you to share our displeasures with the recent mitigations targeted at our local restaurants, bars and entertainment venues and find them to be extremely hurtful and unfair.
They have taken on the brunt of the closures since restrictions were placed on them in March. What evidence does the State have that shows most of the outbreaks are tied to restaurants and bars that have been complying with the State orders. It is not fair to make them shoulder the responsibility of this pandemic when National Box Stores are able to stay open with only limited restriction or none at all.
Yes, they adapted and will continue to do what is necessary to keep their doors open, but what will happen in the next 6 weeks when the cold sets in and diners no longer want to sit outdoors. Most are not able to make it on carry out alone. The majority of our restaurants and bars are down revenue over 50% from 2019 and there is not an end in sight to stop the bleeding. They have exhausted all financial resources and there is no more government funding available to them, unless the State and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity specifically earmark the remaining Business Interruption Grant money to help support these businesses. Many of our entertainment venues are still closed and they cannot continue to remain closed. Another shutdown will likely lead to permanent closure of these restaurants and bars, while many entertainment venues will not be able to re-open at all.
We feel this will be the same if even more mitigations are imposed on our small businesses that are deemed nonessential. We see all businesses as ESSENTIAL. They provide employment to our residents. They support local charities, they provide sales tax to our local government, they are the American dream that the State is taking away. Again, there is no evidence that these small businesses should shoulder the brunt of these mitigations. Most of these businesses are well under the stated capacity of gathering limits that are currently allowed by the State.
With the new standards set by IDPH, Region 4 will likely have to weather these mitigations for an extended period of time in which we will see more and more businesses close their doors for good which will leave a big hole in our economy with many open storefronts and empty buildings. We live in a Metropolitan area and by restricting Region 4 you are sending our citizens across the border to Missouri, further putting our positivity rate at risk and damaging our local economy.
We respectfully ask that you reconsider these mitigations and re-open indoor dining and allow our businesses to continue operations.
It is time to RE-OPEN our REGION and our STATE before there is nothing to re-open.
Sincerely,
Wendy J Pfeil, President/CEO