To all of us that live in Cook, Will and DuPage County:

Finally, the Governor has released a plan for reopening Illinois. I applaud him doing so. At first, I was happy for a plan. Then I read the details.

This is a 12-month stay-at-home plan!

Here’s just a few of the problems:

1. Opening up the state will happen by regions. But the regions are way too big. New York has 10 regions. Us? Only four. DuPage County will be treated exactly the same as downtown Chicago.
2. There is a minimum of 28 days between changes in phases – double what any other state is doing.
3. Discrimination between retail shops continues – you can go to Target and buy furniture, Walmart and buy clothing and grocery stores to buy flowers, but you can’t go in a furniture store, clothing store or florist regardless of their ability to operate safely. This is killing small business and is resulting in an unnecessary loss of jobs and businesses.
4. You want a haircut? You’ll have to wait until at least June regardless of the array of protocols that could be put in place to maintain safety.
5. Lack of full transparency – there are many aspects of the “data” and “science” he is using to justify his decision making that is still unknown.
6. Getting to full reopening will take 9-15 months, which means he will need to continually issue emergency declarations to see the plan through, each of which grants him virtually unlimited authority for the 30 days each one is in effect.
7. There is zero oversight of his actions by the legislature. He is not an autocrat. He should be subject to oversight and not simply limited by his own whims.

It is beyond time that legislative leaders call General Assembly back to session and put this right.

The Governor has no real plan for small businesses !!! They cannot open until 6/28 at the earliest and even then will be partially. That’s over 25% of the year. Yet they must still pay 100% of the Real estate taxes and liquor/biz licenses. No business interruption coverage. How are they supposed to pay?? Many years of premiums paid and no coverage!