Before Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker came out with his five-phase plan to reopen a state he shut down for the coronavirus pandemic — he forgot something.
He forgot to seek input from the business that employs more workers than any other in the state: restaurants and bars.
“We did not have any input until after the five-point plan was released,” Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia told me in an interview on Thursday. “We’re the largest private sector employer. And no input? Again, we believe that communication and education is the key to success. But our restaurant owners and bar owners are hurting.”
Until Pritzker shut down the state’s restaurants and bars, they employed more than 500,000 Illinois workers. The only employers with more workers are the state and local governments.
And he has yet to offer leadership for business owners who are obligated to pay state and local taxes, and who, through no fault of their own, are hemorrhaging money because he shut them down.
Pritzker has granted himself immense state emergency powers. But he hasn’t demanded the Illinois General Assembly meet and act, and the state tax code is written largely by the legislature, though local governments set their own levies.
Read John Kass’ column here.
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