SE Illinois News

Newly-minted state Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Carbondale) thinks Gov. J.B. Pritzker's COVID-19 related actions will cause more harm than good.

"It's estimated that one-third of Illinois businesses are now out of business," Jacobs told the SE Illinois News. "I'm very concerned about these trends because at a time when we're seeing reduced deaths and hospitalizations, you would think we'd be seeing less mitigation."

Jacobs complained that the effects of the governor's actions become more impactful each day.

The small business referral network Alignable finds that 56% of all the state's bar and restaurant owners across the state were unable to pay their full rent during December. The main reason remains the temporary ban on indoor dining.

Nationally, that figure stands at 61%, up 19% from just a month earlier with the harshest part of the winter season still yet to come. In Illinois, the number of restaurants now unable to make full rent payments has already more than doubled since September.

"Plain and simple, I think we're getting over-mitigated, and it's killing business," Jacobs said. "Remember, everyone has the option of going into these business or not and following all the CDC recommendations if they do so. I have friends that are small business owners and are doing everything to hold on. It's not right to just destroy them."

Jacobs said he thinks there's a simple solution to it all.

"We need to open up businesses and let people decide for themselves about what works for them and their family," he said. "Right now, the governor is just making all the decisions and we can't go on like this. Legislators definitely need to be having a say, when you think about it there the ones that deal with the people directly and know their feelings. COVID is definitely here but we can't shut down the whole world because of it."