Lake County Gazette

Republican state Senate hopeful Chris Kasperski fumes that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s one-track mind is focused on all the wrong things for the good of the state.

“I don't think the governor is considering all the consequences that come from his suffocating lockdown restrictions,” Kasperski told the Lake County Gazette. “We need to be focused on recovery, not more destruction.”

Citing rising infection rates, the governor recently moved to reenact COVID-19 restrictions in at least 24 counties with the threat of more to come.

“More shutdowns of our small businesses will mean that people will lose their jobs, businesses will inevitably close and the state will lose billions in future tax revenue that it is in no position to go without,” added Kasperski, who is now running against state Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) in the 31st District. “Gov. Pritzker is abusing his powers and the General Assembly is nowhere to be found to stop him.”

Kasperski argues the governor is simply incapable of relating to many of the people he’s supposed to represent.

“Gov. Pritzker cannot empathize with the businesses that he is threatening,” he added. “His arbitrary decisions are destroying people's lives and livelihoods. Pritzker's restrictive orders have caused irreparable harm to our community and now he is doing it over again.”

Given the increasingly high stakes, Kasperski said he isn’t surprised to now see small business owners fighting back, including launching a Facebook page where owners planning to defy his order can go to strategize and vent their frustrations.

“Until the General Assembly reconvenes to address the governor's clear abuse of power, I do feel that businesses should take a stand against the shutdown orders,” Kasperski said. “The governor cannot possibly police everyone for not following his extralegal orders and thus whomever they do go after will be for a show of force. The governor is forcing businesses to choose between death and suicide, while he has profited off of the pandemic.”