Newly elected Illinois state Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) takes issue with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s handling of COVID-19. | Courtesy Photo
Newly elected Illinois state Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) takes issue with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s handling of COVID-19. | Courtesy Photo
Newly elected Lake Zurich Republican representative Chris Bos laments that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has only made a bad situation worse.
“It’s a tragedy this pandemic ever happened, and an even greater tragedy the way this has played out with the lack of transparency and the governor making all ... [these] decisions,” Bos told the Lake County Gazette. “It’s lead to shutdowns all over and people leaving the state for places where the government functions more smoothly.”
Bos shakes his head in equal parts disgust and disbelief at the findings of a new TrackTheRecovery.org analysis that the state has lost more than a third of small businesses since the start of 2020. Overall, data compiled by Harvard and Brown universities and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation showed as of Nov. 16, the number of small businesses operating dipped by 35.4% compared to January, with the industry also experiencing a revenue decline topping 39% since January.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker
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“I don’t know if the governor fully understands the impact his actions are having people and businesses across the [state],” said Bos, who defeated Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) for the statehouse District 51 seat in November with 54% of the vote
“If it were real to him, you would think he would be making different decisions, ones that help businesses stay afloat and moving forward,” Bos said. “Instead, his actions have especially crippled the restaurant industry despite all the data showing the spread of the virus is not linked to restaurants.”
National Federation of Independent Business (NRBI) Illinois State Director Mark Grant pointed out that running a small business in Illinois was already a challenge, even before the pandemic hit, given such factors as higher property taxes and workers’ compensation.
“We need to be letting people choose for themselves what they want to do and how they want to keep themselves safe,” Bos said. “It’s a tragedy that the governor isn’t hearing that and just wants to do what he wants to.”
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