COVID-19, mandates and freedom are at odds

Is the goal of this administration’s expansion of executive branch mandates, to destroy small businesses? If that is the case, they’re succeeding. Earlier this week a regional restaurant announced that it is closing its doors on Sunday. Yep, quitting. The owner claims they are unable to hire qualifi ed staff to run the popular eatery. Others have claimed that COVID-19 caused economic problems as well. So, I have to ask you, is the coronavirus beginning to shutter small businesses in an effort to solidify the big box stores that remained open during the spike in the spread of the pandemic? Is this a high stakes game of insider trading — government selecting businesses that will survive and thrive? (Big box stores like Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, and Amazon are huge donors to political parties that support snuffing out competition.) According to a report in the Wall Street Journal there has been a total of 200,000 business closures due to the pandemic. That’s on the heels of a whopping 600,000 small business calling it quits early on, when shutdowns and hand-picked winners and losers chosen in the early days of COVID. That’s just the tip of the closure iceberg. CBS News estimate has reported that 9 million U.S. small business fear they won’t survive the pandemic. So, what’s the deal? Well, small businesses were the backbone of this nation’s economy. If 30 percent of small businesses call it quits, there will be fewer choices on a host of items. What can we do to bolster these small businesses? One, we can support small businesses in our own town — businesses that support our local sports teams, our scouting programs and a host of activities around town. Two, avoid big box stores and online shopping — you know, the ones that were deemed essential while mom and pop businesses were mandated by government officials to close to slow the spread. Let’s step up and give back to our community businesses, the ones we drive buy to get to the super outlets so we can save a dime by spending a few bucks to get there. From now through Christmas let’s join together and get behind our local businesses.