Kendall County Times

Kendall County Republican Party Chairman James Marter rages Gov. J.B. Pritzker is on a one-man wrecking mission.

“The governor is singlehandedly driving residents out of Illinois,” Marter told the Kendall County Times. “It’s a sad situation because all across the state small business owners either can’t open because of his orders or can’t get enough customers because of the restrictions he's put in place. These people are being ruined because of his actions. Then, you have many others that are going to states where they don’t have all these crippling restrictions.”

Marter adds he isn’t the least bit surprised by the findings in a new survey by small business referral network Alignable that concludes 56% of all the state’s bar and restaurant owners were unable to pay their full rent last month as the effects of his ban on indoor dining took greater hold.

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.

“The governor doesn’t seem to care that his unconstitutional, illegal lockdowns are serving as a death kneel to small business owners all across the state,” Marter added. “If he cared, there’s no way legislators wouldn’t be in session in Springfield right now working at all this. I really think part of the reason he doesn’t want lawmakers there is because they may move to take a vote about all his unconstitutional orders.”

Even with lawmakers now poised to soon reconvene, Marter admits his expectations aren’t high as long as Mike Madigan remains as House Speaker. 

“Pritzker and Madigan are on the same page,” he said. “Neither one of them wants much discussion about all the damage they’ve done with their policies.”