War on business

County Executive Steuart Pittman and other lawmakers throughout the country have yet again waged war on small business with another round of coronavirus restrictions.

Businesses in our cities and communities have become a convenient scapegoat for any spike in COVID-19 cases. Pittman’s most recent order to enact stricter coronavirus restrictions, specifically in re-

gards to outdoor dining, is proof of this abuse.

These restrictions are a “death sentence” tomany businesses, according to Gov. Larry Hogan. I am speaking specifically about the restriction on any indoor or outdoor dining.

The contract data tracing information does not show that restaurants are a main source of spreading of the virus. Instead, family gatherings are number one on the list according to the governor.

Politicians like Pittman collect their paychecks in full and claim to be saving lives while disregarding actual data collected by their own institution. Grant funds do not even begin to cover the cost of running a business for even a month, and they certainly do not cover the losses from the previous lockdown.

Hogan should overrule these powerhungry executives who choose to make emotional decisions based on their own agenda and not grounded in facts.

Additionally, the State should also make their contract data analysis information easier to read and understand on their

website. The site is ambiguous at best but Hogan seems to have the facts, according to his latest speech.

Although many Marylanders are able to collect their paychecks and work from home, many business owners cannot. If politicians, like Pittman, would make decisions based on fact and not fiction, Maryland’s businesses would be in a better position to survive 2020. SUE FOX Annapolis EDITOR’S NOTE: Sue Fox is the owner of Red Bean, a coffee shop in Annapolis.