The Phoenix

Gov. Wolf must open Pennsylvan­ia businesses now

- Renee Chesler is a former township supervisor in Limerick Township.

Gov. Wolf’s “staying put” is not a plan to reopen Pennsylvan­ia for business. It is easy for anyone to see the irony of the arbitrary rules regarding essential businesses, and the foolish “process” for exemptions, which actually ended earlier this month.

Our hospitals are not “overrun” and the emergency overflow hospital at Temple sits empty, as new reported cases of the COVID-19 virus continue to decline. Meanwhile, Gov. Wolf is delaying needed medical care for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvan­ians.

Why is it OK to keep abortion clinics open but not dental offices, or eye doctors? Why can nurseries deliver mulch but not plants or shrubbery? Why are home improvemen­t stores deemed essential, but clothing retailers are not? What happened to food, clothing and shelter for survival? Why can we fish but not play golf?

And, how long can the governor exclusivel­y prevent hair salons, restaurant­s, casinos, theme parks and other businesses from opening? Just how will the state collect revenue when most businesses cannot operate?

It seems the current plan is to ask for more federal government money, which will also come with an order to reopen. Gov. Wolf will then cast blame on the Trump administra­tion for declining

to finance this hostage situation.

Gov. Wolf is pushing the limits of our patience with “State of Emergency” declaratio­ns. After nearly 50 days of “emergency” we all realize it is not an emergency anymore, it is the willful smothering of our freedoms and our economy with no justificat­ion.

The good news is that we have a way out. Call, email and write your state legislator­s to support SR323 and HR836

which will limit the ability of the governor to declare a “State of Emergency,” by limiting the length of that declaratio­n without legislativ­e support.

Gov. Wolf is clearly not capable of determinin­g an emergency situation from a dictatorsh­ip. It is best to pass these resolution­s to limit his ability to continue to destroy our economy, while we still have something left to save.

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