Virginia should not become a state of dictatorship!

Businesses are now even MORE at risk of permanent closure.  This is going to wreak havoc on the ability of businesses to sustain on-going scrutiny whenever the Governor decides we, as a community, are at risk.  This is a stranglehold that will shut down businesses or require them to reduce labor force in order to survive, especially come next May, when his new minimum wage takes effect, THAT WAS PASSED IN MARCH 2020 DURING A PANDEMIC!!!  

Businesses know what is best for employees and guests, and there should be some  trust that businesses know the right thing to do.  As a small business owner and restaurant owner, I do not need Richmond to make my life or the lives of my employees more perilous!!!  My employees need their jobs, and some have been there 15 years and have children.  I am on the verge of having to close unless I get further PPP, as it is.  Making the public more afraid to leave their homes causes further harm to our economy and to our mental health.  Give the citizens some credit for knowing if they are at-risk and need to take further precautions. 

 As a small businesses owner, I am still recovering from the closure.  In a time where some reports estimate that 20-25% of businesses will shut down permanently, these regulations threaten to drive those numbers even higher. Mine will be one of them, as my restaurant only holds 32 people and 8 seats have been out of use since they are counter stools.  My business is down 50% and cannot sustain much longer. Increasing the number of regulations that my business will have to adhere to, will only make a hard situation more dire. This could bankrupt me as an employer who has fewer than 11 employees.    

These regulations create a litany of lawsuits, based on someone's perspective, rather than on facts.  While facing devastating economic conditions Virginia's businesses continue to keep the safety and health of their employees as their top priority. Please REJECT the proposed permanent emergency regulations.

This is an extreme response to a temporary health issue.  We are already lowering our immune systems and our body’s abilities to fight viruses,  putting us at an increased risk for serious health complications. If this were to pass and become a permanent requirement, people will become sick, businesses will fail, unemployment will continue, mental health will continue to decline.  Adding this will only burden on the mental wellness of an employee and the business with the slightest sniffle, cough or pressure that come with these common conditions. 

 The government didn't put up the money for my business, and the more responsibility and freedoms we cede to, it will empower this Commonwealth to dictate how we must live and raise our families.  That's called Dictatorship. Please let’s STOP THE MADNESS!!! Enough with the insanity.