TRENTON, NJ – When this all began, things sort of made sense.  Flatten the curve to prevent our healthcare system from collapsing.  Now, as governors in Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York, California and yes, especially here in New Jersey continue their competition of incompetence and inconsistency, what the hell is this?   Today, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced outdoor dining in his state’s restaurants can resume on June 5th.

Now, let’s keep in mind, this is all based purely on science and nothing else.

Just across the river, Governor Phil Murphy is still shutting down and criminally charging businesses who dare such a move, citing “We just aren’t there yet.”    In fact, Murphy just shut down an al fresco drinking district in North Wildwood.

How the hell does the science in Pennsylvania support outdoor dining, but a two-minute drive east across the Delaware River, outdoor dining will kill everyone and restart the global pandemic?

Beginning June 5, restaurants and retail foodservice businesses in Pennsylvania located in counties designated as being in the yellow phase are permitted to add dine-in service in outdoor seating areas so long as they strictly adhere to the requirements of the guidance, including maximum occupancy limits:

• Indoor areas, including bar areas, restaurants, and retail food service businesses must be closed to customers except for through-traffic. Non-bar seating in outdoor areas (i.e., tables or counter seats that do not line up to a bar or food service area) may be used for customer seating.
• Customers being served must be seated at a table.

Prohibitions are also included. The following are not permitted:

• Self-service food or drink options, such as buffets, salad bars, condiments, and drink stations.
• Condiments on tables; these must be dispensed by employees upon the request of a customer.
• Reusable menus.
• Refilling food and beverage containers or allowing implements brought in by customers.

Meanwhile, across the bridge, the science supports going to the local bar and sitting on the curb drinking professionally made cocktails from red solo cups.

Photo by Ryan Plomp on Unsplash

NEWARK, NJ – Three of America’s most notorious COVID-19 lockdown politicians are facing criticism this week after they tried to bend their own lockdown rules to serve their own goals and agendas.  New Jersey, Michigan and California have perhaps the most strict lockdown laws in the country, but top politicians in those states have either amended regulations to suit themselves or tried to skirt their own regulations.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy

In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy has held a death grip on tens of thousands of struggling businesses in his state.  His small business lockdown has been regarded as inconsistent and oftentimes incoherent.  His detractors, such as his former campaign opponent Joseph Rullo has often alleged Murphy is picking and choosing winners in the COVID-19 lockdown.  New Jersey Democrats and Republicans alike have criticized Murphy’s draconic laws that are smothering and slowly killing off small businesses in his state.

This week, Murphy announced that professional sports are now an allowed business.  It turns out, Murphy is the owner of a professional women’s soccer team, Sky Blue FC.  Murphy’s new ruling allows his own business to operate, yet his executive order enforcers continue to criminalize small business owners statewide.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer

Gretchen Whitmer sometimes referred to as Grinchin’ Whitmer, rules her land of Michigan with an iron fist.   Like Murphy, her subjects are revolting against her severe lockdown policies that are also crippling small businesses in her state. Before Memorial Day, Whitmer urged Michigan residents not to travel to the waterfront in Traverse City.   It turns out, she wanted the place all to herself and her husband.  The couple owns a boat that is in storage in Traverse City.  They also have a nice vacation home nearby.

After telling her subjects to steer clear of Traverse City, Whitmer’s own husband called a local boatyard in the city and asked for his boat to be put in the water before Memorial Day.  A man called his office and demanded his boat be put in the water.  When owner Tad Dowker told the man, “no can do”, the man pulled the “I’m the governor’s wife” card.

“Being Memorial weekend and the fact that we started working three weeks late means there is no chance this is going to happen,” Dowker said.

“I am the husband to the governor, will this make a difference?” the man asked.  On Wednesday after Memorial Day, Whitmer said her husband was just kidding.

Los Angeles Police Chief Michael Moore

Los Angeles is in full lockdown mode and the mayor there says it will pretty much remain that way forever. While enforcing the state’s lockdown at work, police chief Michael Moore had some problems on the home front. Moore’s department has been the hammer behind the state’s aggressive stance against violators.  The city was criticized for extremely aggressive policies when it came to prosecuting residents and business owners alike.

“This is not just irresponsible,” Moore said of the hoodlums in his city exercising their constitutional rights. “It is not only endangering themselves but their employees and everyone else in that community and I am proud of City Atty. [Mike] Feuer and of his work and the prosecution of those individuals.”

Then, against the state’s quarantine rules, Moore dispatched his wife to Arizona, where the air is clean and the land is free to get a pedicure…you know at a nail salon…like the ones Moore has been fining and shutting down in Los Angeles.

“Took a road trip to Arizona just to have a manicure and pedicure,” wife Cindy Moore posted in a now-deleted message on social media. “Fun few days hanging out and doing ‘normal’ stuff.”

TRENTON, NJ – The gauntlet has been laid down for New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy as nearly 1,000 businesses reportedly have signed on to reopen on June 1st.  The businesses include gyms, nail salons, barbershops and more.  “With over 100 gym locations together not including the rest of the businesses like nail and hair salons and barbershops, we will all open our doors together at 9am on June 1 like we have said from day 1! This is a decision that was made by this entire group not just one person or two people. Collectively this what we have decided together,” said organizer Tommy Trilivas.

As Murphy continues to extend the New Jersey small business lockdown, May is coming to an end and business owners have to pay another round of rent and utilities for retail and commercial space going unused by their business. Many are facing bankruptcy and permanent closure.  This week, Murphy relaxed restrictions on businesses to allow professional sports teams to operate.  Murphy is the owner of the SkyBlue women’s professional soccer team which operates in New Jersey.

“As a small business owner you have no rent forgiveness you have nothing that is in favor of a business owner at this time and I really feel that this was very important a lot of reasons why I put the group together but primarily,” Trilivas said. “We’ve tried to put a safety protocol together we wanted to be able to have the general public feel safe in our businesses when they come back I mean most of the time they are watching the news are being brainwashed to be safe constantly.”

“Our backs are into the corner we have two choices right now it’s either try your best to survive or you just fold up and lose everything that you’ve built and that’s not what we’re planning on doing.” Trivilas said. “So June first we put together a hundred gyms businesses so right now we’ve been in touch with about four to five hundred other salons and  barber shops they want to join us on June 1st”

If you are a business owner, you can join the group New Jersey Business Coalition Opening 6/1/2020.