We must use our collective voices to get the attention of Governor Cuomo, Lt. Governor Hochul and WNY County Executives (including Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz) and demand the ability to exercise our constitutionally protected right to earn a living. There is no “pandemic exception” to the Constitution. As Attorney General William Barr stated recently, in order to be a constitutional restriction on our liberties, the government must demonstrate that they are taking a targeted approach – an approach that can accomplish their goal in the least restrictive manner. A blanket shut down for an indefinite period of time is the opposite of a targeted approach!

This is not about politics. We are talking about people that have put their whole life into building a business that employs people who they love and work with every day, that are now at home, going broke, worried about whether they can feed their families or make their mortgage payment.

But wait! Governor Cuomo has a solution! He told those of us unable to run our business or out of work to simply “go take a job at an essential business.” Yes, he said that. Ignoring this incredible lack of empathy and lack of understanding of the loss to small business workers and owners, it is clear that Cuomo and our local leaders have no plan to allow small businesses to re-open any time soon.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We demand an immediate plan to work towards a swift re-opening of our businesses. We are not virus-deniers. We will abide by social distancing guidelines. You can have social distancing without an economic lockdown. The coronavirus is real. But we are adults and we can make adult decisions as free-thinking citizens. We do not need the government to command compliance via an indefinite blanket closure of the entire economy!

To Governor Cuomo, Lt. Governor Hochul & WNY County Executives: You are currently making a living – please allow us to do the same! You do not have to worry if a business you built for 10, 20 or 30 years will never return, because you have never owned a business. That is very fortunate for you and your families. If WE could be so fortunate.