Metro East Sun

Mike Babcock sees the monster the country faces in trying to get a grip on the coronavirus pandemic for the challenge that it is.

“There essentially two crisis were facing here with this virus,” Babcock, a Republican and former House candidate in the 111th District, told the Metro East Sun. “It’s a two-headed (one), because if you go back to work too soon you run the risk of spreading the virus soon but, at the same time, having the country shut down and not going back to work isn’t healthy and presents another recipe for disaster.”

Babcock points to a new U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Metlife survey that concludes over the next two weeks, well over half of all small businesses across the country could be closed as a glowing example of how something has to give.

According to researchers, 24% of all small businesses are now already closed and another 40% could be over the next 14 days.

Across the country, more than 10 million people have filed for unemployment benefits over the last two weeks and counting, with the unemployment spiraling up to 4.4% from 3.5% in February. Overall, 43% of businesses think they have less than six months until a permanent shutdown is unavoidable, while 10% of owners said they have less than a month to survive.

“I think that Gov. (J.B.) Pritzker has not succeeded in preparing for something of this magnitude,” Babcock said. “The Democrats’ idea of tax and spend has really hurt our economy. Even though we were in the process of rebounding based on the way things were going across country with the federal government, they weren’t making any plans for wisely using those resources, namely our growing small businesses. The fact that we’re still talking about a progressive tax shows you how antiquated our system that’s being run by Democrats.”