Illinois’ Extended Stay At Home Order
Part I – A Political Abuse
May 19, 2020
Attn: Messrs.
| Sen Bill Cunningham | Rep Keith Wheeler | Sen Kimberly Lightfoot | Sen Tony Munoz |
| Sen Sue Rezin | Sen Paul Schimpf | Sen Chuck Weaver | Rep Tom Demmer |
| Rep Mike Halpin | Rep Frances Hurley | Rep Steven Reick | Rep Andre Thapedi |
Preface:
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.
– Martin Niemöller
Prelude:
Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel once stated that a good crisis should never go to waste while James Madison exclaimed that “Crisis is the rallying cry of the tyrant”. The ironic juxtaposition of these two men at opposite ends of the poles rings a melancholy truth to Thomas Paine’s own words that “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.” A battle that continues till this very day when the good People of Illinois entrusted Governor JB Pritzker, as a leader to protect them from a pandemic so that they can go about their daily lives. To date, the only relief that has come to our citizens are excuses from Pritzker that the Executive branch needs to finance and bail out[i] one of the most corrupt States[ii] in the Union without any oversight while utilizing our citizens as leverage by keeping them locked up.
Frederick Douglas once wrote “Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them” just as we have seen here in the state of Illinois. Within the past few weeks Americans throughout the country have been placed in the precarious position as to whether they should resist the stay at home order and either open their businesses to feed their families or defy the social distancing orders by taking to the streets to protest. To answer this I refer to the Declaration of Independence in which Thomas Jefferson wrote “When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation…..Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” Jefferson acknowledges the people should not take it upon themselves to overthrow the government anytime they have a grievance against their leaders and informs King George III that the people are even willing to tolerate politician’s imperfections. Such has been the case in Illinois where our citizens have tolerated cronyism, political favors, unjust fines and insufferable limits of their rights, however, Jefferson writes that when a long train of abuses by an authoritarian impedes on their natural rights, it is their right to dissolve that form that form of government and reestablish a new form of government that restores their happiness and prosperity. Jefferson, however, notes that need to justify any acts of rebellion or disobedience by not only listing their grievances but also by having exhausted all peaceful measures. It is in this spirit that I note that the State of Illinois under the rule of JB Pritzker,
Has released felons due to the corona virus without the consent or notice to victims of their release[iii] while threatening business owners with jail time for violating his orders[iv]
Has failed to provide for the unemployed while demanding that the same laid off employees stay at home prompting the angry unemployed to show up at unemployment offices[v]
A security breach has occurred to the Illinois Unemployment website exposing user’s personal information which is yet another reason for our citizens to fear losing their jobs and ask for government assistance[vi]
The state has refused to cooperate with the federal government’s attempt to enforce immigration laws in order that foreigners who have entered the country illegally may support their families while denying the very same rights to our own Naturalized and Legalized Citizens
He has threatened to commandeer our local law enforcement by conscripting them with the Illinois State Police to enforce his executive orders without any regard to the separation of powers.[vii] That in the same breath, Pritzker stated “Businesses and individual professionals who are licensed by state agencies will be held accountable for breaching public health orders…Counties that try to reopen in defiance, may not be reimbursed by FEMA for damages they cause because they ignored the law. Local law enforcement and the Illinois State Police can and will take action. There is no consequence the state could impose that is greater than the harm you will do to your own communities” while demanding more federal aid.
He has threatened owners with license and certification revocation for defying the state’s public health directives.[viii] While remaining silent on Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot getting a haircut[ix] and while Mrs. Pritzker has allegedly been flown to Florida[x] and though he now admits that his family was in Florida, he now states that they were moved there before the Stay At Home[xi] order. I’ve seen no evidence to support his claim and wonder if he waited to sign the executive order until they left, therefore exercising an unfair executive privilege. Further that Pritzker has now moved his family to Wisconsin as “essential workers” making a mockery of those who want to return to work.[xii]
He quietly filed an emergency rule to his executive order requiring restaurants, salons and gyms to remain closed to on-site patrons due to COVID-19, and codified it under Illinois Department of Public Health regulations of which violators can be charged with a Class A misdemeanor which includes $75 fine and $2,500 fine without any public hearing or representation.[xiii]
That the state is getting $286 million in federal aid to increase COVID testing and tracking without naming an oversight committee.[xiv]
The Declaration concludes with the King’s reaction “In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.” and Thomas Paine wrote “Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon grow insolent; selected from the rest of mankind their minds are early poisoned by importance; and the world they act in differs so materially from the world at large, that they have but little opportunity of knowing its true interests, and when they succeed to the government are frequently the most ignorant and unfit of any throughout the dominions.” It is evident that Governor Pritzker has over abused his power has lost our confidence in his ability to govern, and that we can only expect longer closures, continued denial of due process and more penalties for defying his will. Conversely, the people are therefore just in their acts of defiance and acts of dissent & opposition.
[i]State lawmakers seek more than $41B in federal coronavirus aid — including $10B pension bailout, Mitchell Armentrout, Chicago Sun-Times, April 18, 2020
[ii]Why Is Illinois So Corrupt?, Shane Tritsch, Politics & City Life, December 9, 2010
[iii]Coronavirus: New questions about how many Illinois state prison inmates are being released due to COVID-19, Chuck Goudie and Barb Markoff, Christine Tressel and Ross Weidner, April 28, 2020
[iv]Business owners could face jail time under Pritzker’s new emergency rules, WAND 17, May 16, 2020
[v]Angry People Have Shown Up At Closed Illinois Unemployment Offices, Prompting Police Protection For Workers, WBEX, Dan Mihalopoulos, May 1, 2020
[vi]Online privacy breach adds to the worries of unemployed gig workers, CST Editorial Board, May 18, 2020
[vii]Pritzker threatens to use state police against businesses reopening early, Illinois Policy, Ben Szalinski, May 13, 2020
[viii]Pritzker warns of ‘consequences’ for defying stay-at-home order, Jake Griffin, Daily Herald, May 14, 2020
[ix]Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot defends hairstylist visit amid coronavirus outbreak, Wilson Wong, NBC News, April 11, 2020
[x]Does ‘All-In Illinois’ Slogan Apply To Billionaire Gov’s Family?, Mark Konkol, Patch Staff, April 27, 2020
[xi]Pritzker Says Wife and Daughter Were in Florida Before Stay-at-Home Order, NBC 5 Chicago, Updated on May 15, 2020 at 7:24 pm
[xii]Pritzker defends family’s travel to Wisconsin during stay-at-home order, WTVO 17 Chicago, May 19, 2020
[xiii]Pritzker Creates New Tier of Punishment for Businesses Ignoring COVID-19 Order, WTTW, Amanda Vinicky | May 17, 2020 12:07 pm
[xiv]Illinois getting over $286 million in federal funding to increase COVID-19 testing, conduct contact tracing, Tom Schuba, Chicago Sun-Times, May 18, 2020
Additional Contact Information for JCAR:
CO-CHAIRMAN
SENATOR BILL CUNNINGHAM
10400 S. Western Ave. 329 State House
Chicago IL 60643 Springfield IL 62706
773/445-8128 217/782-5145
D-18
CO-CHAIRMAN
REPRESENTATIVE KEITH WHEELER
959 Oak Street 205N Stratton Building
North Aurora IL 60542 Springfield IL 62706
630/345-3464 217/782-1486
R-50
SENATOR KIMBERLY LIGHTFORD
4415 W. Harrison 323B Capitol Building
Suite 550 Springfield IL 62706
Hillside IL 60154 217/782-8505
708/632-4500
D-4
SENATOR TONY MUNOZ
1836 W. 35th Street 323 State House
Chicago IL 60609 Springfield IL 62706
773/869-9050 217/782-9415
D-1
SENATOR SUE REZIN
103 5th Street 105C State House
Peru IL 61354 Springfield IL 62706
815/220-8720 217/782-3840
R-38
SENATOR PAUL SCHIMPF
1032 W. Industrial Park Road 105D Capitol Building
Murphysboro IL 62966 Springfield IL 62706
618-684-110 217/782-8137
R-58
SENATOR CHUCK WEAVER
5415 N. University, Suite 105 M103D State Capitol
Peoria IL 61614 Springfield IL 62706
309/693-4291 217/782-1942
REPRESENTATIVE TOM DEMMER
105 E. 1st 314 Capitol Building
Dixon IL 61021 Springfield IL 62706
815/561-3690 217/782-0535
R-90
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE HALPIN
1054 3rd Ave., 2nd Floor 272S Stratton Bldg.
County Office Building Springfield IL 62706
Rock Island IL 61201 217/782-5970
309/558-3612
D-72
REPRESENTATIVE FRANCES ANN HURLEY
10400 S. Western Ave. 281S Stratton Building
Chicago IL 60643 Springfield IL 62706
773/445-8128 217/782-8200
D-35
REPRESENTATIVE STEVEN REICK
1072 Lake Avenue 225N Stratton Bldg.
Woodstock IL 60098 Springfield IL 62706
815/880-5340 217/782-1717
D-63
REPRESENTATIVE ANDRE THAPEDI
371 E. 75th St. 247E Stratton Bldg.
Chicago IL 60619 Springfield IL 62706
773/873-4444 217/782-1702
