
photos by Derek Michalski
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, frustrated by the Governor’s refusal to loosen restrictions on restaurants for indoor dining, Senator Joe Pennacchio today proposed legislative action to address the stalemate that is suffocating the state economy.
Pennacchio implored the Senate to adopt an amendment to S-766 to allow restaurants to follow appropriate precautions and open their doors to indoor customers immediately.
The Democrat majority instantly moved to block the effort, and as a result, restaurants remain off-limits indefinitely, subject to the Governor’s impulse.
“Arbitrary rules are destroying an entire industry. This was an opportunity for the Legislature to become directly involved in pandemic public policy but the Democrats passed,” said a disappointed Senator Pennacchio. “They chose politics over the best interests of New Jersey’s crucial hospitality industry and the hundreds of thousands of residents who depend on it for their livelihoods.
“I appreciate my Republican colleagues who backed the amendment, but it was disappointing we didn’t have bipartisan support and the measure was voted down. This is something our state desperately needs right now,” Pennacchio said.
The floor amendments proposed by Pennacchio would permit indoor dining as long as establishments followed basic health precautions, including a 25 percent seating capacity, maintaining recommended social distancing guidelines, and restrictions on customers tested with a fever of 100.3 or higher.
“We would require common sense,” said Pennacchio. “Social distancing, wear a mask when you enter the establishment, monitor temperatures before patrons are seated, no congregating around the bar. These are workable solutions that would enable the state to move into the next critical phase of economic recovery.
“Every weekend that passes without indoor dining, the number of established, successful restaurants in danger of going out of business forever increases. This can’t go on.”
Covid is on the uptick in NJ.
Maybe if the schools canceled sports and went all online we will have a chance at normalcy next year. Sports teams and house parties superspreading.
proms and protests???
The headline should read: “Democrats trying to get the virus under control to save people’s lives.” Evidently Americans are having a hard time controlling their behaviors. Once we wear masks and social distance the numbers will tick down once again. Blame the offenders not the Democratic Party!
so you can go food shopping, or shop at Walmart and target but not eat dinner inside?
If you don’t want to go to a restaurant, you don’t have too. The democrats do not have the right to tell everyone else that they can’t. Yes, I believe you can have restrictions like masks or partitions, but the restaurants have the right to open. Why is that so hard for them to understand.
Wear a mask in public spaces where physical distancing isn’t always possible. It’s not difficult!
Okay to march by the thousand but heaven forbid, a couple want to sit and eat dinner.
Politics and fear over reason. The agenda is set by power-drunk social managers and scared shitless, older suburbanites who found a new fear to raise their heartbeat. A scary combination that eats away the working and the young. Don’t be surprised, old farts, when your sons and daughters join BLM and introduce a wealth tax to lighten your savings account… for the needy of course.
don’t be surprised when daddy takes their allowance away and the have to……WORK
Do not despair and fight back against tyranny. https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/08/01/perspective-you-are-in-fort-mchenry/#more-197286
Absurd arbitrary rules, such as James points out. Proms, protests, shopping at Target, shopping at Home Depot etc. are somehow considered not “dangerous “. We need to open everything with guidelines about how to best be safe using masks, dividers, spacing or millions of people will be in serious financial distress. But Murphy is determined to wait until November to give the green light.