Reaction After President Trump Calls on Gov. Tom Wolf to "Reopen Pennsylvania"
Yesterday during a rally, President Donald Trump criticized Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf on his management of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Pennsylvania's been shut down long enough", Trump said. "Get your Governor to open up Pennsylvania."
This was one of several attacks the President made on both Wolf and several other members of the Democratic party, including Joe Biden, his opponent in the 2020 election.
Supporters we spoke with at last night's event agree with Trump's assessment of the PA governor.
"I think people need to go back to work", said Janis Fox, Erie resident. "I think too many people are doing things and not working, and I think people need to go back to work."
Restaurant owners are also sharing their thoughts as well. Currently, all bars and restaurants in the state are limited to 50% capacity.
But Lynn Fogle, Owner of Shirley's Restaurant, believes that if given enough time, that limit could jump back up to 100%.
"It would probably take me about a week to get on my feet correctly", Fogle said. "I think if we follow all the Health Department guidelines, like we are, and we're cautious about the wearing of the masks, there's no reason why we couldn't be at 100%."
Fogle says even at 50% she still has to turn away about 24 customers each day, which puts a significant strain on her business.
"If I have to turn people away, people lose faith", said Fogle. "If they come up this Sunday and they can't get in, they may not come back for 2 or 3 more Sunday's."
Wolf showed his appreciation yesterday on social media, as the PA House of Representatives voted 133-69 to override the veto of House Bill 2513. If approved, it would effectively lessen restrictions on bars and restaurants.
But the vote needed 135 yes tallies for the override to happen.
In one tweet, Wolf noted that "containing the virus is the only way to protect the health of Pennsylvanians and to keep our economy going".
Fogle says she agrees with this, but also believes that if owners are staying safe, they should be allowed full capacity.
"Hold those owners accountable and let the local people make those decisions", Fogle said. "I don't think the Governor should have been making those decisions."
This story was supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.