JOLIET CASINOS STILL REMAIN SHUT DOWN, COSTING TAXPAYERS MILLIONS
- Andrey Simon
- Jun 17, 2020
- 2 min read
With casinos re-opening across America, people question when Illinois will join the pack
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Governor J.B Pritzker’s (D-IL) controversial and unconstitutional Coronavirus five-stage plan is currently in its third stage, as of June 16, which means that Illinois casinos are still forced to remain closed as other “essential” businesses such as restaurants, bars, stores, and abortion clinics are allowed to re-open and reap the benefits of a high consumer turnout. Businesses across the state and country have seen record turnouts in the past couple weeks as many locations have re-opened after months of closure related to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Other casinos in the nation, including ones in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and nearby Indiana, have been open to the public for several days or weeks, in some cases, yet Illinois Coronavirus Response Plan is still forcing casinos to remain closed. Hollywood Casino and Harrah’s Casino, two establishments located in Joliet, have been closed since March 18, costing taxpayers over $3 million dollars in lost revenue.
Gov. J.B Pritzker’s Coronavirus response plan is in it’s third stage, which has controversially allowed some businesses to re-open, while others are still forced to remain closed. Although the response plan is unconstitutional, it has not stopped the governor from punishing store-owners and employers who choose to defy the orders.
According to the Illinois Constitution, state employees and officials (i.e Governor) are not allowed to seize private property without due process (Section 2).
Gov. J.B Pritzker’s decision to allow only certain businesses to re-open, while forcing others to remain closed and lose out on revenue for an indeterminate amount of time has received heavy criticism and is considered by many politicians, citizens, and business owners to be unfair. According to the US Debt Clock, Illinois has over $165.5 BILLION dollars in debt, which is rising heavily due to increased unemployment claims and the loss of revenue associated with forced closures.
