San Diego County can stay safe AND be open for business.

We proved it with the essential businesses being open, and flattening the curve AND trends at the same time.

We are a government of, for, and by the people.

We the people of California, are facing the state’s new restrictions that hold our freedoms, our jobs and our economy hostage. As recently as May 7, the governor created a new unattainable goal for continuing, the effort of opening businesses.

For non-compliance to an unattainable goal, he is threatening local governments, that attempt to get people back to work, with the loss of state tax funds (your dollars). He is threatening small businesses owners, who are only, trying to survive, by revoking previously earned, and certified, professional licenses.

Not only did he move the goal posts – he tore them down.

For us to move, beyond the current limited curbside business, the governor’s new order, requires San Diego county, to have no, corona virus-related deaths for 14 consecutive days.

San Diego County, with a population of 3.3 million people, and has little, to no, chance of achieving 14 consecutive days, with zero, COVID-related deaths. It is an impossible, unobtainable hurdle that will stagnate, any forward progress, towards moving beyond, curbside retail.

In order to open businesses, we must continue to protect our most venerable and abide by our public health officer’s personal protection orders of the masks, gloves, social distancing, and hand washing.

We now have over 25% unemployment in San Diego County.

The people making the decisions to keep your businesses closed, are all collecting their pay, pensions and health benefits.

We, the people, can stay healthy, abide by the personal protection requirements, AND be open for businesses.

We the people have done what is asked of us:

We, not the government, flattened the curve.

We, not the government, reduced the trend.

We, not the governor, want to stay healthy AND see our economy thrive.

Jim Desmond

– San Diego County District 5 Supervisor