Suffolk Legislator and GOP Minority Leader Tom Cilmi sent a tersely worded letter today to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. On behalf of the eight members of the Republican Caucus of the Suffolk County Legislature, he is “demanding” that Governor Cuomo “immediately lift any Executive Order which prevents small businesses from opening in Suffolk County.”

Cilmi said, “We were told we had to flatten the curve. Well, we’ve done that. By all measures, the health impacts of Covid-19 are easing. No one wants to see the numbers rise again, but we believe small businesses can manage their employees and customer intake just as effectively and as safely, if not more-so, than big box stores like Home Depot and Target. Enough is enough.”

Legislators Kevin McCaffrey and Cilmi each posted survey questions on their Facebook pages yesterday asking the public whether or not small businesses should be permitted to open. Within hours, the two received more than 500 responses from people across the political spectrum, almost all of which were a resounding yes.

McCaffrey said, “We are all devastated by the sickness and death associated with this virus, but we will be suffering through the physical, financial and profound mental health impacts of this shutdown for decades to come. It’s time to open our economy back up and allow us all to begin to recover.”

“The Governor says it’s not politics, it’s math. The math is simple: why go to a crowded Walmart to buy a shirt when you can go to a downtown business with no crowds,” stated Legislator Rob Trotta.

The letter calls for a response from the Governor “within the week.”