Letter: Jay Inslee Has Crippled Small Businesses, Construction Companies With Stay at Home Order

On behalf of small business owners that run construction companies, by extending the stay at home order to May 4, you have just single handedly crippled us. We cannot just take a month off of work. There are people and most importantly families that depend on the paychecks of the blood, sweat and tears of all the men and women that work in the trades, most of which are outdoors and not in contact with the general public. To deem the construction trades nonessential is a huge slap in the face to all of us! 

Meanwhile all you politicians tell us, “Don’t worry, just get on unemployment.” Well guess what? I’ve been trying to get on unemployment for the last two weeks and myself along with thousands of other people can’t get ahold of anyone at ESD.

The trades are sitting at home going broke! Then, you get up to your podium and extend the order to May 4 and act like you’re a hero doing everyone a favor and saving lives. So it seems to all of us hard working folks like you just don’t care about us, so I guess we will sit around and lose our homes and cars and jobs and end up on the streets. We are not important to you and I hope someone in my line of work reads this before working on your house. Then maybe you’ll see just how important we are.

Chris Mirante 

Tenino