An Oregon mayor is attempting to spark a movement to have businesses across the state open their doors in defiance of Gov. Kate Brown’s strict restrictions.
“If you discover a mouse in your house, you don’t burn it down to solve the problem. You find a way to safely remove the mouse without destroying everything else you value. Governor Brown, we are opening,” Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam told Brown in an open letter earlier this month.
Pulliam didn’t back down from his stance during a Wednesday Fox News interview, instead advocating for a “mass movement” that would see restricted businesses open on Friday.
“All Oregonians should take pause, stand up, and say this must stop,” Brown said. “What we’re talking about doing is having a mass movement opening across the state of Oregon throughout all of our local communities on Jan. 1, on New Year’s Day.”
Pulliam didn’t disregard the severity of the virus but said struggling businesses in “extreme risk” areas of the state should be able to open their doors while following safety protocols of “high risk” areas. Some of those protocols include allowing gyms and restaurants to open, but with capacity limits to ensure social distancing can be maintained.
“What we’re hoping to do is by doing this mass opening, just one level underneath the governor’s recommended guidelines … we want to get these storefronts open and get the employees back to work,” Pulliam said.
Asked by Fox News host Sandra Smith whether he was “willing to face the consequences” of rising cases as a result of his movement, Pulliam pointed to the consequences already being faced by the state’s small businesses.
“You know, consequences of what?” Pulliam responded. “We talk about spread coming from our local Main Street, locally owned businesses but [pay] very little attention to the big-box stores that are packing them in supporting corporate America.”
“I don’t know the names of the CEOs that are running the big-box stores, but you better believe I know Lila and Paul Reed of Mt. Hood Athletic Club, Ria who owns Sandy Family Restaurant, Denise of Paola’s Pizza. These are the faces and names that make up the Main Street of Sandy, and like so many Main Streets across these local communities all throughout Oregon,” he continued, “it’s time that we stand with them.”
