Regulations Could Kill Re-Opening of Businesses [OPINION]

As the COVID-19 virus threat dissipates, the looming threat of regulations steps in as the new potential killer. Government regulations may kill the recovery.

The combined forces of the federal, state and local governments have put the United States economy into an induced coma. From all of the available data and estimates, this looks like it was a logical choice to save lives. At the time these various levels of government acted the predicted deaths from COVID-9 were in the millions for our nation.

And now it is time to focus on bringing life, particularly economic life, out of the coma.

It is one thing for the government to lift the mandatory shutdowns. The government can simply declare all businesses open, at least open in theory. But the government can't expect businesses to open if they can't be profitable because of regulations.

There is talk of limiting the number of people in restaurants to 25 percent of their previous capacity. What restaurant can operate at 25 percent and still be profitable? The days of family dining in a restaurant will be over for most middle-class people because the only way for a restaurant to survive will be to drastically increase their prices. There will be restaurants for the wealthy and that will be about it.

All of the small breakfast and lunch places will be gone. What used to cost $10 will have to cost $50 in those places. Are you going to pay $50 for scrambled eggs and bacon in a diner? Are you going to pay $75 dollars for a BLT at lunch?

How much will a ticket to a Red Sox game be if they are forced to rip out 75 percent of the seats at Fenway Park? You think the price of a beer is high now, wait until they have to price in the government regulations at the ballpark.

Safety is important, but a functioning economy is even more important.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.