I have been the owner of a large health club in NH for over 25 years, employing approximately 100 people. We provide a healthy lifestyle to thousands of members and are a valuable part of the community. We will soon be entering our third month of forced closure with no definitive end in sight. How does the governor expect a business to survive that?
Although my revenues have come to a complete halt my expenses have not. I have been forced to layoff a large percentage of my employees and I am still expected to pay my rent, taxes, utilities, loans…..
The PPP program, while well intentioned, is useless if I cannot open my doors! I try to be an optimist and am confident I will get through this but I am also aware that many of my fellow business owners will not. That is unacceptable!
As the evidence mounts that this virus is really only a threat to the very old and those in poor health you would think that a business that exists to make people healthy would be considered essential. Enough with the scare mongering! The time has come to take back our freedoms and our lives while adhering to common sense practices that will keep people safe. Lets make protecting the most vulnerable a priority while allowing those of us at little risk to get back to work.
Al Borghi
Rye, NH
