‘Open Ohio’ Protester: ‘This Disease Is Not as Dangerous as Killing the Economy’

Tom Zawistowski, an Ohio resident, told Breitbart News that Gov. Mike DeWine’s (R-OH) ongoing “stay at home” order — ostensibly to prevent “the spread of contagious or infectious diseases” — is destroying the Buckeye State’s economy. He offered his remarks during Saturday’s “Open Our Ohio” rally at the Ohio statehouse in Columbus, OH.

Wearing a red “Trump 2020” baseball cap and holding an “ECONOMIC SUICIDE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!” sign, the man warned of pending economic ruin resulting from government-mandated shutdowns.

Transcript below.

We’re here because we understand that it’s not acceptable, right? Economic suicide is not acceptable. We understand the people understand — that this disease is not as dangerous as killing the economy. We need jobs, so we’re going back to work whether Governor DeWine wants it or not, because we will not commit suicide.

In Ohio it’s just devastating. … I did a calculation, I said to Governor DeWine, ‘So far we’ve lost $3.5 billion dollars in wages for blue collar people. We’ve shut down 200,000 businesses. We cannot sustain this.’ They never calculated the cost of their actions.

We’re talking about hair salons, lawn care companies, heating and cooling companies, even construction. They’re certain things they won’t let you do. I have a friend who owns rental properties, a refrigerator went bad, [and] he can’t buy a refrigerator.

This is madness, and it’s a hysteria that was caused by bad data, but now we need to change course.

Governor DeWine, don’t try to slow walk this. Do everything you can to restart the economy, or you’re going to be laying off policemen and firemen and other government workers because you’ve got no tax revenue. We are not afraid, Governor DeWine. We are not afraid. We will go back to work right now.

On Thursday, DeWine announced that Ohio would begin re-opening on May 1, the same day his stay-at-home order in response to the coronavirus outbreak is scheduled to expire.

Follow Robert Kraychik on Twitter.