Cuomo Callously Jokes About Lifting 10pm Curfew
Ask any restaurant owner in the Capital Region their thoughts on the Governor's mandate insisting that all bars and restaurants close at 10PM sharp, and you'll be sure to get a serious answer. Local businesses are seriously in jeopardy of not surviving the pandemic, and bar and restaurant owners are seriously frustrated. Perhaps even more frustrating, is the somewhat snarky response by Governor Cuomo on Friday when he was asked if he would lift the 10PM curfew on Super Bowl Sunday.
According to News Channel 13, the Governor's reply when asked that very question was, "No, we're not thinking about changing the curfew for Super Bowl Sunday. Maybe if the Bills were in the Super Bowl, it'd be a different conversation. Just kidding." Just Kidding?
That's not exactly what bar and restaurant owners wanted to hear, and while the sarcastic response may have been Cuomo's way of trying to make light of the situation, it came across as snarky and callous. Considering what the pandemic has done to so many restaurant and bars, the Governor should have played the question like a straight man, and not the funny guy.
According to CBS 6, many in the Capital Region are trying to fight back. The news station reports that the Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association petitioned the Governor in hopes that he would extend the 10PM curfew on Sunday for a few hours giving bar owners a chance to recoup some of their losses. Super Bowl Sunday could have provided a bit of data that may have helped bar and restaurant owners make a case for less stringent mandates in the month to come.
CBS 6 says they brought the proposal to the governor’s office. They have yet to hear back.
And that's no laughing matter.