Having watched DC & Harrisburg pols talk past each other, and seeing this crisis becoming worse as it has now fallen into ideological and partisan camps, it has become clearer that the business community needs to speak out. Many of you have—to your members, on social media, to the media. Thank you.

It is time for the coalition of the willing—the coalition of those seeing the suffering, seeing the challenges before us and who understand the many policy and practical hurdles in our way—to come forward. We must push for change; we must educate our members and re-assure the public.  We must begin a dialogue that isn’t really happening.  And, invite everyone to participate and to plan.

The tipping point for me was a column published by Bloomberg news.  It featured a national map, with state by state counts, on unemployment.  The author cited economists who project a 30% unemployment rate this summer.  (Now, yes, economic analysts—like analysts projecting the spread of a disease—can be wrong or overly pessimistic, etc.) But, that number—seeing it in black and white—and seeing the color coded national graph, with PA among the 3 worst economies in the nation, was my tipping point.

A 30% unemployment rate—or anything close to it—is not merely an economic disaster; its a moral call to action.  We cannot operate schools or roads, hospitals or research centers with 30% unemployment.  It will set us back a generation.

With that, I wanted to share this with you. I invite your feedback and if you share a similar sentiment—you may be more aggressive or less…and, that’s okay; I ask you to share this column or share your own words. But, we need a dialogue.  Shelter in place; wait for the data to change or wait for tests to arrive; or be careful isn’t a plan.  Nor is civil disobedience, which I fear will happen in May, without some re-opening and without a thoughtful, transparent plan forward

The Governor’s “plan” in PA is too vague, too conservative and is based on very little engagement with the business community—and, sadly, is far from transparent.  And, there is no reassurance that the Commonwealth is prepared in any way to handle 20-30% unemployment.

I look forward to working with you to find a path forward.  Not to fight with the Governor; nor support any politician or party.

Our quality of life is too important to be left to a partisan fight or ideological war.

Thank you.

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Guy Ciarrocchi is president & CEO of the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry.