Letters to the editor for April 26

Why are we not essential?

Dear Gov. Jay Inslee,

I’m writing on behalf of small business owners that run construction companies. By extending the “stay at home” order to May 4, you have just single-handedly crippled us. We cannot just take a month off of work. There are people and, most importantly, families that depend on the paychecks of the blood, sweat, and tears of all the men and women that work in the the trades — most of whom are outdoors and not in contact with the general public. To deem the construction trades non-essential is a huge slap in the face to all of us!

Meanwhile all you politicians tell us “Don’t worry, just get on unemployment.” Well guess what?! I’ve been trying to get on unemployment for the last two weeks and, along with thousands of other people, can’t get ahold of anyone at the Employment Security Department. The trades are sitting at home going broke!

Then, you get up to your podium and extend the order to May 4 and act like you are a hero doing everyone a favor and saving lives. So it seems to all of us hard-working folks like you just don’t care about us, so I guess we will sit around and lose our homes and cars and jobs and end up on the streets.

Facts matter

A recent letter touted Trump’s leadership in handling the coronavirus pandemic. It was completely untethered to the truth. Here are some facts:

In May 2018, Trump’s biodefense adviser, Luciano Borio, warned that the No. 1 threat to the nation was a viral pandemic and that the country wasn’t prepared for it. That same month the Trump Administration eliminated the office in charge of dealing with epidemics/pandemics. This was reported in several news outlets.

Seven days before Trump’s inauguration, the Obama Administration warned him about a potential epidemic/pandemic and offered a plan. The Trump Administration dismissed it and did nothing to prepare for one. (Politico, March 2020.)

The Trump Administration was aware of the emerging viral epidemic in early January yet didn’t order masks, ventilators or other things in bulk until mid-March. (Associated Press, April 2020)

Presidential daily briefings began to include intelligence about the coronavirus in January. Chief-of-Staff Mulvaney began having meetings about it in February. Trump was disinterested and publicly predicted the virus would go away in April. That same month, Trump called Health and Human Services Secretary Azar to complain that all the talk about the virus was scaring the stock market. (Washington Post, March 2020)

Numerous governors have said they don’t have what they need to deal with the virus and that Trump refuses to lead a national effort. Some items from the national stockpile are being given to private companies who then sell it to the highest bidding state. (CNN, April 2020).