April 18, 2020
Elected Officials and Appointees,
Who would ever have imagined that our country and the world would ever be in the grip of a worldwide pandemic that threatens the very lives of untold thousands of people? If it isn’t obvious, it’s the medical and social scientists who study these things and have warned us about it for many years. The situation today was not unknowable and anyone who bothered to read and listen would have known that this was possible, if not inevitable. But most of you pretend that this is just an act of God and now scramble to put out fires in hopes of saving both lives and your reputations. You ignore years of declining investment in the public health infrastructure and throw your hands up when asked to explain the severe shortages of equipment and trained professionals or when computer systems are overwhelmed by the unemployed who are unable to file claims.
Even more disturbing are the statistics showing that COVID-19 is hitting minority communities the hardest but your reaction is mostly faux shock. Isn’t it obvious that people of color would be susceptible because they are most at risk of living at the edge of poverty in jobs that don’t provide health care and who can’t afford to get an education that would teach them about nutrition and basic health maintenance? Did you also think that over 200 years of oppression heaped on the African American community wouldn’t serve as a figurative noose around their necks holding them back from attaining a position in our society that would keep them on par with the white majority? The same goes for al the other communities of color who have been stigmatized and marginalized throughout the history of our nation. If you’re concerned now, why weren’t you just as concerned before, when tax dollars were being distributed to the wrong people?
The thing is, you have an opportunity to make good on the promise that this is a country founded on the principle that all men are created equal. In 2020, amidst the death and suffering of the pandemic, the U.S. government has shown a willingness to spend whatever it takes to get the country back on its feet again. Trillions of dollars will be allocated to resuscitate an economy that is dying not because of some financial crisis, but because people are dying and the rest are unable to safely return to work. This is money that, if it weren’t a national crisis, would be labeled a socialist handout. Money that in good times would be doled out to the rich as tax breaks. Already, the President has seen fit to allow his cronies license to pick and choose who receives money currently allocated and it is clear that they are not especially interested in helping the people most in need. The circumstances are radically different and you have an opportunity (an obligation) to see that big business is held accountable for every dollar they receive through provisions like banning stock buybacks. You need to ensure that not only small businesses but their employees and the too numerous contract and gig workers are supported and there must be sufficient testing capacity to make every person feel safe to return to work. Lastly, if we’re going to spend this tremendous amount of money, why not require every business that takes funds to pay their employees a living wage and create a method where every American can obtain reasonably priced health insurance? Surely the insurance companies and hospitals will be asking for money too.
Let me leave you with this. The vast majority of the country is sick and tired of partisan lines that obstruct any progress from being made in anything remotely connected with the government. The lies, obfuscation, and deception along with your stubborn adherence to party strictures is not only tiresome but also enraging. All of you need to swallow your pride and do what is right for all the people you represent and not just the supporters and donors that you currently pander to. And that means you need to work together and compromise like you’ve not done in what seems like forever. You also need to fortify your resolve and demand that the President perform his sworn duty to the Constitution and the people. If you do, you can achieve what is right and not only get the U.S. going again but also fix so many of the things that were wrong before this disaster and make it a better, stronger country.
So That's Life?
Open Letter to All Elected Officials and Appointees
04/17/2020April 18, 2020
Elected Officials and Appointees,
Who would ever have imagined that our country and the world would ever be in the grip of a worldwide pandemic that threatens the very lives of untold thousands of people? If it isn’t obvious, it’s the medical and social scientists who study these things and have warned us about it for many years. The situation today was not unknowable and anyone who bothered to read and listen would have known that this was possible, if not inevitable. But most of you pretend that this is just an act of God and now scramble to put out fires in hopes of saving both lives and your reputations. You ignore years of declining investment in the public health infrastructure and throw your hands up when asked to explain the severe shortages of equipment and trained professionals or when computer systems are overwhelmed by the unemployed who are unable to file claims.
Even more disturbing are the statistics showing that COVID-19 is hitting minority communities the hardest but your reaction is mostly faux shock. Isn’t it obvious that people of color would be susceptible because they are most at risk of living at the edge of poverty in jobs that don’t provide health care and who can’t afford to get an education that would teach them about nutrition and basic health maintenance? Did you also think that over 200 years of oppression heaped on the African American community wouldn’t serve as a figurative noose around their necks holding them back from attaining a position in our society that would keep them on par with the white majority? The same goes for al the other communities of color who have been stigmatized and marginalized throughout the history of our nation. If you’re concerned now, why weren’t you just as concerned before, when tax dollars were being distributed to the wrong people?
The thing is, you have an opportunity to make good on the promise that this is a country founded on the principle that all men are created equal. In 2020, amidst the death and suffering of the pandemic, the U.S. government has shown a willingness to spend whatever it takes to get the country back on its feet again. Trillions of dollars will be allocated to resuscitate an economy that is dying not because of some financial crisis, but because people are dying and the rest are unable to safely return to work. This is money that, if it weren’t a national crisis, would be labeled a socialist handout. Money that in good times would be doled out to the rich as tax breaks. Already, the President has seen fit to allow his cronies license to pick and choose who receives money currently allocated and it is clear that they are not especially interested in helping the people most in need. The circumstances are radically different and you have an opportunity (an obligation) to see that big business is held accountable for every dollar they receive through provisions like banning stock buybacks. You need to ensure that not only small businesses but their employees and the too numerous contract and gig workers are supported and there must be sufficient testing capacity to make every person feel safe to return to work. Lastly, if we’re going to spend this tremendous amount of money, why not require every business that takes funds to pay their employees a living wage and create a method where every American can obtain reasonably priced health insurance? Surely the insurance companies and hospitals will be asking for money too.
Let me leave you with this. The vast majority of the country is sick and tired of partisan lines that obstruct any progress from being made in anything remotely connected with the government. The lies, obfuscation, and deception along with your stubborn adherence to party strictures is not only tiresome but also enraging. All of you need to swallow your pride and do what is right for all the people you represent and not just the supporters and donors that you currently pander to. And that means you need to work together and compromise like you’ve not done in what seems like forever. You also need to fortify your resolve and demand that the President perform his sworn duty to the Constitution and the people. If you do, you can achieve what is right and not only get the U.S. going again but also fix so many of the things that were wrong before this disaster and make it a better, stronger country.
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