Poor federal response
to COVID-19
I want to express my extreme displeasure with the poor response by the federal government to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a former emergency manager for a major city, I question they have not followed the National Response Plans, nor listened to the medical experts on disease control.
I also ask where is FEMA? There seems to be no coordination at between the state and local entities and the federal government. The federal government has the responsibility to coordinate equipment and resources, as well as setting national policy.
It seems this pandemic has instead turned political. At no time should politicians and politics come before dealing with the disaster at hand. Politics and politicians should step aside and let the experts handle the disaster. The federal influence should be to assist them by providing them with what they need to accomplish what needs to be done. Then, after the disaster is mitigated, help them set the roadmap for recovery.
Prior to my service as an emergency manager, I was a fire chief. Imagine having an out control raging fire, covering a huge geographical area. Then imagine the fire chief just downplaying the disaster, instead holding press conference arguing if there really is a fire and who is in charge. The Federal response has been like this and is simply unfathomable.
While many private and public employees are losing their livelihoods and taking pay reductions, how about our elected Congressional delegation stepping up and taking a pay cut too.
I would urge all of you to speak to your Congressional representatives and urge them to take a time out, and reset what they are doing, and help those dealing with this pandemic.
I would also hope that the federal government quickly looks at what we can do better, because after the poor response to the first round of COVID-19, the second round is going to be worse.
Our country is looking for leadership and competence at the national level. I would hope that soon someone in Washington, D.C., demonstrates this leadership.
Michael McGuire
Kailua-Kona
Mahalo to those helping
Kona’s homeless
I applaud Hope Services, the Holiday Inn Express and other organizations in their plan to house and help some of Kona’s homeless population. Debbie Baker’s comments expressing concern are understandable but short-sighted. These folks are already in the area. They just have no place to bathe or sleep. Kudos to the hotel for being willing to take on this task.
Al Wehren
Kailua-Kona
Here’s an idea
With all this talk about opening parts of the country up way too soon, and well before there has been adequate testing, I think everyone around the country should cut out the obituary pages from their local papers and mail them to the president at the White House.
Purchasing local newspapers will help keep them in business and able to keep reporting the news. And purchasing the stamps needed will help keep the USPS in business as well.
Maybe this could help with this president’s administration’s awareness of all the people in this country that are dying and all of the people they are hurting with their poor decisions.
Norm Reddish
Hilo
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