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“Bills to protect health officials in the works,” Feb. 15 news story

Re:

Your article on the abuse of public health experts is an example of the failure of state leaders — specifically the governor and the leaders in the legislature. Our leaders were too silent when the situation called for forceful leadership in protecting those experts who are creating and recommending policies to combat the pandemic.

Perhaps they have made a political judgment. Or worse: They did not recognize the seriousness of the situation. Now that they have allowed our public health expertise to be decimated, what is the plan for the future? Who will be there to speak forcefully when the next pandemic occurs? Who will be there to deal with the many public health issues that affect us all? When leadership fails, it is usually the very best who leave or are fired for speaking truth to power.

Ed Shackelford, Denver

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I think I can explain to the Colorado legislature why there is such anger directed at these public health officials. When the pandemic started, these unelected bureaucrats started making life-altering decisions for us, with no data or planning, and they weren’t ready at all. This is what they are paid for, to be ready, and they failed miserably.

We couldn’t hold these people accountable as they do not stand for election, so protesting was the only resort. If you want to prevent a repeat of the fiasco, make them answerable to local mayors so that some common sense can be applied to their decisions. I want CDPHE to have less power, not more!

James Coleman, Aurora