How local leaders analyze the situation during a pandemic
Editor’s Note: Some four months ago, we asked an array of local leaders to give us their takes on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on our communities. We’re circling back around and asking some of the same leaders and some others about how they see things as we go beyond the half-year point with the coronavirus.
State Assemblyman James Gallagher:
The COVID-19 virus is not a hoax and must be taken seriously, said District 3 Assemblyman James Gallagher, Republican from Yuba City, but he said it’s not a reason to arbitrarily shut down entire sectors of the economy and put massive amounts of people out of work.
“This virus is not a reason to live shuttered in unreasonable fear, and it certainly cannot allow us to disregard
our fundamental freedoms and the foundational principles of free government,” said Gallagher.
Gallagher said the community should be focused on protecting the most vulnerable populations during this time but shutting down the community is not the answer.
“Cases are not increasing because we reopened Linda’s Soda Bar,” said Gallagher. “They are increasing because we are not listening to good advice from our medical community and public health officials.”
According to Gallagher, wearing a mask when you can’t adequately social distance is the prudent and thoughtful thing to do.
Gallagher continues to be an outspoken proponent for reopening the community, especially as the start of the new school year arrives.
“The science is not clear on anything,” said Gallagher. “This is a new virus. There are scientific observations and trends that give us a good indication, though, including that we can safely reopen schools.”
small businesses and the community survive the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Sutter County Board of Supervisors Chairman Ron Sullenger said he has major concerns about how the local economy will be impacted if the situation continues for another six months or more.
“There will be a nearly complete economic collapse of our community as even the restaurants can’t live on 25-50 percent of sales they were achieving as well as other types of businesses, churches and services that have suffered major traffic losses already,” Sullenger said. “The government cannot buy our way out of this dilemma; we must be allowed to return to some form of normalcy using common sense protective procedures in an attempt to return to ‘business as usual’ before it’s too late. As the weather changes, outside dining will disappear.”
Sullenger, who was first elected to the board in November 2012, said unless businesses are allowed to resume operations and local schools reopen, the area
will continue to lose businesses and jobs.
“Obviously, seeing economic collapse and my community being forced to accept business-killing restrictions by someone that seems to have more concerns about politics than the economic welfare of business and education
(is my biggest concern),” Sullenger said. “The teachers unions seem to be calling the shots on education and I would hope the parents of children would be contacting their school administrators and saying ‘find a way; do not let them dictate local policies for our children’s education.’”
Sullenger said his attitude has changed over time regarding the pandemic, from initially believing it was another viral pandemic similar to the swine flu to now believing the situation has been politicized to the fullest extent.
“The mainstream media as well as the so-called ‘voices of knowledge’ have changed advice on a regular basis, flip flopping
on everything from masks to treatment medication,” he said.
In terms of how his constituents are handling the situation, Sullenger said it’s been a mixed bag. Those that have gotten creative in their approach to surviving the governor’s restrictions – outdoor dining, outside hair cutting, etc. – are coping as best they can. However, business owners don’t have the ability to draw on unemployment benefits themselves, so they are struggling, he said.
One thing in particular that he is encouraged by, moving forward, is that the Yuba-sutter area has a “knowledgeable” and “open-minded epidemiologist” at the
helm – Bi-county Public Health Officer Dr. Phuong Luu.
“She is suggesting what is best under the circumstances for our community as a whole and realizes our bars, restaurants and other service businesses are not necessarily the problem,
rather it is large family gatherings that are perhaps attended without respecting the social requirements regarding masks and distance that enables spread locally,” Sullenger said.