Mask mandate order shows lack of leadership

It was recently announced that a lawsuit has been filed against the county executive and the county Department of Health in response to the public safety order mandating masks.

This mandate (which, by the way, is not a law) is taking time and resources away from the issues that our community needs to focus on.

While I support the lawsuit, I don’t understand why the county executive felt compelled to introduce the legislation. County Executive Steuart Pittman explained it as a health emergency, however, we have been dealing with COVID for two years and this month he decides mask mandates are an emergency?

Then the County Council did not support his mandate, so the county executive gets the health officer to say it is a public health emergency. This is not leadership.

The county executive and his allies on the council have given lip service to the residents of Anne Arundel County. They appear to constantly react to situations. Real leadership is proactively making decisions, and we have two years worth of data and science to guide our decision making.

We can see how other states and countries are handling COVID. We know what good policy measures are for the citizens. The county executive’s leadership qualities are weak and I am confident the voters of Anne Arundel County will have their say on his leadership and the leadership of his allies in November.

While I appreciate the fight against this unnecessary mandate, I would like to know where our elected officials were two years ago when our businesses were shut down and our children were out of school. If our elected officials want to be proactive, start getting ahead of this by blocking vaccine passports, vaccine mandates, school closings and business shut downs.

We need leaders who are going to be proactive and stop rearranging furniture in a burning house.

We need leaders who are looking down the road and will do everything possible to make sure churches, schools, and businesses remain open, and employees can continue to work and support their families.

— LaToya Nkongolo, Severna Park