COVID in California: ‘We have confused progress with success’ | Opinion
We’ve let our COVID guard down
“COVID levels rising in SLO County, wastewater monitoring shows” (sanluisobispo.com, July 19)
Let’s be clear. Compared to last summer’s wave, things are worse — the amount of circulating virus, positivity rates, emergency department visits and even hospitalization rates (experts need to check the lagging CDC surveillance site for details). In California we are flirting with rates similar to our last winter wave (which has been traditionally much worse than summer).
As has been apparent for several years, we have confused progress with success and collectively let our guard down. We have decided to ignore the 76,000+ deaths last year and close to 35,000 deaths so far this year that are stark signs that the virus is still wreaking havoc on the society. We almost completely ignore the effects of PASC ( long COVID), which has significant impacts on all parts of the population — not just the high risk populations.
With total complacency the norm, it is easy to believe that there is no longer a threat, but the health data reveals that a public health strategy like ours that ignores COVID just means that the pandemic will continue for decades.
Chuck Slem
San Luis Obispo
Bad move, A.G.
“Got something to say? You’d better spit it out fast in this SLO County city” (sanluisobispo.com, Aug. 23)
The Arroyo Grande City Council recently made an unprecedented move to limit public comment for items not on the agenda to just 60 seconds, even though the agenda did not include reducing public comment.
The city’s consent calendar, where routine business usually sails through without controversy, included an update to the city handbook. But, on this night, with few in attendance, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Guthrie pulled the item from the agenda and suggested reducing the general public comment period to just one minute.
Each of the council members ultimately agreed, even Mayor Caren Ray Russom, who is running for reelection and historically champions herself as accessible and transparent.
While allowing public comment for three minutes is not a requirement, it is customary and appreciated. It’s just three minutes of one’s life; less time than it takes to microwave popcorn or watch a TikTok video.
Had the city publicized the outrageous idea through their agenda materials, putting the community on notice, it is likely the chambers would have been packed.
Arroyo Grande is setting the dangerous precedent with one minute public comment, bordering on quashing our First Amendment Rights to free speech and it’s dangerous for democracy.
Julie Tacker
Los Osos
Skepticism about seafloor mapping
“Offshore wind developer using sounds waves to map seafloor off SLO County” (sanluisobispo.com, Aug. 21)
I’m just reading the about the offshore wind generation ocean floor testing currently approved and underway.
The multi-beam echo sounder will emit sound blasts of between 200 and 400 kHz, neither able to be heard by sea life — so they say. Fugro Corp. and the Go Adventurer ship they’re using.
The next paragraph states that fish and sea turtles hear sounds between 2 and 4 kHz, larger marine animals hear up to 160 kHz, according to the California Coastal Commission.The impact is reduced if sea life is more than 15 feet from the invading sound source.
Considering that sea life lives and thrives on our sea floor, how can this invasion not be life threatening and damaging? This wind farm may never be financed, yet this rather aggressive ocean floor mapping by Fugro Corp. and the Go Adventurer ship they’re using is preparing someone to exploit what I consider sacred remaining habitat, our ocean world.
L. Owen
Los Osos
Thanks for bike path!
Thank you to past and present mayors, City Council members and city of SLO employees for making the Anholm Bikeway and neighborhood park possible. Such a wonderful, positive change to the neighborhood that my family has lived in since the 1950s. It’s great to see people of all ages riding their bikes in a much safer environment. Please keep up the good work.
Mark Swain
San Luis Obispo
Respect our military
These men and women deserve our upmost respect! I wore the uniform for four years of what I would call undistinguished service.
What I did do was swear allegiance to my country and Constitution. In that regard, I did my duty and believe in those principles to this day. For Donald Trump to so blatantly denigrate every single person who serves — especially those whose valor in battle earned them the highest award that can be bestowed on a service member — is the most egregious, disgusting and morally reprehensible act I can imagine!
Trump is a traitor to his country and anybody who supports him is no better than he is.
Michael McGee
San Luis Obispo
We the People
A humanitarian crisis is underway. For months residents of our county have appealed to the Board of Supervisors and local city councils to agendize and support a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza. They refused, saying that it is not a local issue.
The bombs and bullets raining down on Gaza are stamped ”Made in the USA.” Tens of thousands of innocent people are being maimed and murdered — a large percentage of them children. Their homes, schools and hospitals have been turned into mountains of rubble. Access to health care, food and clean water is denied. They face full -famine and disease brought on by the use of water contaminated with sewage.
Places of refuge used by displaced people are bombed. There is no safe harbor for them. Their world is in chaos, an ugly genocide is in progress.
In the West Bank Israeli settlers are driving Palestinians off their land and killing hundreds — all with the support of the Israeli government.
Our tax dollars and weapons keep the war going. We have the leverage to change that. Our silence implies support for the genocide.
As a democracy, a government of “We the People,” we are obligated to speak up. We shape national policy and are shaped by it. The genocide of Palestinians is a local, national and global matter.
Shirley Schaffer
Arroyo Grande