LEADERS: Where art thou?

Citizen Letter: To mayors of Post Falls, Coeur, d’Alene, Rathdrum, Hayden and Kootenai County Commissioners

In the pandemic of COVID-19, I raise the question of collaborative leadership among the elected officials of our immediate area, at a minimum, the mayors of Post Falls, Hayden, Rathdrum and Hayden, and the Kootenai County Commissioners. You have a mentor: Governor Andres Cuomo of New York with his DAILY REPORTED DOINGS. Why not a similar, collaborative, daily reported doings by our elected officials of responses, medically and socially, specifically re: COVID-19?

Rather than the minimal responses to fight the gloom and despair of COVID-19 pandemic of l) Mayor Griffitts proclaiming Sunday as the city of Hayden Day of Prayer, Meditation and Service in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with the support of the mayors of Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Rathdrum and 2) The erection of 58 flags downtown Coeur d’Alene as per Mayor Widmyer and the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association.

Where is the DAILY, COLLABORATIVE, REPORTING of what is being DONE LOCALLY by our local elected leadership re: the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Expanding hospital beds, ICU?

• Availability of ventilators?

• Availability of face masks for first-line responders?

• Availability of protective gowns for first-line responders?

• Availability of testing: When to test? Where to test?

• Home care regarding 24/7 first-line responders who are substantially away from home?

• Social distancing?

• Quarantine measures?

• High risk individuals?

• The homeless?

• Monitoring?

(See article by Katherine Hoyer, Panhandle Health District, Coeur d’Alene Press, Friday, March 27)

Not knowing what is being done of the above increases the gloom and despair of the COVID-19 pandemic!

Knowing what is being done is to fight the gloom and doom of the COVID-19 pandemic!

ART COLLINS

Hayden