Governor on right track vs. virus
Some members of the Idaho Legislature are trying to pull a politically expedient fast one to foster support for themselves and damage Gov. Brad Little in the same broad stroke.
Their attempt to end the governor's emergency declaration in the fight against the pandemic will destroy the health and economic balance that has made Idaho fiscally and physically stronger than most states. By ending the declaration, citizens would gain nothing positive. The momentum that has brought us so far in the fight against the virus while keeping most businesses afloat would come to a screeching halt.
In an opinion piece penned Friday by Little, here's what ending the declaration would amount to:
It means less vaccines. More taxes. And more red tape.
It means the vaccine roll out is jeopardized — something that is unacceptable in this final stretch of our pandemic fight.
It means cities and counties will have to find the funds from you to pay for the equipment and support they need to battle COVID-19 in your community.
It means hospitals could lose access to critical supplies.
It means we lose the funding to utilize the Idaho National Guard to support testing, vaccine distribution, food banks, and medical facilities — something that has been a game changer in the pandemic fight.
It means we cannot cut red tape and break down regulatory hurdles that stand in the way of better health care access.
It means your federal taxpayer dollars would go to California, New York, and other states.
It means this terrible pandemic and the disruption to our lives will be extended, not ended.
We're glad to see the governor take the fight to legislators who would mislead the masses for political gain. We support Brad Little fully in his quest to stay the course. Like him, we acknowledge that this battle hasn't gone exactly to plan every step of the way, but the governor's ability to move quickly and decisively has saved lives and money.
Don't be misled. The finish line is not so far away; let's forge ahead and get there together.