Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

I am responding to the Aaron Farris June 23 Point of View. I tried to sort through the various allegations of Mr. Farris. Republicans are trying to weaken and defund Social Security and other programs on which most Americans depend. I support Social Security, so that must be the socialism issue that Mr. Farris is concerned about.      

Mr. Farris compared Democratic to Republican governors’ response to the pandemic. Mr. Farris stated: “Democratic governors, until very recently, were keeping their states shut down because it was the politically advantageous thing to do. They did this despite the science they claim to support showing that it was safe to open up, drop the mask mandates….” “Republican governors have led their states into stronger positions.” I am not sure what science showed it was safe to open prematurely.

The Republican governors have led their states to higher levels of deaths. Currently Minnesota and Wisconsin with Democratic governors have averaged 138 COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 population. Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota with Republican governors have averaged 208 COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 population. The Republican governors’ mixing of politics with the pandemic has resulted in their states having an additional 70 deaths per 100,000 population. Fortunately, Republican legislative members in St. Paul were unsuccessful in their efforts to copy Republican states.   

The Republican governors have been playing “politics” with the pandemic, and their constituents are paying the price. I hope Republicans do not believe more deaths have led their states into “stronger positions.”

Joe Pacovsky

Hayward