Written by Michael Palomba
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors have finally voted on a plan for reopening, something that Supervisors Jim Desmond and Kristin Gaspar have been pushing for weeks.
Local resident Sally Smith, while happy about a plan for reopening, slammed Governor Newsom as well as the three Supervisors—Nathan Fletcher, Greg Cox, and Dianne Jacob— who initially voted against Desmond’s reopening plan and delayed the process.
“Critical days for businesses to prepare will be lost because Governor Gavin Newsom failed to have re-opening plans in place on May 4, 2020. Jim Desmond and Kristin Gaspar proposed on April 21 to develop a plan to reopen San Diego County businesses but county officials voted down these supervisors’ efforts to help workers and businesses re-open,” Smith said. “Poor leadership from Supervisor Nathan Fletcher and the San Diego County Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten and other county officials have further deepened the financial losses of San Diegans. There should have been a plan in place ready to go.”
By contrast, Supervisors Desmond and Gaspar have been at the forefront of the fight to reopen San Diego. From working on property tax extensions, funding small business assistance program, and even writing letters directly to Governor Newsom, there doesn’t seem to be anything these two won’t do to help us get out of lockdown and out of this crisis.
Despite their efforts, some are still actively working to keep us in lockdown, and residents like Sally Smith aren’t having it anymore. Supervisors Fletcher, Cox, and Jacob have been delaying reopening plans for as long as Desmond and Gaspar have been fighting for them. We could’ve had a plan for reopening weeks ago, but Fletcher and his allies wouldn’t budge.
The officials opposing reopening are likely doing so because they are not being hurt by the restrictions they put in place. Their finances are intact, they still have their job, and life is not bad for them at the moment. But for the small business owner who is being forced into bankruptcy, the story is different.
The government is not supposed to take away our rights, it’s supposed to protect them. Forcing businesses to close and people to stay home is a blatant violation of those rights. Those who are afraid can remain home, and those who are not should be allowed to live life as they please.
The initial shock factor produced by COVID-19 caused citizens to let their guard down with regard to freedom. We effectively allowed our officials to become dictators because we didn’t know what to do. It was a mistake, and we need to take that power back—state and local leaders need to be reminded of who is in charge.
