My Public Comment to the Re-Open Florida Task Force

Florida is marching towards a likely end to stay-at-home orders and the Re-Open Florida Task Force is accepting public comment about their move.

Here is what I had to say:

"I understand that businesses are struggling, but Florida has yet to see a 14-day decline of COVID-19 cases and prematurely opening only opens up the state to future spikes of Coronavirus and more death, not to mention having to close again the future.

Some people say 1,000 deaths is not much compared to other states, but in any other scenario 1,000 deaths would be considered a massive case of failure and incompetence by our government leaders and it is. The delay to release unemployment benefits have plagued Floridians financially and push them up against a wall to either work and die or starve. It shouldn't be this way, Florida could provide rent relief and more aid to consumers and small businesses.

I listened to a number of the task force meetings and many leaders expressed concerns with consumer sentiment and safety, yet we are already proceeding to open beaches and to seriously consider re-opening when we have over 30,000 confirmed cases in 2 months with barely any testing. So many suggestions about how to protect workers and make people feel nice, but nothing concrete and no oversight seem like a recipe made for failure.

Are those customers going to magically come back? Will Florida's travelers just show back up? It's a pipe dream from people who refuse to accept the reality that a killer virus is ravaging the world including many in our own home state. I am sure business leaders are the most aware of this ignorance.

No, we will not be taking a vacation in Florida. We will be trying to not starve and not die from a deadly virus. That is the reality. The sooner the government and these businesses realize it, the sooner we can make a real plan that is grounded in science and not on the pockets of corporations profits over people.

Florida has inadequate testing and does not to seem to be seriously trying to trace cases and stop them. What will stop us from becoming a hot spot? Why aren't businesses more concerned about that? You will not operate if your town becomes a town filled with death. I regret to inform you that masks are a mitigation tool, but not foolproof and most people I see out in public in Florida are not even wearing them in stores or at take-out windows at restaurants.

The attitude seems to be that mass death is okay as long as your businesses survive. To that I have to say, we are watching and will not support your businesses in the future if you put lives at risk for your greed. Eventually I am sure your employees will also agree and strike.

As a Floridian for decades, I am disgusted with our leaders and task force. You work for the people in Florida and should put their public health above everything. 1,000+ dead and nearly 5,000 hospitalized is a failure of epic proportions and no doubt this is only going to get worse thanks to leaders eagerness to throw the public right back into the virus for a couple of dollars.

I hope you will all be held accountable"

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