EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK: WEARING A MASK TO PREVENT SPREAD OF COVID-19 IS NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT, BUT A HEALTH STATEMENT
Editor Paul Osborne
• PREVIEW of today’s “Editor’s Viewpoint” in the print edition of the Decatur Tribune:
“IT’S no secret that I wear a mask when I am close to other people and take other recommended precautions to keep those around me safe. I believe that is what I should do — based on the questions I’ve asked and the research I’ve done. I’ve received several emails from an out of state reader condemning my view on the pandemic and stating: “I hope and pray you can get rid of your fears, and regain your faith in God rather than big government.”
“Say what?
“THIS MAN is now “praying” for me to “regain my faith in God” because he believes I’ve lost it by wearing a mask to protect others.
“Wow! That’s a new one!
“We’ve gone from statements that people are wearing masks to show their “anti-Trump” feelings to now showing their “anti-God” feelings! Masks are “anti-God”? He then cancelled his subscription writing this newspaper is “sick”.
“Thankfully, that’s an extremely rare intolerant move by a subscriber.” (Read entire Editor’s Viewpoint on page 3 of today’s print edition of the Decatur Tribune.)
• A MESSAGE for the “potential” city council candidate who indicated he was going to run as a Republican —the city council and mayor positions are non-partisan. Do a little more research about the city council before declaring your candidacy.
• WHILE I’m on the subject of city council candidacy, petitions for persons interested in running for one of the three seats on Decatur City Council up for election in 2021 are now available in the office of the City Clerk, located on the 3rd floor of the Decatur Civic Center, 1 Gary K. Anderson Plaza or on the City’s website at www.decaturil.gov/departments/City-Clerk. Petitions must contain the signatures of 85 registered voters. Council candidates must be United States citizens, registered voters, age 18 or older and must reside within the city limits for one year preceding the election. Nominating petitions may be filed in the office of the City Clerk from 8:00 a.m., Monday, November 16, 2020 through 5:00 p.m., Monday, November 23, 2020. If you need more information you can contact the City Clerk’s Office at 424-2708 and also remember that the City Clerk cannot provide any legal advice with regard to the election process.
• THREE city council seats presently occupied by David Horn, Chuck Kuhle and Patrick McDaniel, are up for election. Horn has already announced that he will run for re-election. As of now, Kuhle and McDaniel have not made known their intentions.
• CAMPAIGNING for election has been made more difficult because of the pandemic restrictions. Candidates that usually made a lot of public appearances, or walked neighborhoods door-to-door asking residents on a one-on-one basis to vote for them, have found the rules of political engagement make it more difficult to get their message out. Social media and other digital formats have been utilized more during this campaign out of necessity and that has reduced the “personal” political touch a great deal.
Labor Day is coming up on Sept. 7 and that is usually the time that campaigns heading towards the November General Election, swing into high gear, complete with parades and gatherings on that special day. This year will certainly be different without traditional events. That’s not good for the candidates or the voting public.
• VOTE HIM OUT! I received a comment today that it was time to vote City Manager Scot Wrighton out of office. As most of you know, the city manager’s position is not an elected one. Only the city council can hire (or fire) a city manager.
Question: I don’t remember any city manager we’ve had in the history of the council/manager form of government that someone(s) didn’t want fired, do you?
As the late, former City Manager Steve Garman once told me, the city manager’s position is similar to the hired gunslinger in the Old West. He (or she) is brought to town to do a specific job — find ways to make the city operate better and present those recommendations and ideas to the council. Usually, not always, because of the nature of his position, he is not well-liked. That’s because often, what needs to be done, is not pleasant.
• USPS WOES — I’ve received several messages following my recent comments about the USPS and the emails constitute a mixture of experiences from those writing to me. Dave Wilhour wrote: “My step-son and family live in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. We have mailed packages USPS and didn’t know where they might end up. The worst was when a package went to Earth City, Mo, then to Denver, then to Memphis, back to Earth City, back to Memphis, back to Denver, then to Littleton out for delivery to Highlands Ranch! I was tracking all this birthday box for grandson got there 4 days late but was mailed week early! My wife won’t mail a box by USPS to Colorado only UPS!
“Now good story: my daughter and grandkids live in Corvallis, Oregon. I mailed 2 boxes Priority Mail a week ago Monday from Dale’s Southlake substation before noon. They were on my daughter’s front porch Wednesday 11:15 am! Out-standing service! “Always enjoy your paper! God Bless!”
Thanks for the information, Dave. Others who wrote had similar “good and bad’ news about delivery. The USPS is critical to the operation of many businesses, especially newspapers like this one, and those who depend on home delivery of needed medical supplies, etc. I can’t imagine a world without our postal system.
• I JOIN Brian Byers on WSOY’s Byers & Co. each Thursday morning at 7:00 for the “City Hall Insider”. I’m thankful that we can still chat by phone about the issues facing our community and look forward to being back in the studio when the pandemic is over.
Stay safe and sane everyone.
