‘Do-nothing’ Manatee commissioners fail to take responsibility for COVID-19 response | Letter to the editor

I do not want to die because of COVID-19, but apparently, the Board of County Commissioners does not care who dies. The virus is out of control in Manatee County, but the commissioners seem to feel that enforcing a mask ordinance is too difficult to be practical and that individuals need to exercise personal responsibility.

Maybe the commissioners need to get in touch with reality, look around and exercise some responsibility. Business owners should not be forced to decide if they will require masks to be worn in there establishments. If one business requires masks and another does not, the mask requirement is useless and by doing the right thing, the ethical business may lose customers. Why should someone making a correct decision be penalized because the county commissioners do nothing?

No government officials seem capable of accepting any responsibility for controlling the spread of this virus. In this country, we now have a president who could have saved lives if he had believed experts and taken preventive action sooner. Unfortunately, he accepts no responsibility for allowing the COVID-19 virus to kill 120,000 people and, in fact, encourages non-use of masks or distancing. Instead of accepting responsibility, President Trump has passed the responsibility for controlling the virus to the state governments.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has followed his lead and passed the responsibility to control the virus to the counties. Here we are with the county commissioners and they do nothing.

The president, the governor and the Ccounty commissioners need to reconsider their actions regarding prevention of the spread of COVID-19.

Warren Mosher

Bradenton