COVID-19 lies and Jan. 6 insurrectionists. You’ll find it all in Manatee County | Letter to the editor

Welcome to Manatee County, where anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers spew misinformation at local meetings across the county.

Did it ever occur to the “free our kids’ faces” crowd that the reason district schools stayed open all year was because of the mask policy?

I know most of you don’t deal in facts, but here it goes: Nearly 600,000 people have died from COVID-19. It is a real virus that has impacted our lives and economy. Masks have ZERO to do with your “freedoms and liberties” that you hold so dear, along with your Trump flags that still hang outside your home (in case, you haven’t noticed, your King lost. Under his watch, Republicans also lost the House and Senate to complete the trifecta).

Masks prevented me from getting you sick and vice versa — pretty simple, maybe too simple for many of you.

Welcome to Manatee County, where if you live in an affluent zip code, you can jump the line and forgo the vaccine lottery system; and where county commissioners pettily bicker at every meeting, ask for a county administrator’s resignation six hours after taking office, admit to an extramarital affair because of an “evil plot” by a fellow commissioner, bounce $10 checks, purchase new office décor at taxpayer expense – my what a lovely shiplap accent you have – and hire a new county administrator who does nothing more than hunt and campaign for jobs that give him the most power and influence.

Welcome to Manatee County, where at least two of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists live and nearly every congressional representative in the area voted AGAINST providing you with a $1,400 stimulus payment, yet are always quick to take credit for how the COVID-19 stimulus package is helping the local economy.

Welcome to Manatee County.

Michael Polin

Bradenton