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The Observer | www.theobserver.com Wednesday, September 2, 2020 Thoughts & Views

EDITORIAL

Gov. Murphy reopens restaurants with little notice — why?

While we are certainly grateful that Gov. Philip D. Murphy has finally allowed inside dining to resume in New Jersey at 25% capacity, we cannot help but wonder how he comes to these decisions in what appears to be such a random manner.

And it’s really problematic.

Here’s why we feel this way.

First, the time frame. On Monday morning, he said restaurants may reopen for inside starting Friday, Sept. 4, 2020.

In essence, making the announcement gives restaurateurs four days to get ready.

Think about that for a moment. To get up to speed, owners basically have 96 hours to order food, prepare the interior of the establishment, decide on what kind of staff is needed — and then hope the staff would even be available.

On the surface, it seems like he makes these decisions on a whim. Wake up Monday — reopen on Friday.

These kinds of decisions require planning, discussions with medical experts, discussions with those in the restaurant industry and the bar industry.

He had to have been considering the reopening for a while — so why wait until Monday, Aug. 31, to finally decide?

We’ll say it again, we’re glad Murphy finally did make the decision to reopen restaurants and bars.

We just believe that after all they’ve gone through, a little bit more advance notice would have been better for all the aforementioned reasons.

Restaurant and bar owners have been through enough and deserved better than this.

John D: I’m generally happy with USPS

To the Editor: It can happen either way.

I agree with The Observer’s editorial on the Also, no Democrat has ever answered the work done by our postman and women daily. question of we could know if undocumented

Despite some late deliveries, I’m generally people are sent the ballots. There are too satisfied with the service. I’m writing because many ifs in this proposal to go ahead with a I am totally against mailing ballots to the situation like this. public. I always hear from Democrats like U.S. Incidentally, the Democrats also refuse to Rep. Bill Pascrell and others who accuse the answer another question. Why can’t we all go president of trying to sabotage the election. to the voting booth with a mask and all safety

That is something I do not believe. precautions in place?

I never hear from Democrats as to how We all go to the store weekly for food and this enormous mailing will be good of all spend an hour or more near hundreds of hanky panky. For example, on the back of people. Let’s study this mail thing and wait the envelope is the letter R or the letter D. until the next election cycle. Also I’m all for Some people in the Post Office who hate funding the Post Office as needed. Republicans can discard some ballots, and God bless all and stay well! vice-versa. John Drzymkowski North Arlington Calautti: Use FedEx — they get it done

To the Editor:

As I read The Observer’s recent front-page story, “You’ve Got Mail?” I found Rep. Bill Pascrell’s use of the word “sabotage” extremely accurate. President Trump has effectively sabotaged the United States Postal Service.

I often order parts for my vintage motorcycle via the Internet. In the past, when suppliers shipped packages through the Post Office, I found they were extremely efficient. The US Mail was on par with UPS and FedEx.

Today, it is a different story. I ordered parts from Cleveland in May and it took more than six weeks to arrive.

Last month, I ordered a part from a supplier in Connecticut. It was shipped via the US Post Office and I was given a tracking number. I tracked it for over a week and it never moved from where it was dropped off. Finally, I found the same part for sale by a company in Ontario, Canada. I contacted the seller by phone and asked what shipper they used. They said they used FedEx, so I placed my order on a Wednesday. It arrived two days later on Friday.

And this was standard shipping, not priority shipping. So mission accomplished, Mr. President. There is no way I would trust the USPS with my ballot. I will don my mask and gloves and cast my vote in person, regardless of any risks from COVID-19. What a sad state of affairs. James Calautti Kearny

In Memoriam Mary A. Tortoreti 1942-2016

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