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OPINION
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I don’t like wearing a mask, but I am now
BY MAYOR W.J. "JIM" LANE
Progress Guest Writer
Irecently issued an emergency proclamation that mandated masks to be worn in public places in our community. This proclamation’s impact on our COVID-19 medical situation will be reviewed weekly and run through July 20.
This is to an effort to keep Scottsdale open, healthy and safe. We need to understand that COVID-19 is with us and we have a personal responsibility to protect ourselves from any viral infection.
As good people and a “Golden Rule” community, we have the additional re
BY RANDY NUSSBAUM
Progress Guest Writer Many restaurants will not survive and the ones that do will struggle in the face of operational changes.
The public is understandably nervous about patronizing businesses, which by their very nature, especially in an Arizona summer, require you to sit in a closed environment surrounded by a fellow citizen who may be infected by COVID-19.
Furthermore, all of us have become conditioned to eating at home, preparing our own meals and, in most instances, enjoying the experience.
Nevertheless, it is inevitable that most Scottsdale residents and its visitors will once again become restaurant frequenters sponsibility to respect the needs and fears of our fellow citizens.
As many of you know, Arizona is a designated COVID-19 contagion hotspot, with the positive test infection rate going from 5 percent on May 17 to a rate of 20 percent on June 14.
It has had the understandable corresponding effect of a continuing increasing trend in hospitalization numbers and the increasing draw down of their healthcare resources.
These facts are clearly set out on the Arizona Department of Health and Human Services website and are supported independently in conversations I have had with the CEO’s of our major local healthcare providers: HonorHealth, Mayo Clinic like in the past.
Almost everyone relishes a night on the town at our favorite establishment and the chance to interact with the public.
As we return to our cherished old ways, we should try to patronize restaurants which practice social distancing and prudent prophylactic policies.
For a number of understandable reasons, many restaurants have chosen not to do so.
They are desperately trying to make up for the debilitating loss of income and are not required to do so under either local or state law.
They may insinuate they are practicing prudent policies, but look the other way when advantageous to do so.
Requiring staff to wear masks, implementing stringent cleaning practices, and limiting diners to ensure proper distancing all hurt the bottom line. As restaurants try to make up for what can only be a stagand Banner.
Nearly 60 percent of all COVID-19 infections reported have been among those under 45 years old. A group that runs between being asymptomatic to hospital cases. They can easily infect people without knowing it.
We need to adjust and know that COVID-19 will be with us for a while yet. Our first responsibility is to keep ourselves and our families safe and keeping our city’s economy on the recovery path is part of that effort.
I would never take an action like this lightly. I study our county’s numbers and considered Scottsdale’s unique tourist industry when I weighed the prospectively positive impact this proclamation would gering amount of lost revenue, ignoring all of these practices is tempting. It is especially attractive when a surprising percentage of the local population does not seem to care either way.
Unfortunately, it is a bit disconcerting to have your server wearing a mask, which does take away from an otherwise festive atmosphere. Furthermore, it is easier to simply find an excuse or justification for returning to the previous norm.
As you can well imagine, this is extremely frustrating to restaurateurs who are committed to protecting both their employees and their customers and who recognize the seriousness of the pandemic.
Sadly, many of them have endured complaints by their patrons who do not like to see their serving staff don masks and are displeased they cannot get a table because space is limited.
Even more surprisingly, in certain inhave on our COVID-19 hotbed status versus staying the course.
Your city government has no desire to run your life. The city’s only real mission is to move us all forward together again in a working and sustainable city.
I don’t like wearing a mask. I will now. I know it is important. This isn’t a flawed projection. This is in real time. We are making an effort to address it now so we can continue to rebuild our city’s community and economy.
This is not intended to be a long-term situation. We need, for the sake of Scottsdale, to put aside any anger that may divide us, and let’s make this work.
Let us work together like the community
Restaurants get bum rap for protecting lives
The pandemic has totally disrupted the restaurant business.
I know we can be. stances, the customers accuse such businesses of “overreacting” to a state of affairs that they believe is “overstated” or “exaggerated.” Even worse are individuals who believe the pandemic is only a political myth.
Under the circumstances, if you really want to help truly deserving businesses, try to frequent restaurants which have implemented protective strategies and let them know you appreciate it. Remember, they are not doing so for their own financial benefit. These restaurants have decided that protecting the public is more important than increasing the bottom line, and such conduct should be condoned and recognized.
The reality that they may also be saving lives should not be minimized.
-Randy Nussbaum is a long-time resident of Scottsdale and a Shareholder with the Scottsdale law �irm Sacks Tierney.
Letters
Time for Guy Phillips to resign, drop out of race
First, thank you, Mayor Lane, for your quick and sharp statement condemning Guy Phillips’ outrageous actions this morning.
With a Confederate Flag in the foreground and hoots and hollers of approval from an equally bigoted crowd, Phillips had the audacity to mock the dying words of George Floyd while standing on the Civic Center grounds. National television audiences will watch tonight.
Once again Scottsdale will be shamed on the global stage.
It is time for Guy Phillips to step down from our City Council – withdraw his candidacy and resign from office.
I am shocked and saddened at what I have seen in Scottsdale today. The “unmask” demonstration is an offense to my very being.
The ridicule of the death of George Floyd at the hands of an out of control policeman is inexcusable. Seeing a Confederate flag in front of our City Hall is appalling.
What makes it even worse? It was organized by a sitting City Council member. I know I speak for the vast majority of Scottsdale residents that we will not condone this type of behavior.
Gov. Ducey,
I have extensive experience in analyzing technical data for risk analysis for semiconductor manufacturing this data does not show significant correlation between the increase in COVID-19 cases and increased testing. The uptick in the confirmed cases and fatalities appears to represent a real in
It is also time for Phillips’ running mate, Bob Littlefield, to step forward. Throughout their careers, Phillips and Littlefield have been tied tightly to each other.
They run on joint tickets. They opposed bonds. They voted in sync. They share homophobic jokes with each other. They’re a team. Littlefield wants us to choose him to be the city leader. His next steps concerning Phillips will tell us what kind of leader Littlefield will be.
Phillips’ litany of misdeeds is undeniable: • Homophobic jokes about stoning gay men (shared with Littlefield);
It was just reported that Arizona has the highest test positivity rate in the United States for COVID-19.
I value human life. I believe the primary responsibility of government is to keep us safe. With the spike of COVID-19 victims flooding our hospital emergency rooms, hospital beds and ICU beds are in short supply. We are also low on hospital staff.
The requirement by our mayor and Maricopa County to wear a mask when in public is perfectly reasonable and in our best interest. Studies have shown this is crease beginning on or about May 28.
As an Arizona senior citizen, I understand the desire to reopen the economy, but I note two very serious issues.
First, the lack of a mandatorily requirement for face masks for everyone in business reopening. Second, there is no process in place to verify businesses and customers follow the • Outlandish claims that global warming is a concocted hoax; • Racist statements about Asians (for which he quickly apologized); • Xenophobic claims about Jewish Globalists stealing from U.S. business; • Anti-science demands that COVID 19 is a farce; • Using City assets to promote his campaign rally (city email system)
This morning it was determined that donations to his campaign fund are run through the PayPal account of “Budget Mechanical, LLC” – his business.
And we thought that would be the worst, but no.
Phillips topped all that off at 10:45 very effective in slowing the spread of COVID-19. What do the people who attended this rally stand for? Do they believe it is their right to put us all at risk because they don’t want anyone telling them what to do?
Let’s show some common sense. I say grow up, start thinking about the rest of us.
I believe in equality for all. I believe that the Black Lives Matter movement will usher in changes that are long overdue. I hope the changes go far enough to level the playing field for African Americans. recommendations to help prevent the spread of COVID19. I have seen stores, restraints and bars in Scottsdale and Phoenix packed without face covering and physical distancing. In the absence if these protections, I for one, will not participate in the opening economy until a vaccine is available.
I applaud the efforts to prepare rea.m. by mocking George Floyd. “I can’t breathe,” he said to the laughs and applause of his bigoted nation.
“I can’t breathe” he shouted while the Confederate Flag holder waved it wildly. If Littlefield does not join in the call for Phillips to step down, Littlefield is equally complicit. The same challenge must be made of every elected official and candidate. No one holding office or running for office can stand quietly by. Silence is complicity. Silence condones racism.
Phillips must go. And those who support Phillips through silence must also go with him.
-Mike Norton
I also applaud the vote by the Supreme Court to uphold the rights of LGBTQ in the workplace. It is a step in the right direction.
The Dreamers are a valuable part of our society and they know just how lucky we are to live in America.
What happened today exposed the dark underbelly of our community. Let us work together to show that this is not who we are, it does not define us as a people.
We are better than this. We are Scottsdale.
I will not participate in economy’s reopening
-BettyJanik gional hospitals for cases, but it appears to me that the current response does not address the root cause of the infection spread and at the exponential growth risk is worrisome. Finally, what is the state doing to pay homage to those Arizonans who have succumbed to the virus -Gerald Lamb
