EDITORIAL

Posted April 29, 2020

This is a station editorial, I'm Randal J. Miller, station president, thanking those of you who have e-mail'ed, called, texted, even yelled across the yard in my neighborhood, supporting my last editorial asking why Governor Pritzker hasn't re-opened downstate Illinois on a region by region or county by county basis. 

Here are some observations. 

Fact one:  Downstate counties flattened the coronavirus case and death curve, weeks ago.  The further south you go, the fewer cases and deaths there have been over the past month. 

Fact 2:  Some LOCAL health care professionals I've talked to, are fearful they'll be laid off because no one is going to clinics, doctors, or hospitals, for non-life threatening medical care. Nationally, this could COLLAPSE the greatest health care delivery system in the world.

Fact 3:  In an April 27th interview, Taylorville Memorial Hospital CEO Kim Bourne told our WTIM Morning Show, she knows of people whose symptoms were made worse by postponing going to the Emergency Room, for fear they may contract the coronavirus. 

Fact 4:  Even the Governor of Colorado, a Democrat, on April 27 went from a "Stay At Home" order to a "Safer at Home" order with guidance on how health care and businesses can re-open safely without fear of spreading the coronavirus. 

Fact 5:  In reacting to the lawsuit to lift Illinois' Stay at Home order brought by a downstate Republican State Representative, we downstaters were insulted by the Governor, talked down do, and basically told not to question his Stay at Home order, for fear we'll be the ones responsible for killing more people due to the coronavirus. 

Fact 6:  Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds on May First is re-opening 77 of their 99 counties.  Yes, she did it by county.

Fact 7:  New York City Doctor Daniel Murphy, an E-R doctor in the Bronx, says testing should happen along with the immediate re-opening of the economy and getting people back to work. 

Finally, Fact 8:  Both the Democrats and Republicans have politicized the coronavirus outbreak to avoid blame if the epidemic would have killed thousands, scaring people to shop and get medical care.  Now they want to hang onto their new powers. 

As I said before, this madness has to got STOP.  Where is common sense?  That's our opinion...we welcome yours.  Our e-mail address is editorial@randyradio.com.