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.

This is a station editorial, I'm Randal J. Miller, station president.  On April 23rd, Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker extended his Coronavirus Stay at Home Order until May 30th.  

Little changed from his previous Stay at Home Order, with the exception of having to wear a mask when leaving your home, being able to go to State Parks, and calling greenhouses and garden centers as essential.

The glaring thing that's MISSING in the April 23rd announcement, was any recognition that 91% of the cases and deaths have been in Chicago and the collar counties.  91%.

Why do we downstaters again feel like the "tail is wagging the dog"?   All the experts the Governor marched out to speak in his April 23rd extension, were from CHICAGO.  NONE were from downstate.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health's own web site, there are many downstate counties outside of metro areas, that have few cases and deaths, and the further south you go, the less the numbers are.

One Illinois State Representative from deep southern Illinois, has resorted to filing a lawsuit against the Governor claiming he exceeded his authority in his Emergency Order closing non-essential businesses around the state.

I have e-mail'ed the Governor, our state senators and state representatives, telling all of them that 
there was NO consideration for the LOW number of downtstate coronavirus cases, in the Governor's Order.

Outside of downstate metro areas, there are FEW and in many cases NONE.

In the meantime, small businesses across the state are literally closing by the day, affecting the quality of life in the communities our radio stations serve.

When will the Governor look at this from a region by region or county by county basis?  

By the time he does open things up downstate, he'll have lost thousands of local businesses that our listeners depend on, not to mention the additional loss of state retail sales tax revenue.

When will this madness end?

That's our opinion...we welcome yours.  Our e-mail address is editorial-at-randyradio-dot-com.

EDITORIAL

Posted April 14, 2020

This is a Station Editorial, I'm Randal J. Miller, Station President.

This is an open letter to U-S President Donald Trump, and Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker, that's being sent to both electronically.

Mr. President and Governor, 

We are not doctors and we are not political leaders, and we respect you as our elected leader but we are confused. 

Every day we see our fellow state citizens filing for unemployment. Every day we see car dealerships and all small businesses wondering how to survive. 

All because we are under the Illinois Governor's Stay at Home order, with limited exceptions.

All to slow the spread of the deadly COVID 19 virus, but at the same time destroying the very fabric of society. 

What do we not understand?

Every day millions of your citizens are going to grocery stores. Before the virus, more people went to grocery stores on a daily basis than visited all other businesses in the state combined.

With the existing "stay at home" Illinois Executive Order set to expire on April 30th, why can't you direct Illinois residents to protect their health and use common sense to visit local businesses after that time?  Why can't our car dealerships, furniture stores and local shops re-open at that time using face coverings and gloves?  None of these businesses have as many as one one thousandth the visitors per day as a grocery store. 

Yes – more stringent rules for restaurants. Yes more stringent rules for offices. We are not suggesting you open schools or places of mass gatherings.

But, Mr. President and Mr. Governor, it is time to understand that with the Illinois Executive Order expiring April 30th--with proper safeguards--our local small businesses are safer than the local grocery store. Let them save our economy – SAFELY.

And, a final thought. We are thankful in all ways for our neighbors who work day in and day out at our grocery stores and at the essential businesses in our community. We are beyond thankful for you = we blessed everyday for your presence and fortitude. Thank you and God bless you. 

That's our opinion...we welcome yours.  Our e-mail address is editorial-at-randyradio-dot-com.