Editor’s Note: InMaricopa.com is publishing the author’s letter to city councilmembers, and copied to local media, in the interest of transparency. As we prepared to publish the letter Wednesday afternoon, the author let us know he did not want it published as an opinion article. We respected his request. He subsequently talked to another media outlet about the letter, so we feel compelled to publish now to show InMaricopa is being transparent on the issue.

Hi Councilmembers,

I am writing to you in response to Councilmember Vincent Manfredi’s post on Facebook. He is supporting the idea of opening up the city’s amenities, even while the Governor still has a Stay at Home order active. He is further urging members on Facebook to email this address, perhaps in hopes of creating public pressure on you to open up these activities again.

I am disgusted.

I am a homeowner in a large community, whose amenities have been closed during this pandemic. I fully support this closure and the closure of the city’s amenities to ensure that the public remains safe (or as safe as can be). It is simply a false choice to suggest that “If you don’t think that they should NOT be open my suggestion would be, don’t use them” as he suggests in his statement. The false choice is that if you do not agree with him, that opening public amenities during a pandemic and active Stay at Home order is a fine thing to do, that you just don’t participate.

According to demographic numbers, approximately 30% of our City’s population is over the age of 50. This puts our city more at risk than Tempe, Chandler, and Gilbert due to the amount of adults that are at a higher risk to contract serious health issues from COVID19. This does not even include those members outside this range who are at a higher risk due to preexisting health conditions (of which, my family has several). City residents look to it’s leadership in times of crisis. I think we all agree here that we are in unprecedented times. I could cite other state Governors opening up their states in what some would call a “premature” fashion. But these are not other states. This is Arizona.

The fact is that Governor Ducey still has an active Stay at Home order, with restrictions starting to ease slowly over the coming weeks. Councilmember Manfredi, in his attached statement, is using a Political, Public page. One might argue due to the title and names he uses that it is his Official Councilmember profile. If so, I find it extremely disheartening that a representative from the City of Maricopa would use their Official Councilmember page to advocate for the direct violation of an Executive Order that is designed to protect its inhabitants during a health crisis.

I am not saying that there is not a time or place for getting some fresh air; of course there is. In my neighborhood one can drive around the block and see plenty of people who are running or exercising. Unlike using many of the city’s amenities, there are areas to naturally stay away from others. The fear of many is that by opening up the city amenities, you create an opportunity for a petri dish of disease. I know that Maricopa does not want to be seen as having an outbreak occur because of something entirely preventable. One example of this mistake would be in New Orleans, LA; where that city was inundated by sick residents flooding their hospitals after gatherings occurred. This is an extreme example of course, because there was also a parade involved. But we can’t handle even a fraction of a percentage of that rush in our local Banner clinic.

In closing, I support the continued closure of the city of Maricopa’s amenities. Should the Council act with caution, history will judge your actions kindly. Should the Council act with haste, there is a short term gain, with the possibility of a longer, larger term loss.

Feel free to reach out with any followup concerns or questions. I have lived in this great city since 2006. While that may not be as long as many residents, I do not want Maricopa to be the example – for all the wrong reasons.

Sincerely,

Andrew Miller

Maricopa Resident

Full disclosure: Councilmember Vincent Manfredi is minority owner of InMaricopa.

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1 COMMENT

  1. I find it interesting that you do not say what it is exactly you do for a living. You harp on Councilmember Manfredi for having used his official forum to advocate for his position. Why? That’s anyone’s guess. Councilmember Manfredi is open and upfront and by the way he is correct.
    You have to understand where I come from. I am 63, male, overweight, and borderline everything of a negative nature medically speaking. I not only have 3 strikes against me when it comes to COVID, I have a whole teams worth of strikes.
    First of all, what has the Governor of our state done with his executive edict? He has discontinued rights we have that are guaranteed under not only the Constitution of the United States, but under the Constitution of Arizona. Contrary to your belief his emergency declaration cannot supersede those documents or the Legislature of this State.
    As an Arizonan, I and you have rights that protect us from overbearing executives at every level. These edicts came about based on incorrect and misleading information. Note I did not say intentional. God help us all from well meaning scientists. A well meaning scientist gave us atomic power. just an example.
    I know that our Governor is trying to keep us safe, but if you look back at other diseases the responses were never to take away liberty. Polio, Smallpox, measles, AIDS. None of these things were liberty robbing. Every year for decades we loose tens of thousands to the flu, and other diseases. We live with that risk everyday. Our governments have seen it as necessary for our own good to take away our liberties, our livelihoods and our ability to associate with those of like minds.
    I do not recall having ever given any of them permission to do so. Every time you go to a store of any kind, everything you touch or pick up has been handled by countless individuals, including the things you eat. This horrible disease exists. I feel for all those who have lost loved ones. For instance the nursing facility in Chandler with 47 resident and 40 have the virus? Why is it the first case even existed? Someone brought it in from outside. They did not even know they had it, but the minute they realized there was 1 infection why did they not act to save those poor people?
    Where was your precious government then? The government gets their powers from us. We do not give it to them to hold us in abeyance, or to end our ways of life and pursuit of happiness. I along with many more want our lives back. No amount of government intervention is going to stay this disease. As all other diseases before it, it shall run it’s course. Please remember, the state constitution exists to protect you from well meaning people. They get their powers from you.
    10th Amendment
    The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
    We have rights as a free people and we did not give them the power to take them away. The legislature has not acted and the governor does not have the force of law behind his declarations, to the contrary he is limited as to what he can do. ANYONE who thinks otherwise is wrong.
    The Sheriff of Pinal Country has said he will not make into criminals those who exercise their right to freedom. Councilmember Manfredi is right. If you wish to keep yourself safe You are welcome to cower at your house in fear. As for me and those like me, allow us the right to exercise our freedom. That includes telling the Governor to go pound sand.
    I hope but doubt this will ever see the light of day here or in print.