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Letters to the Editor

Important to get that US Census form filled out

It’s very important to respond to your U.S. Census form. The Upper Michigan response rate at this time is less than 50 percent. There are many things that are funded by the amount of responses that are turned in to the Census Bureau. The amount of funds distributed to counties, cities, townships, schools and all kinds of other organizations are determined by the Census. The Michigan Education Association-Retired Board of Directors at our last meeting voted to contribute $25,000 to help publicize the importance of responding to the Census forms. To complete the census, you can call ...

More data needed on UP virus cases

As of April 15, there were 56 reported cases of COVID-19 with nine deaths in the Upper Peninsula. (Editor’s note: That rose to 67 cases and 10 deaths as of Monday afternoon.) Those numbers should draw the grave attention of our representatives, health workers and every person concerned about COVID-19. Those numbers represent a case fatality rate of 16%, while the case fatality rate for the United States as a whole is 4%. This means that Yoopers are disproportionately dying from COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus.   In fact, this would be the highest Case Fatality Rate ...

Stop politicizing virus response

If our president would have listened to the scientists and acted to fight COVID-19 sooner, instead of calling it a hoax, maybe our governor would not have to be doing the things she is doing and our state representative could give his pen a rest and quit making this political. I side with the non-political scientists. Lastly, and sadly, those folks who so desperately need the government money will now have to wait extra days, if they do not have direct deposit, because our president needs to have his name on the checks. Keep your distance, stay healthy and God bless our nurses, ...

Need to unite for common cause

I am a concerned citizen of the state of Michigan. On the TV, they say we are at war with this virus. Our leaders say the same. So why are we not uniting in this common cause? States are left to fend for themselves — that’s how it looks to me. The governor needs to unite us in this cause. We need to start building testing facilities, manufacturing the supplies for the tests and PPE. Put some of the unemployed back to work as contact tracers and in labs. Have the governor use her emergency orders to press big companies who have gotten big tax cuts for years. Also, get more money from ...

Wear mask for others’ sake, if not for yourself

Today I was at the grocery store and could not help but notice that the majority of store patrons were not wearing masks. One couple actually said to me that I was part of a “Democratic conspiracy” pushing a scare campaign about this COVID-19 nonsense! I am a person with a chronic illness and this virus would definitely kill me were I unfortunate enough to contact it. The lack of care displayed by people who are disregarding Centers for Disease Control guidelines in this way frightens me. We have a small hospital that could be easily overwhelmed by an outbreak. I believe this ...

LaFave criticism of stay-home order off base

COVID-19 is non-partisan. Republicans, Democrats, conservatives, liberals, “Bernie Bros,” Trumpists, and socialists are all the same to the coronavirus. However, in the 108th District, represented by none other than Beau “What, me worry?” LaFave, there is a cautionary tale to be told. U.S. Census data 2019 estimates show about 84,000 residents in District 108, of which nearly 19,320 are 65 and older and about 10,613 are disabled and younger than 65. The Centers for Disease Control advise that the aged, those with serious health condition of any age — such as heart ...