Today’s Opinion piece comes from OMP residents Jim and Fran Krupka, who feel that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has gone too far with Executive Order 2020-42, signed yesterday. The order, which further restricts businesses with regard to slowing the spread of COVID-19, includes closing store areas dedicated to carpet or flooring, furniture, paint, garden centers and plant nurseries. Read more about the order here. The Krupkas submitted the following letter to Senator Wayne Schmidt and Representative Larry Inman, as well as to Gov. Whitmer on her website.
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Reading about the Governor’s latest magnification of restrictions on business, they have gone too far and make little sense for Northern Michigan. They must be reversed. The guidelines go beyond CDC descriptions of how the disease spreads and appropriate precautions. This is not Detroit! Immediately seek reversal of:
- Closure of garden centers. This is prime agricultural planting and preparation season. We run a commercial farm and know this.
- Home maintenance supply sales such as paint. People need some things to do with purpose during this shut down. Not allowing sale of this type of thing is counter productive.
- Entrance lines at all stores regardless of place or type of business. For our local stores in areas with few or no cases, this is burdensome.
- Ban on meetings of any size or type, even faith-based. In these times, people still want to marry or seek spiritual help as they face grief. The Governor has made no allowance for work, including small groups, aimed to address people’s spiritual needs. In times like these, faith-based work is “essential.”
- Prohibiting people from coming to their own property.
- Other parts of this order, like the advertising ban, go too far.
We do not routinely write letters to politicians. This is a first to all on this address list. We expect action to turn this around.
-Respectfully, James and Frances Krupka
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Michigan Farm Bureau website has a link to sign a petition regarding the plant and seed sales.
Jack O’Malley is also writing letters in support of changing the Governors order. Please check out both sites and add your support.
If I can’t use my cottage I would think I should not have to pay my property taxes !
Where in your deed or property tax statement does it say you are welcome to endanger other people because you don’t want to stay home for a few weeks?
The economic damage of the Governor’s executive order will be mind-boggling and impact far more of the population for far longer. Even the at-risk demographic will suffer from the economic and social damage. The prohibition on any faith-based gathering is completely unconstitutional. Freedom of religion is unequivocally protected, and the founders were well familiar with epidemics.
Your freedom of religious choice is not challenged. You can join together with your faith community on-line and exercise it. Please do! We need to practice and gain strength from our faith more than ever now! Many priests, pastors and rabbis have been very eloquent on this point. This Holy week and Passover will be remembered by mankind forever forward. We are challenged for sure, but feel honored to be part of it. And do it right.
Don’t forget that you can’t use any boat with a motor on it too. Not even for fishing. So I can’t go out with my boat to catch food for my family, but they have no problem with me going to the germ-infested grocery store. She has clearly overstepped her boundaries. Smoking kills way more people every day, and I don’t see them banning that. It’s a choice. If you’re scared of it then stay home. I agree with no big sporting events and huge gatherings like that, but to tell me I can’t go out alone in my boat but I can go to work and the grocery store is ridiculous.
There is no testing of large numbers of people in northern Michigan. We know that people may have Covid-19 and be asymptomatic. Of 15 cases positive for the virus in Grand Traverse County, 3 have died. That’s 20%. Given that the death rate of this virus is between 1-4%, it would seem to indicate many more people have the virus than are reported. So we can’t use the argument of no cases to justify relaxing containment. Yes, a majority of cases have minimal symptoms and recover, but vulnerable people are at high risk. I’m in favor of the current restrictions, because I don’t want more people in our community to get sick and die.
Not wanting to pay property tax, not wanting to fish without a motor, not wanting to give up the activities and pursuits, in-person religious service, non-life threatening medical procedures, haircuts, or the very means of financially supporting our families … all are sacrifices we have to make for the good of all. I’m an artist whose exhibit of 20 new paintings hangs in a closed gallery. My husband worries about his mom with Alzheimer’s who we can’t visit. Everyone is experiencing disappointment at best, and devastating loss of income or loss of life at worst. I believe if we can get through this together and support our community, we can come away healthier and stronger.
Well said!
Jane, I hope you will give equal time to people with opposing views to this. We are living in a dystopian version of “Pandora’s Box.” Asymptomatic “super spreaders” are unwittingly sharing the virus, we don’t have a full grasp of all the vectors for transmission, and looking down-state should give up-north a view of what can happen when this virus is not sufficiently checked. Today we, as a country, have passed half-a-million cases and more than twenty-thousand deaths. We are nowhere near the apex, with a lot of carnage in front of us yet. The best way to keep the proverbial “horse in the barn” is before the door is left open. Too bad its an inconvenience and/or financial hardship for some; welcome to the club. It’s not all about “you.”
Old Mission – Censorship at its finest! What is the matter Jim? Different opinion make you uncomfortable?
Use your name, then we can take you more seriously.
Looks Like Sally & Jane are tight. Makes sense now.
Jane, are you scared of different opinion? With all your years as a journalist, I’d think you value Free Speech. What gives? I don’t think anything wrote was out of line or vulgar.
Here is the problem, your dear Governor has put forth an executive order that is grossly out of touch with reality. Honestly, have either of you seen, really seen, what is happening? People can still patronize a Home Depot or TSC etc…… They just cant go down the paint aisle or nursery area. However, they can order online and pick it up in the store later. Meanwhile, anyone can meander about the store in proximity to each other with impunity. Mom & Pop nurseries are completely shut down. Whitmer is playing “Mommy”. It is absolutely ridiculous. Also, as I stated before and you conveniently deleted the US mortality rate has not exceeded that of common influenza yet. It is reasonable and rational to question EO 2020-42 and all government reactions to COVID 19. Again, can either of you stop and think? Or are you only capable of protecting each other by suppressing others opinions? Absolutely pathetic.
It’s Jane’s site and you’re a “guest” on it. Jane appreciates civil discourse — and, I should think, comments from people who actually have the integrity and conviction of their beliefs to post their comments under their real name, not a nom de plume.
Sally, my point stands in spite of your dodge. Do you believe Whitmers’ action in EO 2020-42 is reasonable and well thought out? Many of us do not. With all of our conviction, integrity and our “nom de plume” intact.
We are all struggling to get though this. Some more than others, thanks to this action. In the end, no greater safety has been achieved. That is the crux. Also, this only adds to the frustrations many of us are feeling.
I would think getting a little paint work done or some gardening would help keep us separated and passified in a simple chore.
Civil discourse is not devoid of intensity. Don’t let your whiskers get bent so easily.
If you have a valid case, make it. Don’t just delete positions that don’t align with yours. We have yet to see a logical argument.
A factual answer or extensive care never works for trolls – because they are not looking for answers. The category trolls & constant haters will keep coming at you with the same accusations or make fun of who or what you are.
More than often, the hate you receive has to go with personal matters.
The difficult truth is that people don’t always “play nice” or engage in a manner which engenders conversation or acceptance. Sometimes people will act downright ugly and engage in hateful commentary. Social media and other forms of modern day communication make it even easier to share thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, including hateful communications at times.
Hateful comments or speech often incite an innate need for us to feel like we should defend our views or position. However, often times walking away or removing yourself can be a more effective way to deal with the confrontation. By doing this you are not accepting their viewpoint or admitting that they are superior. Instead, it expresses your control over the situation while not engaging in their hateful comments and models self efficacy and self-worth.
Hateful speech, whether it be racism, sexism, or bigotry, tends to be expressed purely as criticism with little to no substance. This often fails to provide any grounds from which a meaningful dialogue can be engaged in, merely being mentioned to incite anger, express pessimism, or hurt the feelings of someone else.
she’ll have to lift it soon. There’s a cult in Dearbornistan that’s about to half-starve itself for a month and they need the all-you-can-eat buffets to be open!
There’s a cult in Dearbornistan? Really?!