04/29/2021
Let’s keep Crook County open!
Below is a letter that your Crook County Court sent to Kate Brown this morning. In addition Crook County proposed a letter be sent from all 36 counties trough the Association of Oregon Counties to the governor protecting businesses right to do business. It will be sent today at 4pm.
Governor Brown,
We are writing you today from a place that is far too near complete despair. Both as members of our community and as elected leaders, we are at a loss, confused, and angry. Consider this a sincere plea from the Crook County Court and our Citizens to NOT shut down our businesses again.
As community members here in Crook County we have watched our people come together to help each other along the way as various regulatory responses to Covid have come down the line. We have watched people sacrificed so much to help their fellow citizens, even while they are barely able to keep themselves afloat. We have seen a community band together in truly extraordinary ways to help ensure many small businesses are not shuttered forever.
Unfortunately, we have also seen many businesses forced to close their doors, often simply due to the uncertainty of when they will see their next paycheck with the seemingly ever-changing rules under which they are forced to operate.
As elected leaders in Crook County we have worked hard since the beginning of COVID to stay positive and solution focused. We have encouraged our citizens and frankly ourselves to “hang in there” and get through this mess together. For the most part, our community has done a damn good job of that. However, we fear that another shut down will be the end of many businesses that are hanging on only by a borrowed thread.
Let’s use restaurants as one of our many examples here in Crook County, as they are just now only beginning to get back to full staffing levels. If shut down, the people that are currently working will find new jobs in other fields and the businesses will be back at square one, unable to find staff if they are ever open again. This hurts not only restaurants but also their employees. Going on and off unemployment with the tides of rule changes in very difficult and could put people that are so close to losing everything over the edge. Furthermore, for those who do find work in another field, they will be disadvantaged and back at square one in the workplace hierarchy.
We are not social scientist or statisticians, but we have observed the increase of private social gatherings when restaurants are shutdown. Many of these likely occur were COVID protocols are not observed as well as they are in restaurants. This seems like a recipe for more disaster and even longer recovery time from the damaged COVID restrictions have caused.
We believe that the state needs to find ways to increase hospital beds as opposed to shutting down businesses. The current hospitalization level is much lower than past times in the pandemic when hospitals were not overwhelmed. The state received a good amount of federal funds to combat COVID. Use some of that money to create solutions and lessen the financial burden of our already suffering citizens. Our people have paid a high enough price.
We are told that this newest battery of restriction is proposed to last 1 week however we all know at this point that it any effect that could be realized through that week won’t be seen for two or three weeks, if at all. This is a vicious cycle that has no clear end in sight. We have been patient, diligent, and willing to do our part here in Crook County to follow the rules as laid out for us. We are lucky to have one of the best Health Department in the state and have managed well so far. Please, hear our voice and let us continue to manage our County affairs responsibly and appropriately. Don’t shut us down.
