Letters to the Editor: Readers debate reopening. Thankful our mayor is a nurse.

After them …

During my three decades as a pilot for an Atlanta-based airline, there were numerous opportunities to “go first.” These situations were about dealing with bad weather. We would be approaching a place like Dallas and were facing a line of severe thunderstorms blocking our course, with only a few holes in the line.

We would usually be in holding, awaiting a break in the weather. Invariably, air traffic control would ask if anybody wanted to try to penetrate the thunderstorms. A brave captain would volunteer to be first. Soon an agitated radio report came from the brave captain that the turbulence was severe with lightning and hail and that nobody else should try to go through.

Here is what many pilots like me learned: It almost never pays to be the “weather ship.” It always is better to let somebody else try it and let you know how it was.

I would suggest as Kentuckians that if Tennessee or Florida or Georgia wants to be the “weather ship” when it comes to opening up their economies and risking a new spike in COVID-19 deaths, we let them. They can report back to us while we remain in a holding pattern awaiting a time when it is safe to fly through this storm.

Kevin Garrison, Lexington

Caution important

I appreciated and agreed with most of Somerset Mayor Alan Keck’s recent opinion piece in the Herald-Leader until I came to the following shockingly uninformed and misleading statement: “We should also consider allowing restaurants to open with limited capacity as soon as we feel confident we have enough tests to test all who show symptoms.” The emphasis should be put on “test all who show symptoms” statement. The mayor should know by now that a significant number of COVID-19 infections are found in asymptomatic persons. No one with any sense wants to reemerge into an economy where the risks are a complete mystery because the necessary community surveillance testing, contact tracing, and appropriate quarantining hasn’t been done. The mayor should publicly acknowledge and correct his dangerous and misleading statement as soon as possible.

Kenneth Cooley, Cadiz

Why is Goforth free?

Why was state Rep. Robert Goforth allowed to post $25,000 bond and go free after being charged in a domestic violence incident? I wonder if there emergency protection in place for the woman he allegedly severely abused and threatened to kill.

Cindy Frase, Lexington

Compassion, unity needed

I am surprised that the Herald-Leader let opinions columnist Linda Blackford write such a juvenile and foolish article when she wrote about the GOP throwing cheap shots at the governor, or called the protesters names. These articles are not just going out to Fayette County but are going throughout the nation via the internet. I wonder what this type of reporting says about the paper.

Today’s world is a new frontier, and who knows what is the best road to travel? But compassion should be demonstrated first to all. We need to be mindful of protesters who are scared for themselves and their family. We need to be open-minded as we seek answers. There needs to be a balance of courage and fear. We need to know the news, but not dictate to others to be decisive. Of all times, we need unity.

R. Edward Hart, Eastview

Kentucky’s rift

Many of us might characterize those who protest the governor’s strategy for fighting the coronavirus as antiscience or pawns of cynical politicians, but that would not accomplish anything useful. The reality is that the coronavirus epidemic is exposing Kentucky’s differences yet again. This time it appears the divide is breaking wider between those infuriated by being put out of work and those who are financially secure. But, this is not a time for judging others. It’s a time for reflection on unity. We need to face the unpleasant realization that rising resentment might indicate our failure to sympathize with everyone adversely affected by our public health decisions.

Tom Louderback, Louisville

Let’s be friends

As a lifelong Kentuckian, I am so grateful that our governor is taking all the steps he believes are crucial to saving as many of our citizens as possible. Some think he is abusing his executive power, but I submit it must be done to save lives.

In fact, I hereby call on my governor to do more, not less, in saving lives. In 2018, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there were 724 deaths due to motor vehicle accidents on Kentucky roads. I implore the governor to immediately decree that the speed limit on all roads be reduced to 10 miles per hour in the interest of saving lives. Studies have shown this will reduce, if not eliminate, auto accident deaths. If it only saves one life, it will be worth whatever cost in inconvenience or delay it may bring to the other 4,467,672 Kentuckians.

I urge the governor to use his authority to make this happen. And if anyone disagrees with me, then I submit they only want people to continue to die on the roadways, and I do not want to be their friend. Ever.

But I hope it doesn’t come to that. I hope we can finally all get along.

David A. Smith, Richmond

Shortfall an opportunity

Lexington’s mayor reported that she expects a $40 million revenue shortfall due to the coronavirus shutdown. I hope Mayor Linda Gorton does not take the easiest approach and reduce spending across the board by a set percentage.

Every government — local, state, and federal — has departments/functions that seemed necessary when created but outlive their usefulness. During times of scarcity true leaders examine every department and function and ask hard questions: Is this function necessary? Can it be significantly reduced? Is it competing with private companies? Can it be privatized or outsourced at lower costs and improved service? Can assets be sold?

Mission creep occurs in every organization. Ambitious leaders see more they could do and add staff to accomplish it. Governments, without the discipline and accountability of the bottom line, are most susceptible to mission creep.

Here are some areas that the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government could target: golf courses, garbage collection, mowing, tree trimming, swimming pool,s and recycling centers. There are dozens of additional ones.

Every disaster contains hidden opportunities. This loss of tax revenue provides a politically opportune time for the mayor and council to trim superfluous services and exit this difficult time with a less costly, more mission-focused government. Taxpayers will be watching.

Ray Davis, Lexington

Kudos to Gorton

Congratulations, Lexingtonians, you elected a new mayor by a large majority of both Democrats and Republicans. But even more significant currently, she was a nurse. I know the president has worked hard and also Gov. Andy Beshear, but I’d like to thank Mayor Linda Gorton for all she has done for us to keep our city as safe as possible. I think having a nurse for a mayor may have been a gift from God.

Melanie Rhorer McCloud, Lexington

Praise for ed leader

On the final day of its legislative session the Kentucky Senate resisted partisanship and confirmed the appointments of all the members of the state Board of Education except for one. In a tie vote, our senators effectively ended David Karem’s public leadership in education. That’s a real shame.

Karem was a leader in the Senate when it adopted the country’s most ambitious plan to improve our schools. He believed that every Kentucky child, regardless of family income, address, or color, deserved an equal opportunity to learn at high levels. And he believed that our teachers, with materials, support, and time, could and would provide those opportunities.

Over the remainder of his Senate career and through a previous term of service on the education board, Karem never strayed from those beliefs. During this past year he has provided steady leadership to the Department of Education and the board during a time of great upheaval and stress. He has given decades of outstanding service to Kentucky and especially to its children. We all owe David Karem an enormous debt of gratitude.

Helen Mountjoy, Utica

McConnell remembers

I just caught up on my papers and read the recent opinion piece submitted by Aidan O’Brien on Sunday. I am an occasional submitter to the Herald-Leader and wish that I had written this. However, I believe O’Brien was mistaken in thinking that Sen. Mitch McConnell is forgetting President Donald Trump’s record. McConnell is actually ignoring it, as he has been ignoring it each and every time that Trump has embarrassed himself and by extension the whole country. The man is a disgrace to the office.

John Thompson, Louisville

Beshear’s actions

This is in response to a recent letter writer who said that it is not the job of our governor to “provide for all Kentuckians.” If she would read the Oath of Office of our governors, she would see that governors do not take oaths to “protect our freedoms”, but rather “to support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this Commonwealth”.

We are in a pandemic caused by a virus that has never appeared before. There is no vaccine for it. Meanwhile, Gov. Andy Beshear is doing what the scientists advise to contain the disease in our own state. He is not doing this willingly, but, as one who has based the decisions on what science advises.

The decisions for governors to invoke strict rules in their states in times of danger are legal, based upon U.S. Supreme Court decisions. The 10th Amendment sets the principle of federalism and states’ rights. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that our governor has to make tough decisions.

If the letter writer wants to “face uncertainty and danger”, let her, but neither she nor anyone else has the right to endanger the rest of us.

Diana T. Nave, Lexington

Balancing act

A first acknowledgment is that I’m 76 years old, and as such a member of the most vulnerable potential coronavirus victims.

First, economics. A family member runs a small business and he called me in near tears recently saying he was going to have to lay off five employees that evening. Why? He had customers cancel contracts worth $15,000 per month on just that single day. All he knew was he was going to destroy the lives of five employees. I finally convinced him to go through with it because otherwise his company was going under, and then he and all nine of his other employees would be out of work. Multiply this by thousands just across Kentucky.

Second, I recognize the pandemic and its potential toll. However, I wonder if it wouldn’t make more sense, and cost less, to protect the vulnerable as opposed to destroying almost everyone else. Make us remain in our homes, under arrest, if necessary, and allow the under age 60 and healthy populace to operate and protect our country.

Joe Mercer, Lexington