Letters: COVID-19 and the elderly; Fair Tax Initiative; vaccine, Trump

Jul. 22--How is COVID response helping those most at risk?

It's time for some perspective and reason with respect to COVID-19. Enough of the political posturing and the shameful lack of results. Ask yourself, is our current response working?

Current (July 20, 2020) data published by the state of Colorado (covid19.colorado.gov):

-- Total number of deaths is 1,758.

-- Total number of confirmed cases reported is 40,566.

-- Deaths of those 60-plus years of age is 89% of the total deaths.

-- Reported cases of those 60-plus years of age is 23.5% of the total cases.

-- Total outbreaks reported (July 15) is 414 statewide.

-- Total number of outbreaks at assisted/nursing homes is 177.

-- Total number of cases involved in outbreaks at elderly/nursing homes is 5,922.

-- Total number of deaths from outbreaks at assisted/nursing homes is 944, or 58% of all reported deaths.

To summarize, 89% of all reported deaths from COVID19 are from adults aged 60-plus. And of those 1,570 deaths, 944 have occurred in elderly/nursing homes where residents do not have the ability or capacity to leave the facility. Really? These are stunning numbers. How can this data continue to be ignored by our elected leaders, medical experts, and news media?

Our response of social distancing, wearing masks, and limiting meetings of large groups, limiting dining and drinking, limiting dental office visits, limiting elective non-essential surgeries, etc. (and the list could go on for pages), is helping those in a nursing home in what way?

It is time!

Time to stop ignoring our elderly.

Time to stop wasting resources.

Time to stop the fearmongering headlines.

Time to stop the public hysteria.

Time to address the real crisis of COVID-19.

Time to demand a better, more efficient and effective response!

We need to do better. We can do better. And it is time!

Brent Rollman

Longmont

Let's get Fair Tax initiative on the ballot

Initiative 271, also known as Fair Tax Colorado, calls for changing the state's tax code from a flat tax (the same rate, 4.63%, for everyone, regardless of income), to a graduated tax, based on income, thus bringing in potentially $2 billion annually in desperately needed revenue for public education and "... the impacts of a growing population and a changing economy." I encourage all Boulder County community members to support this initiative.

For those earning below $250,000 annually, and for the first $250,000 earned for anyone, the tax rate would decrease from 4.63% to 4.58%. For those earning $250,001 to $500,000 annually, the rate would become 7%. For those earning $500,001 to $1 million, the rate would become 7.75%. For those earning over $1 million, the rate would become 8.9%.

The state would be able to keep and spend the additional tax revenue, predicted to be about $2 billion annually. At least 50% will be required to be spent on preschool through 12th-grade public education, on matters such as teacher pay, books, paraprofessional staff, and more.

According to the Colorado School Finance Project, the remainder is to be spent on addressing "... the impacts of a growing population and a changing economy; and requiring the creation of a citizen's oversight committee to assure the additional revenue is used as required and a tax review commission to report on the effects of the income tax rate structure on or before 2031."

We must act quickly to get this initiative on the ballot. To sign a petition, check out fairtaxcolorado.org. Click on "Get Involved," scroll down to "Sign a Petition" to find the nearest signing location. One pop-up location will be Thursday at the Boulder Public Library, in the parking lot, from 10 to 11 a.m. Or, contact 1-262-853-4586 for more information.

Linda Hultman

Louisville

COVID-19 vaccine, North Korea, Iran, and repeal of Obamacare

The Trump administration has spent hundreds of billions of dollars incenting drug makers to produce a coronavirus vaccine and buying up the available supply of Remdesivir. Let us all hope these efforts succeed.

But the president has also made a habit of big announcements and great fanfare only to have the agreements fall apart. Think of North Korea, the replacement of the Iran nuclear deal, Mexico paying for the wall, and repealing Obamacare. In each case, there were announcements of great things to come but nothing significant ever happened. It seems to me the President loves announcements and hates the hard work to bring the deal home successfully.

Now, in the midst of a presidential election campaign, it appears that the president is headed for defeat unless something unusual happens. At the same time, from coast to coast, from north to south, we are in a state of high anxiety over the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Combine this with the billions that we as a country are spending to incent drug makers to discover an effective vaccine and we have the makings of a great opportunity for an October announcement of a miracle vaccine that will be available in, oh, let's say, February.

This is the time to remember that talk is cheap but vaccines at an acceptable level of safety and volume production is hard work. When the announcement comes, and rest assured it will, we all need to ask questions about the level of assurance that any announced vaccine or treatment has been thoroughly tested, with good outcomes verified by a reliable outside organization. We need to know when and how volume manufacturing will take place and perhaps most of all: What is the plan for distribution and administration of the vaccine. In other words, who gets it first and when.

We need to trust but verify before we believe an October announcement.

John H Wolfe

Longmont

___

(c)2020 the Daily Times-Call (Longmont, Colo.)

Visit the Daily Times-Call (Longmont, Colo.) at www.timescall.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.