Devin Nunes and coronavirus: Letters to the editor, March 22, 2020

Nunes looking out for our safety?

Voters who live in the 22nd congressional district, you don’t need to worry about being infected by the coronavirus. Your representative to Congress, Devin Nunes, announced that now is a great time to take your family out to eat out at a restaurant or for you to go to a bar (Editor’s note: Nunes’ comments were made before Gov. Newsom placed California under a shelter-in-place order). You need to support the economy. Forget that there is a virus that is spreading all over the world and that it can potentially kill you or someone you come in contact with. It’s probably a hoax or a Democratic conspiracy like the ones Rep. Nunes ranted about during the impeachment hearings.

So those who live in the 22nd District, Devin Nunes is not worried about your safety. You’ll be fine. No need to listen to the experts at the CDC or your own doctor. Return the toilet paper and disinfectant wipes that you were stockpiling. Take them back to Clovis Costco. Devin says all is well. Maybe you’ll see Rep. Nunes at a bar shaking hands and coughing in the face of his fat cat donors. Devin Nunes is representing you.

Put more funding into public health

Hopefully, in the period of transition of the mayorship, the current global public health crisis will persuade the old and new mayor that enough already with siphoning off so much public funds to the police department, and instead improve all health and medical emergency services in Fresno city and county.

With the new mayor being the old long-running police chief, it is reasonable to fear that public “safety” will drain resources better spent on public “well being and health.” Everyone I know will be watching.

Nunes’ advice was uninformed

I wrote Devin Nunes about something two months ago and just got back his form letter telling me Russian influence was a hoax; the whistleblower complaint “launched the most bizarre impeachment process in American history;” secret depositions in the Capitol basement (he was present) were leaked; etc. None of this was related to what I wrote him about.

Now he is telling us we should go to pubs and bars so employees aren’t shorted their tips, contradicting what our scientists are telling us about maintaining distance from others. How did this stupid man get elected?

Please don’t re-elect him.

Leaders, practice what you preach

What’s the deal with the configuration of the White House briefings and the “do as we say” not “do what we do” gap on display.

Beginning with the pesident and Vice President Pence and the top officials, including Cabinet members and top medical professionals, they are scrambling to deal with a crisis where we are clearly behind the 8-ball. Packed shoulder to shoulder, with the president shaking their hands, there they stand, sharing a microphone and breathing on each other.

We are then solemnly told to “self-isolate” if we are over 65 or “socially isolate” if younger, meaning stay six feet or more away from each other. Watching the event play out, there is mind-bending cognitive dissonance. It doesn’t compute.

Another press conference today had key players packed tightly together on the stage. This time, for the first time, the pack included senior staff from the National Guard. So, we just added a whole new network to potential coronavirus exposure.

At the close of the press conference. Vice President Pence earnestly advised us to exercise common sense. Is it too much to ask that he and the team he leads do likewise and practice what they preach?

This story was originally published March 22, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Devin Nunes and coronavirus: Letters to the editor, March 22, 2020."