SARASOTA — The Sarasota County Democratic Party (SCDP) today condemned the Republican-controlled Sarasota County Board of Commissioners for treating the health of county residents like a piece of science fiction instead of what could be a genuine matter of life and death.
“With all the critical issues facing county residents, the Board of County Commissioners approved a resolution yesterday declaring Sarasota a ‘Bill of Rights Sanctuary County’ free from federal or state health regulations,” SCDP Chair Daniel Kuether noted. “This Twilight Zone gamesmanship is further evidence of the board’s extremist disregard for what concerns Sarasota workers, homeowners, renters, and public school teachers and students.”
The resolution falsely claims that Sarasotans believed federal and state health agencies failed to be “transparent, forthright and consistent” in protecting residents’ medical freedom.
“We would remind the board that more than one million Americans – more than in any of our wars -- died of COVID, many of them because they did not have the opportunity to be vaccinated soon enough or chose not to be vaccinated,” Kuether said. The resolution also claimed that Sarasota medical professionals “were interfered with and prevented from speaking freely, treating patients with personalized care … (and) with Food and Drug Administration approved medications.”
“This is ludicrous,” Kuether said. “ All of us know that the overwhelming majority of medical professionals in Sarasota and our highly respected Sarasota Memorial Hospital urged citizens to get the COVID vaccine and wear masks because those vaccines saved lives and the masks prevented the spread of infection.”
“Americans, at the urging and with the support of their federal and state governments, eradicated polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and other illnesses that could return if we excuse people from vaccinating,” he added. “For the Republican Board of Commissioners to claim otherwise, in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary, is irresponsible and dangerous.”
Kuether urged all Sarasotans to write the Board of Commissioners and demand they rescind the resolution immediately.
The Board of Commissioners can be reached at the following addresses:
Mike Moran: mmoran@scgov.netMark Smith: mhsmith@scgov.netNeil Rainford: nrainford@scgov.netJoe Neunder: jneunder@scgov.netRon Cutsinger: rcutsinger@scgov.net
“With all the critical issues facing county residents, the Board of County Commissioners approved a resolution yesterday declaring Sarasota a ‘Bill of Rights Sanctuary County’ free from federal or state health regulations,” SCDP Chair Daniel Kuether noted. “This Twilight Zone gamesmanship is further evidence of the board’s extremist disregard for what concerns Sarasota workers, homeowners, renters, and public school teachers and students.”
The resolution falsely claims that Sarasotans believed federal and state health agencies failed to be “transparent, forthright and consistent” in protecting residents’ medical freedom.
“We would remind the board that more than one million Americans – more than in any of our wars -- died of COVID, many of them because they did not have the opportunity to be vaccinated soon enough or chose not to be vaccinated,” Kuether said. The resolution also claimed that Sarasota medical professionals “were interfered with and prevented from speaking freely, treating patients with personalized care … (and) with Food and Drug Administration approved medications.”
“This is ludicrous,” Kuether said. “ All of us know that the overwhelming majority of medical professionals in Sarasota and our highly respected Sarasota Memorial Hospital urged citizens to get the COVID vaccine and wear masks because those vaccines saved lives and the masks prevented the spread of infection.”
“Americans, at the urging and with the support of their federal and state governments, eradicated polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and other illnesses that could return if we excuse people from vaccinating,” he added. “For the Republican Board of Commissioners to claim otherwise, in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary, is irresponsible and dangerous.”
Kuether urged all Sarasotans to write the Board of Commissioners and demand they rescind the resolution immediately.
The Board of Commissioners can be reached at the following addresses:
Mike Moran: mmoran@scgov.netMark Smith: mhsmith@scgov.netNeil Rainford: nrainford@scgov.netJoe Neunder: jneunder@scgov.netRon Cutsinger: rcutsinger@scgov.net
