Governor Wolf,

As residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania we the undersigned are writing to inform you of our displeasure with your handling of the Coronavirus pandemic and your authoritarian policies which continue to have a negative impact on every day Pennsylvanians, many whom voted for you.

When this virus first became a public health issue in the late winter, I think many would agree we had no idea what the true impact would be. With conflicting reports from different media outlets in different nations we as a state and country had to brace for a difficult, but needed, two week period to “flatten the curve” and not overwhelm our medical system. I think many would agree this was a good strategy. However since the initial projections have not been realized and the need for hospitalizations and the mortality rate nearly non existent, we have to ask you, Why is there a confined need for every day Pennsylvanians to be locked down?

Your decisions and policies thus far, such as, which businesses YOU deem essential, how and where people can travel, what they can and cannot do on an every day basis and the basic intrusion of government into every facet of our lives is in stark contrast to the fundamental beliefs of this Great Nation and Commonwealth. Your actions and policies have been at best baffling and laughable, and at worst criminal and more sinister. Your administration’s attempt to “pad the stats” is reprehensible and nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to keep this in the forefront of public consciousness and scare the masses into compliance with your beliefs. It is refreshing to see some of our elected officials (namely our county coroners) calling your and your administration out on it. You are not the supreme dictator of the state. We are not your children. We are the people who voted for you and every other person serving in government. You work for us, not the other way around. Whether it is political motivation, greed or a desire to keep yourself in the spotlight, none of these are an acceptable reason to sacrificing the well being of hard working Pennsylvania families.

Your seemingly arbitrary list of businesses you deem essential is unfair and is destroying the lives and livelihoods of countless more people than the ones you are attempting to protect. I guess the easiest way to say this is, EVERY business in Pennsylvania is essential. Essential as a source of income for families. Essential to the communities in which they provide their service. Essential to the financial well being of the Commonwealth. Essential to numerous of our fellow Pennsylvanians that you have disenfranchised with your word and actions. Shame on you.

Your heavy handed actions and inconsistent policies have not only ruined many small businesses and the families that rely on them they have also robbed our graduating seniors a chance to walk across the stage and receive their diploma. You’ve cost them the final chance to say goodbye to classmates and friends, many they’ve known since pre school, and will undoubtedly go in different directions as they move on to the next chapters of their lives. You have taken away the opportunity for our young athletes, band members, drama students, and many other talented young people, to showcase the talents they have worked so hard on.

While one death is too many, the majority of the cases throughout the state have been in people from vulnerable populations, people with pre existing conditions or people with other co morbidities. While we certainly don’t want to forget that these people are also Pennsylvanians with family and friends that love them, we mourn their loss as well. The reality of the situation is that many people have had this already and others will certainly get it, the overwhelming majority of those case will not need hospitalization and of those the majority will not succumb to it.

You swore an oath before God to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Your words, actions and policies stand in stark contrast to the words contained in those documents. We the people of Pennsylvania demand that you and your administration do the job you were elected for, which is protect the best interests of ALL our residents. Not just the ones you deem worthy.

We deserve better.

Wayne R Felix. New Oxford Pa