Opinion by Mike Ferguson
I don’t know if there is a 12-step program for those addicted to power but I know who needs an intervention.
Last night, both Republicans and Democrats on the St. Louis County Council agreed that Sam Page exceeded his authority in unilaterally issuing another mask mandate edict. They voted 5-2 to end the order that demanded local businesses and churches become Sam’s mask police.
Good. In addition to being ineffective, it’s also unfair to tell restaurant hosts, retail cashiers, and church greeters they have to confront people (including those who are fully vaccinated against COVID) about masks.
County officials admitted that there’s no consequence for leaving people alone in your store so the mandate was toothless, anyway. So why demand that the businesses that survived Sam’s cruel shutdown become enforcers in his behalf?
This morning, Page held a press conference to announce that his decree is still in place despite the decision made by the Council last night, proving that he has, at best, a casual relationship with reality.
If we’ve learned anything over the last year and a half, it’s that heavy-handed government policies do not stop a virus. We also learned that counties with no mandates or restrictions fared no worse (and in many cases, better) than Sam’s fiefdom did when he killed who-knows-how-many livelihoods last year.
Apparently, Page has not learned much of anything over that time.
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