Letter to President Trump: Supervisor Wagner Requests Future COVID 
Relief Funds Bypass State to Avoid Gov. Newsom’s Threats

(Santa Ana, Calif.) —Today, Supervisor Donald P. Wagner sent a letter to President Trump asking that additional Federal COVID relief funds be directed to Orange County, bypassing Sacramento. The letter is in response to Governor Newsom’s threats to withhold Federal funds from counties that develop safe reopening plans tailored to their communities.

“The governor intends to extort counties via federal funding if we don’t comply with his top-down lock down,” said Supervisor Wagner. “Newsom has changed his COVID response schemes three times; the results are disastrous financially, mentally, and physically. They are also contrary to science.”

“The best available scientific and epidemiological research,” Wagner added, “tells us we can safely reopen. For example, according to the CDC, more than 95% of the nation’s deaths have been accompanied with one or more co-morbidities. Meanwhile, less than 0.2% of the country’s confirmed COVID cases have resulted in the death of a person under the age of 50. While each death truly is a tragedy, science has identified the overwhelming number of people who are at risk. We should protect those older and at-risk citizens while opening up the rest of society.”

“From hand-washing to physical distancing to mask wearing, the CDC provides guidelines for us to implement and to then get on with daily lives,” Wagner continued. “If the governor gets out of the way of local elected officials, we can use the Federal COVID funds to protect the vulnerable while the rest of society lives life.”

“The evidence from the CDC shows children should be in school, young people in high school and college, adults at work, and teachers in the classroom. If you fall into an at-risk category, take steps to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. County government can assist with resources if the governor will let us. Mr. President, we need your help.”

Read the full letter https://bos3.ocgov.com/sites/bos3.egovoc.com/files/2020-09/LETTER%20TO%20TRUMP.pdf

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