Ignoring advice

To the editor:

Thank you for thorough reporting on how a petition signed by 89 people and a letter from 27 medical professionals were received by our county commission.

I’m sad that the commissioners are not exercising their leadership to help reduce COVID numbers in our county.

The hospitals are full and overflowing, the number of people dying continues to climb, and yet Marion County commissioners cannot take the simple step of mandating the wearing of a mask when indoors in public spaces.

We wear seatbelts in vehicles. We wear life preservers when we’re boating. Why not wear a mask?

The same commissioners who budget tax dollars to pay a county health department administrator are ignoring her counsel.

Do they also ignore the auto mechanic who tells them that their starter is failing and then find themselves stranded?

I doubt we will look back on this in early 2021 as a good decision.

Becky Nickel
Peabody