Esteemed Board of Supervisors,

Thank you for your tireless work on behalf of the residents of Orange County.

I appreciate the difficult job you have in weighing the benefits vs. the detriments to taking funding from the state during these crazy times. If I read this authorizing resolution correctly, the county is wanting to receive a grant from the state of $2,573,400. That is not an insignificant sum, and I understand that you, as the supervisors, can see good coming from the use of that in our county. I am sure that there are many places where that money could be used to help alleviate some of the difficulties caused by the governmental interference and ruination of our county.

However, I’d encourage you to think about the pitfalls of walking down this route.

Firstly, continuing a declaration of local emergency is disingenuous and false. The only emergency is the continued interference of the government in private enterprise and the pushing of an agenda that leads to fear, paranoia, distrust, and division of the people of the county. Where is this to lead? Is the county planning on continuing this so-called emergency until no one ever dies again? Or just no one from Covid? Or no one from other respiratory diseases that come along? If this is the case, and the county is planning on continuing this as long as there is death and disease, my suggestion would be that we come up with some laws concerning the limiting of powers during “emergency” declarations. I doubt very much that the original framers of the Constitution, nor the legislators who developed the current “state of emergency” laws had in mind for unelected officials to have permanent dictatorial power over the lives of citizens.

Secondly, continuing a declaration of local emergency is causing panic and fear in the lives of citizens. Instead of hearing that a mere 269 people, half of them SNF residents, have died in this county of 3.4 million people, residents are hearing that “a state of emergency declaration is being continued” and that “emergency funding is being provided from the CARES act” and that Newsom is ordering everyone to wear masks. Truth is being drowned out by hysteria, exaggeration, and mandates based on bad or nonexistent data in the name of science. The riots have had the excellent benefit of confirming that we’re not all going to die from Covid just because we are around others. This Board is complicit in that by continuing the state of emergency in Orange County.

Lastly, continuing a declaration of local emergency is fraudulent. If the stated goal is to continue to get money from the state or federal government, but the Board is recognizing that there is no emergency (as the May 4^th memorandum attached to the day’s agenda showed “Based on hospitalization data, Orange County has not experienced a crisis level of COVID-19 cases.”) then the county of Orange is fraudulently applying for these grants. While they may be helpful for the few lucky ones who receive a parcel of money, this is ultimately at the taxpayers’ expense, and a cycle of handouts that ultimately do nothing but prolong the issue.

I urge you to not ratify, but rather rescind the local state of emergency. In doing so, you will:

- Be bold and truthful advocates for the actual reality of what is happening

- Stop the cycle of government causing problems and then thinking they are fixing them

- Help to alleviate the fears and phobias of the general population

- And be leaders, not politicians giving in to peer pressure, following everyone off the cliff

I understand the concept of “there’s free money to be had, we might as well take it.” However, it comes with all the strings attached mentioned above. It’s not worth it. While I can understand it’s extremely tempting, please rescind the local order of emergency.

Thank you.