Getty/Facebook Wisconsin police chief Jason Bauer (r) has asked Governor Tony Evers (l) to lift the state's stay at home order.
A Wisconsin police chief has invoked the devil and the low number of cases in his rural county to ask Governor Tony Evers to lift the state’s stay at home order.
Evers doesn’t appear to be listening; on April 16, the Wisconsin governor extended the state’s safer at home order until the end of May.
The request came from Colby-Abbotsford Police Chief Jason Bauer, who wrote the governor on department letterhead and then posted the letter to his Facebook page. You can read the later below. Bauer told the Wausau Daily Herald that the mayors of Colby and Abbotsford, who are his superiors, gave him permission to write the letter.
Disagreement broke out on Bauer’s comment thread. “It’s an opinion. Some people agree, some people disagree, and that’s good. If you disagree, call me. Or contact the governor, too,” Bauer said to the Wausau Daily Herald. Wisconsin was reporting 3,875 cases of coronavirus as of April 16.
Here’s what you need to know:
Bauer Compared Coronavirus to the Devil & Wrote That ‘Faith in God Should Prevail’
Bauer’s letter.
Bauer’s letter is dated April 15 and is address to Governor Tony Evers.
“News reports indicate you are undecided whether to extend the Safer at Home Order for Wisconsin. I reside in Clark County. We have had 8 residents test positive for COVID-19 which is less than .03% of Clark County’s population. As of Monday, 5 of the 7 individuals testing positive for COVID-19 in Clarke County have fully recovered. Currently .009% of Clarke County residents are infected. Marathon County borders the city I reside and percentage wise, has lower numbers of COVID-19 cases than Clark County,” the letter says.
“As a member of law enforcement, I have been enforcing the Safer at Home Order. As of today, residents in our area have complied with your order, but do not agree it is necessary to extend the Safer at Home Order. Based on the information I have researched, I agree with many of our residents, the Safer at Home Order is not necessary in our area.”
He continued:
Residents are ready to go back to work. Extending the Safer at Home Order will do more harm than good. I have family members, friends, and know many business owners that have been affected by the Safer at Home Order. Extending Safer at Home will financially ruin some people and our community. I have seen first-hand how residents in our community have been negatively impacted physically, mentally and financially. We have seen an increase in abuse and domestic violence. Extending the order will make some problems worse.
Think of COVID-19 as the Devil. We are not supposed to fear the Devil, faith in God should prevail. I do not fear the Devil nor COVID-19. I believe COVID-19 has some politicians scared, resulting in bad decisions. Government cannot protect everyone from COVID-19. Although exaggerated at times, I believe our government has done a good job of providing the dangers of being infected with COVID-19. It is time for our residents to choose how they want to protect themselves. For those who are afraid, keep practicing social distancing. For those of us not afraid of the Devil, life should return to some sort of normalcy.
Bauer wrote in the caption with the letter post, “Let Governor Evers know how you feel about extending the Safer at Home Order. He can be reached at (608) 266-1212 or by email at eversinfo@wisconsin.gov.”
Reaction was mixed on his comment thread. “As a member of the Colby-Abbotsford community, and someone who has severe asthma, and family members who have compromised immune systems, I do not agree with this letter and will now be reaching out with my own email saying as much,” read one woman’s comment.
However, a man wrote, “Thanks for looking out for us!! Agree with you 100%!”
The Local Health Department Says There Is Community Spread & Higher Numbers in the County
“Over the past few weeks, we have witnessed the community transmission of COVID-19 across the United States and across Wisconsin. Unfortunately, we are now seeing that community spread here in Clark County as well. Again, I cannot stress enough that it is extremely important for all residents to follow Governor Evers’ Emergency Order #12 (the Safer at Home Order). This means staying at home and limiting travel to essential travel only,” said Brittany Mews, Clark County Health Department Director/Health Officer, in a statement posted on the county’s website.
That website says Clark County, Wisconsin has had 11 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Six people are symptom free and released from isolation, there are four pending tests of COVID-19, and there have been zero hospitalizations and deaths.
Evers Announced That The Safer at Home Order Would Be Extended Until May 26
I just signed Assembly Bill 1038, providing critical support and relief for Wisconsinites during the #COVID19 public health emergency. It’s a good first step, but there is still more work to do for Wisconsin workers, families, first responders, businesses, and farmers.
In a press release and radio address on April 16, Evers stated: “A little over three weeks ago, I asked for your help when I announced our Safer at Home order, and folks, you delivered. At that time, we had a pretty grim outlook for what COVID-19 could mean for our state, but Safer at Home is working and it’s because of you that we have helped flatten the curve, which has resulted in fewer cases and hospitalizations.”
The governor continued: “But as I’ve said all along, I am going to rely on science and public health experts to help guide us through these challenges, because at the end of the day, my bottom line is keeping people safe and we’re not out of the woods just yet. COVID-19 has been and still is a situation that sometimes changes by the hour. That’s why, just as I did three weeks ago, today I am again asking for your help. I need all of you to continue doing the good work you’ve been doing so that we can keep our families, our neighbors, and our communities safe.”
Evers then revealed that he was extending the safer at home order. “That’s why, Wisconsin will be extending our Safer at Home order until May 26th and schools will remain closed for the remainder of the school year,” he said. “Now, I know a lot of folks are concerned about the effects this will have on workers and businesses across our state, and believe me, no one wants to reopen our economy as much as I do. So our new Safer at Home order includes new flexibilities for businesses to serve customers, while keeping everybody safe. But, Wisconsin, we can’t think of this like flipping a light switch. It’s like turning a dial and the more disciplined we are now, the faster we can turn it in the future.”
The governor concluded: “We have to remember that we’re all in this together, folks, and while we may not all be in the same boat, we are all weathering the same storm. Thank you for all the work you’ve been doing by staying safer at home and let’s keep up the good work. Thank you.”