HomeMy WebLinkAbout08.24.21 Board Correspondence - FW_ Please do NOT rescind the Emergency Proclamation
From:Paulsen, Shaina
To:Alpert, Bruce;Bennett, Robin;Clerk of the Board;Connelly, Bill;Cook, Holly;Cook, Robin;Hironimus, Patrizia;
Kimmelshue, Tod;Lucero, Debra;Paulsen, Shaina;Pickett, Andy;Reaster, Kayla;Ring, Brian;Ritter, Tami;
Sweeney, Kathleen;Teeter, Doug
Cc:York, Danette
Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Please do NOT rescind the Emergency Proclamation
Date:Tuesday, August 24, 2021 8:33:20 AM
Please see Board Correspondence below.
Shaina Paulsen
Administrative Assistant, Senior
Butte County Administration
25 County Center Drive, Suite 200
Oroville, CA 95965
T: 530.552.3304 | F: 530.538.7120
From: Scott Brown <sbrown@vistanetinc.com>
Sent: Monday, August 23, 2021 5:24 PM
To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>
Subject: Please do NOT rescind the Emergency Proclamation
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Butte County Board of Supervisors,
In September of 2019 my wife was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, an autoimmune
disease in which the immune system attacks its own tissues causing widespread inflammation and
tissue damage in affected organs. Currently there is no cure. This was on top of her 5-year-old
treatment and lifestyle changes for Type2 diabetes. In November of that year, she began taking
immunosuppression drugs that caused a number of horrible side effects and left her searching for
something that would slow the progress of the lupus before it affected any of her critical organs. In
March of 2020 she began very strong immunosuppression infusion therapy that eventually slowed
the progress of the Lupus, but not before she developed interstitial lung disease and pulmonary
fibrosis. Then, to add insult to injury, in November of 2020 she had emergency surgery to remove
part of her colon that had twisted and nearly killed her. Since then she has been in and out of the
hospital, battling chronic pneumonia related to her lung disease.
Since the pandemic began, our family has been intrinsically aware and dedicated to the guidelines
created by our best scientists, knowing that even the slightest possibility of infection of anyone in
our household, even if asymptomatic for us, likely meant a death sentence for my wife. I became the
only member of the house that performed any activities outside of our house, always grateful for
those individuals and businesses that considered the health and welfare of others by wearing, or
requiring the wearing of masks while in public. I was overcome with a feeling of camaraderie when I
sat in a room full of hundreds of others receiving our first vaccination, knowing that a lot of us were
getting it to help keep others, like my wife, safe from infection. It was the first time I felt we had the
power to slow the pandemic and establish a path to recovery that simply wasn’t an option before
the vaccine. But even after we were vaccinated her rheumatologist and pulmonologist were
emphatic that she not spend any amount of time around those that could potentially be
unvaccinated and that the best course would be, at the very least, not spend any time around those
who were unmasked.
I’ve listened to the argument that masks are an assault on personal liberties and freedom. I’ve tried
to be sympathetic to their rights while wearing my mask in the hospital for 10 to 12 hours at a time,
and then wearing it for a few more while running errands in a largely unmasked community. I’ve
tried to see their position regarding sending kids back to school, unvaccinated and unmasked while I
try to avoid those same children, unattended and unmasked in public. All while having to listen to
the vitriol and demands of those who feel that masks are akin to Communism, or an assault to them
personally while my family and other families like ours are directly affected by their actions or lack
thereof. When will my wife’s liberty and freedom be considered; or mine, or my son’s, or likely
thousands of other citizens’ struggling with chronic diseases like hers?
All it takes is to wear a mask in public and be vaccinated if you’re required to interact with the public.
Vaccinations are proven to reduce the transmissibility and severity of the virus, and a mask is no
more invasive than wearing pants, or a shirt, or shoes. It’s such a small thing, but in our world, it is
potentially the difference between life and death.
I would hope that any decision made by the Butte County Board of Supervisors regarding the
reduction of any public mandates, or rescinding the current Emergency Proclamation, would take
this letter into consideration when deciding to eliminate the one thing that allows for even a
modicum of public comfort for me, my family and thousands of others like us.
Wm. Scott Brown
District 2
Item 2 general public comment