Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale, pictured during a press conference on May 7, 2020.
Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale said common sense is the “key medicine” in fighting the “doom and gloom” COVID-19 pandemic.
During a Thursday press conference, the sole Republican commissioner spewed a diatribe, running the gamut from calling his government a failure for not legally distributing free American flags to veterans organizations, to stating he will be the common sense voice for reopening the county. He also referred to Governor Wolf and the state government as “totalitarian” in its response efforts.
“The best medication for this virus is common sense, and I’m not seeing the level of common sense that people in Montgomery County deserve,” he said. “We have to start making attempts and show optimism that we are going to get past this.”
“I will continue to be the voice for common sense so we can get through this and get back to normalcy,” he said. “It’s all doom and gloom.”
Gale’s harangue was about reopening the county, stating that it was “outrageously un-American” to be on lockdown; the lockdown is the wrong “cure” to the illness, he said. County residents should have faith in each other to follow the rules, he said.
“People know what they are doing,” he said. “It’s a totalitarian style of government. Common sense basics is the key medicine to combating coronavirus.”
Gale originally took the podium to recognize the 1,560 correctional officers and employees working at Montgomery County Correction Facility and SCI Phoenix as part of National Correctional Officers and Employees Week.
“These courageous law enforcement professionals represent one of the most important components of America’s criminal justice system. (They) are the voice of authority, ensuring personal safety and the safety and welfare of their staff,” he said. “We pray for their continued safety as we honor those giving their lives protecting and serving the nation.”
From there, Gale segued into his disappointment that 59,000 American flags remained in boxes at the county and the county did not live up to its legal obligation to supply them to local veterans’ organizations. The organizations use Old Glory to commemorate the United States’ military dead in local cemeteries.
Gale was outvoted 2-1 to distribute the flags to the organizations.
“The reasoning behind this is they are afraid of the spread of COVID-19. I have the opposite opinion. I have faith in the citizens and the residents…that they can safely displays flags at cemeteries. It is outdoors, they can wear a mask,” he said. “I have faith that the people of Montgomery County know what they are doing and can safely honor veterans.”
The county’s failure in distributing the flags, he said, does not show optimism and was reflective of the way things have become in the county. He said the delay made him embarrassed.
“It’s a slap in the face to the law-abiding citizens who want to honor and respect our veterans,” Gale said.
Gale’s philippic proffered the county should focus most of its COVID-19 efforts on the “most vulnerable” senior citizens in long-term care situations.
“That demographic is where we should spend the time and energy resources protecting,” he said. “The disappointment in the administration is its failure to recognize that and move forward.”
County health department employees, he said, have been taken away from normal work duties to find out what long-term care facilities are doing about the virus. Collectively, the workers speak to about five long-term care facilities a day.
“They reach out and find out what they are doing. Some are testing, some would like more testing, and maybe some need equipment to take temperatures,” he said.
We live now in a world where the cure for the disease, he said, is lockdown. The coupling of the economy being shut down and suffering, and children being out of school and “not being properly educated” is having a negative effect on people, he said.
“In this case, the cure, the lockdown, is worse than the disease itself,” Gale said. “The failure of the county to provide these organizations with flags is a signal that there is not an effort to reopen Montgomery County. If people can golf, then they should be able to honor veterans with flags at cemeteries.”
If you cannot go out to a cemetery, he said, then how can we reopen businesses and go back to work?
“I’m embarrassed this is happening in Montgomery County,” he said.
He was also embarrassed by the state government, calling Wolf a “failure at leadership” in the whole response. Gale claimed he did not believe in a totalitarian government, where it knows best and tells you to how to live your life.
“I don’t see state governments stepping up,” he said. “I blame the governor and Department of Health…He’s a poor leader. It’s on him to lead the Pennsylvania Health Department in the right direction.”
At the end of Gale’s jeremiad, a female reporter challenged him on his diatribe, asking what individual COVID-19 recovery efforts he has done (He delivered hand sanitizer to Skippack Pharmacy, and various hygiene items to senior communities), and was shocked that his approach may not have considered people who lost loved ones to the disease.
“It’s terrible. People lost loved ones,” Gale said, “but at the same time, people that should not be affected by this time, by this virus, are crippled and jobless. People should not be affected to the degree they are affected, and they are struggling.”
Commissioners Chair Dr. Val Arkoosh said common sense would not make coronavirus go away. They learn something new about it every week.
“It’s science and data,” Arkoosh said, adding the county will be increasing funding for small businesses to $6 million to aid in the efforts. “We have to stay the course. We’re not quite there yet. We can very quickly be back where we were a few weeks ago.”
Wishing, she said, will not make everything better.
“This is very real and has very real consequences for friends, neighbors and families. I know…we asked so much of your over the last several weeks, and so many businesses have to shutter, and weddings have to be cancelled and graduations, and religious celebrations…These are the steps we are taking,” Arkoosh said, “in order to be able to relax guidelines when it is appropriate to do so and move back to a more normal sort of state.”
See also:
As Some Continue To Wait For Stimulus, Checks Were Sent To Former Locals Who Are Now Deceased
Back In The Fight: Local Nurse Returns To Work After Overcoming COVID-19 Coronavirus
Coronavirus: Where We Stand, Where We’re Heading And What The ‘New Normal’ Will Look Like
Stay At Home Order Extended To June 4 For Montgomery County, Other Counties In Still In Red Phase
Coronavirus Update: County Reports 105 New Cases, North Penn Area Up To 537 Cases And 60 Deaths
