Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Interesting fact: In the last Legislative Session, a bill was passed creating the “Washington State Office of Equity Task Force.” This task force was given the responsibility to create a vision to establish and fund a permanent “Office of Equity.” The legislature specifically designated who would sit on this task force. It included 4 legislators and a representative of a myriad of groups including the LGBTQ community, the Governor’s Office and the Commission on African American Affairs.
Apparently, equity was not an issue when forming the task force because nobody bothered to include any rural Washington jurisdictions or communities who have and continue to suffer from inequities passed down from the state government.
Nonetheless, the task force created a fancy 147 page document that is available online. It includes such things as an “Equity Statement” that says, “Equity requires a commitment to bold action. It begins with the acknowledgement of historical systems of institutional racism and oppression that have led to the uneven distribution of benefits and burdens in our communities. Racism is ingrained in our history and deeply embedded in our institutions, affecting all sectors. An equitable decision-making process prioritizes community-led solutions, driven by those most affected. Generational healing takes time and requires us to embrace discomfort and practice humility. Equity ensures everyone has full access to the opportunities, power, and resources they need to flourish and achieve their full potential.”
So what does this have to do with the vaccine?
Well, it seems rural hospitals were told in a round-about way, that the reason they are not getting vaccine is that the Department of Health and the Governor’s Office didn’t believe that they prioritized “equity-focused” vaccine access and accused at least one hospital of giving their donors priority to the vaccine.
Perhaps the Governor should review his own “equity” policies that he is using against us. In fact, his own “Equity Task Force” defines equity as “the process of developing, strengthening and supporting policies and procedures that distribute and prioritize resources to those who have been historically and currently marginalized.”
In the State of Washington, rural counties, rural health departments and rural hospital districts, have been and are currently “marginalized.” Rural Washington has been marginalized financially and faced inequities for many years. Such examples include state funding for things such as Public Health, Public Safety and County Roads. And now, it appears the state is prioritizing resources based on politics.
You have to ask yourself some questions: How does San Juan County receive enough vaccine for one-half of its total population?
Even though grocery store workers should have had priority access to the vaccine, how do the “unionized” grocery store workers in the City of Seattle get to go to the front of the line? As these questions continue to surface, where is all the “equity?”
Look in the mirror, Governor and use your own policy to treat rural communities equitably. Especially when it comes to distributing resources such as a vaccine during a pandemic. Our local health leaders know how to best manage a public health crisis, you don’t!
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