August 30, 2020

Aloha Mayor Caldwell,

Due to the Coronavirus crisis, our economy has been effectively shut down for MONTHS, and it’s having a MASSIVE impact on thousands of residents. Over 30 thousand residents have lost their jobs, hundreds of businesses have permanently closed, and thousands of children are falling behind in school.

Now, just as Honolulu County was starting to rebound, you have reimposed the oppressive lockdown orders that brought our economy to its knees.

While there are definitely certain residents that are incredibly vulnerable to this virus and we should do everything we can to protect them, we can’t let that goal destroy the very foundations of our county.

Those at-risk residents can be protected without returning to the devastating shutdown that have not only caused massive economic damage, but also crippling long-term mental health issues for countless residents. Your lockdowns have created an atmosphere ripe for new cases of depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, and even suicide that will lead to untold misery for thousands of local families.

Public health and safety depend on more than dedicated doctors and nurses. They depend on an economy that allows people to provide for their families and support their friends and communities.

We have to start thinking about more than just the virus. We have to start thinking about the damage caused by the steps you’ve taken to fight it.

The Honolulu County Republican Party and the thousands of our members urge you to think about the countless residents in our county, struggling to provide for their families. Please, keep our county OPEN, and let us get on with our lives.

Respectfully,

Brett Kulbis
Chairman
Honolulu County Republican Party