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Opinion writers tackle these Covid and vaccine issues.

Bloomberg:Global Covid Cases Rapidly Rise As The World Fears A Fourth WaveWith vaccines spreading through rich countries at gathering speed and lockdown restrictions weakening with thespring sunshine, its tempting to believe that the long nightmare of Covid-19 is finally ending. In the U.K., 58% of the adult population hasreceived at least one dose of vaccine. In the U.S., President Joe Biden has doubled an original goal of administering 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office, which would bring the total to 200 million by the end of April. On Google, the search term after Covid has been getting more interest than Covid symptoms for the past month, suggesting the world is thinking more about what life will be like when things returnto normal. (David Fickling, 3/31)

The New York Times:Are We Way Too Timid In The Way We Fight Covid-19?Heres a question Ive been mulling in recent months: Is Alex Tabarrok right? Are people dying because our coronavirus response is far too conservative? I dont mean conservative in the politicized, left-right sense. Tabarrok, an economist at George Mason University and a blogger at Marginal Revolution, is a libertarian, and I am very much not. But over the past year, he has emerged as a relentless critic of Americas coronavirus response, in ways that left me feeling like a Burkean in our conversations. (Ezra Klein, 4/1)

Los Angeles Times:Ending COVID For Good Will Be A War. U.S. Should Lead FightThe steadily increasing pace of COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S. more than 2.5 million shots a day at the moment has given hope to many Americans that the pandemic will be over in a few months and life can return to normal. Sorry to burst that bubble, but even if enough Americans are vaccinated to reach herd immunity, the pandemic wont be over until every nation on Earth has equal protection. And under current projections, that wont happen for three years from now, maybe longer. (4/1)

CNN:America's Next Covid-19 Culture War Is HereIt's America's next Covid-19 culture war. Growing numbers of businesses, hospitality industries, and even sports teams are considering requiring proof of vaccination for customers, once the world begins to open up. For both patrons and staff, such a system might offer peace of mind -- and could stop a cruise voyage around the Caribbean, for example, from turning into a floating super spreader. (Stephen Collinson and Richard Greene, 3/31)

Bay Area News Group:COVID-19 Recovery Requires Restoring Public Health InvestmentOne year after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an unprecedented statewide stay-at-home order in response to COVID-19, optimism for Californias recovery is growing. Its been a rough year, which was many years in the making. Our states COVID-19 experience confirmed the worst fears of public health officials who have long warned California was ill-prepared for such a crisis. We did not have to endure such incredible suffering and loss, and it did not have to be inflicted so unequally onto communities of color. (Colleen Chawla and Dr. Karen Relucio, 3/30)

Also

The Washington Post:Dysfunctional Websites Are Making It Harder For Americans To Get Vaccinated. Heres How To Fix That.The covid-19 vaccine supply is improving and vaccine confidence is growing, but there is a weak link in the U.S. distribution chain: the websites. To make appointments to get vaccinated, millions of Americans are using sites that are often dysfunctional. This is not only slowing vaccination rates but also deterring some eligible Americans from getting the shot altogether. (Drew Altman, 3/31)

Chicago Tribune:7 Concerns About The COVID-19 Vaccines, ExplainedWhy do people refuse to get vaccinated for COVID-19? Those who do fall into two basic categories: anti-vaxxers who are opposed to vaccines on general principles, and the vaccine hesitant who believe they have valid reasons to avoid vaccination. Among the two groups there is a mutual bond of shared skepticism about authority as well as a strong inclination toward personal liberty. This desire for personal liberty makes their vaccine reluctance all the more ironic, since the perceived curtailments of personal freedoms in the form of lockdowns and mask mandates will end much sooner once most or all of the population is vaccinated. (Cory Franklin and Robert Weinstein, 3/31)

Dallas Morning News:A Voluntary COVID Vaccine Passport Is Not A Slippery Slope To TyrannyAs COVID-19 vaccinations spread across the land, vaccine hesitancy seems to be waning. Curiously, many who have resisted the shots are conservatives, constituting pushback against the availability made possible by the president they very likely voted for. But theres no Trump-flavored Operation Warp Speed singing the praises of the next phase of vaccine policy, the COVID vaccine passports, and pockets of resistance are getting loud. But why? If the vaccines are earning trust after months of rollout, what could be the objections to technology enabling vaccinated people to gather with greater security in environments offering the certainty of others similarly protected? (Mark Davis, 4/1)

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Viewpoints: Will Fourth Wave of Covid Be The Worst Yet?; Pandemic Fight Has Been Too Cautious - Kaiser Health News

SARATOGA SPRINGS At the conclusion of his eight two-year term as City Accounts Commissioner, John Franck will not be seeking reelection, the longtime councilmember announced this week in a statement.

It has been my honor to serve the city I love, said Franck, citing an ongoing family medical concern as the reason.

All five seats on the City Council, as well as both supervisor positions, are up for vote in November. Franck is the third of five current council members who have announced they will not be running in the fall. City Mayor Meg Kelly who has served two, two-year terms, and Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan who has served five terms - each said they will not seek re-election.

Additionally, current Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton recently announced she will seek re-election, but that she will do so as a no party member, after changing her party registration to no longer being an active member of the GOP.

Recent changes in election law have altered the landscape regarding the involvement of the number of political parties. Voters previously registered with the Green, Libertarian, Independence, or SAM party, are now considered No Party (NOP).

The four political parties that now remain in New York State are Democratic, Republican, Conservative, and Working Families.

While all registered voters are eligible to vote in the November General Election, No Party voters are not eligible to vote in any Primary Elections, which takes place June 22.

Prior to the February 14 deadline that allowed registered voters to change their party affiliation - and therefore be eligible to vote in primaries of that new party they joined - 71 Saratoga Springs residents previously registered with other parties or unaffiliated with any party, switched their affiliation to the Working Families Party, according to voter enrollment documents secured from the Saratoga County Board of Elections.

The Working Families party line in Saratoga Springs now counts 107 voters. Those 71 new members of the Working Families Party line came from various previous affiliations: 30 were previously registered Republicans, 17 Democrats, 7 Independence Party members, and a combined 5 members previously enrolled with the Conservative, Libertarian and Green party lines. Twelve had no previous party affiliation. The shift in enrollments may have ramifications leading up to the election season.

Potential candidate interested in running for a city position who does not have the endorsement of any of the four existing parties may do so independently, via independent nominating petitions. The number of petition signatures required varies according to municipality.

In Saratoga Springs specifically, potential candidates interested in running for the City Council would need 305 signatures. The timing-window to secure those signatures begins April 13, and they must be filed the week of May 18-25.

Excerpt from:
Longtime City Councilmember John Franck Will Not Seek Re-Election; Signature Petition Process for Candidates Independent of Party to Begin April 18,...

WASHINGTON Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) and a member of the US Holocaust Memorial Council compare the idea of vaccine passports to Nazi Germany, with the Libertarian Party of Kentucky invoking the yellow Stars of David that Nazis forced Jews to wear during the Holocaust.

A man in a mask stands near a banner depicting a Holocaust-era yellow Star of David in Tel Aviv on April 21, 2020. (Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images)

Vaccine passports refer to documentation that would allow those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 to access public spaces such as gyms, malls, museums or theaters that would require such proof in the future.

The Biden administration is working on creating a vaccine passport system as vaccination numbers ramp up, according to the Washington Post.

Israel, which has inoculated the majority of its population of nine million, has been implementing a vaccine passport system for about a month.

Supporters of the idea say it will allow vaccinated people to enjoy a relative return to normalcy while encouraging others to get the vaccine.

Some opponents have implied that the idea of opening recreational spaces to those who arent at risk of COVID is similar to the Nazis persecution Europes Jews.

Proposals like these smack of 1940s Nazi Germany. We must make every effort to keep America from becoming a show your papers society, said Cawthorn, a freshman Republican congressman from North Carolina, according to Fox News.

The Constitution and our founding principles decry this type of totalitarianism.

Earlier this year, Cawthorn sparked concern among some Jewish leaders in his district when he tweeted an adaptation of a popular poem about the Holocaust, apparently to advertise his online campaign store.

Others tweeted that vaccine passports are comparable to the yellow stars that the Nazis forced Jews to wear in public that were inscribed with the word Jew.

Are the vaccine passports going to be yellow, shaped like a star, and sewn on our clothes? the Libertarian Party of Kentucky tweeted on March 29.

Defending the comparison, the party tweeted later that day that vaccine passports are a complete and total violation of human liberty. This is the stuff of totalitarian dictatorships.

In a March 30 tweet that has since been deleted, the Libertarians also condemned banksters and politicians and displayed a quote, ostensibly by a member of the Rothschild family, about how being able to issue and control a nations money is more important than being able to write laws.

The false notion that the Jewish Rothschild family controls international finance is an age-old anti-Semitic stereotype.

Richard Grenell, former President Donald Trumps ambassador to Germany and a member of the US Holocaust Memorial Council, tweeted a meme showing a Nazi Gestapo officer in the Quentin Tarantino film Inglorious Basterds saying, Youre hiding unvaccinated people under your floorboards, arent you? The original line from the movie uses similar wording in referring to Jews.

Speak up now. #slipperyslope, Grenell wrote.

In Britain, conservative pundit James Delingpole tweeted, Wouldnt it be better just to cut to the chase and give unvaccinated people yellow stars to sew prominently onto their clothes?

The trend is the latest instance of people equating public health mandates they dont like to the Holocaust a practice that anti-Semitism watchdogs and Holocaust scholars condemn.

Anti-lockdown activists have compared COVID-related public health restrictions to the Holocaust.

In 2019, before the pandemic, some anti-vaccine activists compared themselves to Jews suffering under the Nazis, also by appropriating yellow stars.

To compare COVID-19 rules to the slaughter of millions in the Holocaust is disgusting, wrong and has no place in our society, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted last year.

On March 30, the ADL and others noted that in 2019, Grenell tweeted, Never compare the Holocaust to anything. Ever. At the time, Grenell was referring to a Holocaust comparison coming mostly from the political left that gained prominence when Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called immigrant detention camps on the Southern border concentration camps and invoked the phrase Never again, terms most commonly associated with the Holocaust.

Following the Ocasio-Cortez statement, several Jewish organizations either urged caution in using Holocaust analogies or came out against the comparison.

Some of the cautioning groups, including the ADL, have also come out against other comparisons of Trump or his policies to Nazis or the Holocaust.

The US Holocaust Memorial and Museum said that it rejects efforts to create analogies between the Holocaust and other events, whether historical or contemporary.

Related

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Vaccine passports and reaction to them critiqued | IJN - Intermountain Jewish News

Gov. Andrew Cuomo today signed a bill legalizing the recreational use of marijuana for people 21 and over in New York State, action that will be the subject of much debate until and following the new laws implementation, which is expected in about 18 months.

The Batavian reached out to local government representatives, substance use prevention professionals, hemp producers and retailers, law enforcement and the chair of the Genesee County Libertarian Party for their thoughts on New York becoming the 15th state with legal recreational marijuana.

Chris Van Dusen, president, Empire Hemp Co., Liberty Square, Batavia:

I think it is really exciting news. The legislation that they have come up with, I think is pretty fair and it doesnt cut out the potential for small businesses to get into the industry. I think it is a good plan, and the taxation is not too out of control on it.

I am looking forward to expanding our business into the rec market through another corporation that we will start not Empire Hemp Co. but we will plan on being involved in a processing capacity.

Van Dusen said the facility in Liberty Square is for processing where we turn all of the raw hemp into CBD oil and he is close to opening a retail store on Main Street.

When asked about the legislation having safeguards against marijuana getting into minors hands, he said he believes that a new Office of Cannabis Management will implement guidelines similar to what are in place for alcohol use.

And I think that a lot of the tax dollars will be going back into treatment programs and social programs, and that will be a benefit to the community as well, he said.

The law, which was passed on party line voting in the Democratic Party-controlled Assembly and Senate on Tuesday, calls for a 13-percent excise tax, with 1 percent going to the county and 3 percent earmarked for the municipality (town, city, village) of the dispensary.

The growers and the processors are going to get into it, theres going to be an upfront investment. But as far as the end user costs at the retail level, I dont think its going to be much outside what you are seeing in the other legal states as far as what you get for what price or, frankly, what you find on the black market. I think it hopefully will take more out of the black market having it regulated like this will allow for a cleaner, safer product thats regulated versus whats coming off the street imported from who knows where.

Batavia City Manager Rachael Tabelski:

Without having a chance to read the entire bill yet, I can safely say that if there were a dispensary within the City of Batavia, it is my understanding that the city would gain 3 percent of the tax revenue related to that dispensary.

That certainly is a brand-new revenue source but it is all hypothetical until you have one. I want to continue to read through the legislation and well be working with NYCOM (New York Conference of Mayors) the citys association. So, well wait and see what their guidance looks like. The local level does have some decisions to make in this. We dont have any decision-making on adult use, but we do have decision-making on whether the city allows for a dispensary and then we can regulate the times, place and manner through local zoning.

Whether Batavia has a distribution point in the city or not, people will now be allowed to use it per the regulations and guidelines that came out. If that is the case, it might warrant a legislative choice (by City Council) to be made or the choice to do nothing, and just let it happen. I certainly will be getting information to City Council to help them understand the legislation and how communities align with the legislation.

Theres growing, theres retail and theres use. No matter what happens with the growing and the retail, there is going to be use in our city. Its going to happen, in that, if we have the ability to bring in revenue, that may be an option for us. We certainly will have some growing pains associated with legalized use and, especially, kind of the edible product that might be included in this.

Shannon Ford, director of Prevention, Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse:

From a Prevention perspective, Im very concerned about this.Legalizing marijuana will have a negative impact on our youth for sure.Although youth will not be able to use marijuana legally, we know there will be an increase in access if the adults in their lives are possessing and using it.

In addition, over the last couple of years, youth perception of harm of smoking marijuana has decreased.With more media messages and legalization/commercialization, I anticipate the perceived risk of harm will further be reduced. Both access and a decreased perception of harm will likely increase youth marijuana use.

As it is legalized for adult use where it will be monitored for purity, youth will still be seeking it on the streets, where we know there is a higher potential of risk.

Mark Potwora, Genesee County Libertarian Party chair:

My opinion -- and I would say it is the opinion of the Libertarian Party -- is that it is something that should have been legal a long time ago, and for some reason, what was not legal years ago is legal now. A lot of people suffered because of marijuana laws (on the books). A lot of families and 18-, 19-, 20-year-old kids got a marijuana charge that kind of ruined their lives for a while.

The problem I have with the legalization of the whole thing is that theyre doing it for the wrong reasons. Theyre doing it because they want money. They want to raise revenue. Theyre not doing it because its the right thing to do. That kind of bothers me, but Im glad that theyre legalizing it.

Potwora compared marijuana use to alcohol use.

Its just like alcohol. It shouldnt be administered to young kids and there is an age limit. And, along the lines of medical marijuana -- which a lot of people have it is not a negative. Its probably a good thing. Whoever smokes marijuana or pot now, I dont think theyre going to create a whole new industry of pot smokers. If you didnt smoke it before because its so easy to get I dont see any big problem coming up that they arent already addressing.

He also said the current marijuana laws give police an in to search people.

They (police) say, Oh youre smoking pot. Come here, I want to pat you down. And they always took it farther and farther. This is one less thing for them to have a reasonable cause to mess with you, I guess.

Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Genesee Orleans Public Health educator:

Public Health has had a standing position in opposition of legalization of marijuana in New York State for several years.Our state association, The New York State Association of County Health Officials, officially has maintained opposition to legalized adult use of cannabis, based on the quantifiable adverse impact it will have on public health.

She then offered the following bullet points for consideration:

Jeremy Almeter and Pavel Belov, co-owners, Glass Roots, 12 Center St., Batavia:

"While today is certainly a step in the right direction, we are still far from declaring this our 'milestoned' moment. We at Glass Roots have been committed to destigmatizing and normalizing cannabis for over 15 years. By building trust and serving our community, we have seen there are no applicable stereotypes for cannabis usage.

Recreational cannabis is a misleading term; adult-use is what we are truly achieving today. This legislation specifically addresses and builds the foundation for an infrastructure, which ensures that cannabis products will be handled in a safe and secure manner from seed to sale.

The fight has just begun. Access to plants and the many benefits they offer us and our animal friends is a basic right. To all the people who grew up indoctrinated with lies that compare cannabis to heroin use or its gateway -- we are here to say the light at the end of the tunnel is upon us.

Moving forward, we plan on working closely with community leaders to cultivate a safe and educational environment for cannabis culture within Genesee County.

Glass Roots is an on-site glass-blowing facility that sells art pieces as well as CBD oils and other hemp products.

An email and phone call to Genesee County Sheriff William Sheron Jr. were not returned at the time of the posting of this story.

More about the todays legalization, called the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act:

Excerpt from:
Marijuana use debate takes new twist now that NYS has legalized recreational use for adults - The Batavian

Published: 3/25/2021 1:31:57 PM

Modified: 3/25/2021 1:31:55 PM

MASSACHUSETTS A pair of North Quabbin voices joined a chorus of nearly 40 fellow Libertarians statewide, who gathered Saturday for the third-partys annual state convention.

The Libertarian Association of Massachusetts (LAMA) State Convention 2021 convened remotely on March 20 to nominate and elect officers, vote on resolutions and discuss increased political progress. According to a press release, the five-hour convention was visited by prominent national figures as well, including the partys 2020 Presidential running mate, Jeremy Spike Cohen, and National Libertarian Committee Chair Joe Bishop-Henchman.

Charles Larkin of Athol and Ann Reed of Orange served on the days ad hoc Resolution Committee, and Larkin was also re-elected as LAMA Archivist. Both Reed and Larkin also serve on a local LAMA affiliate, the Libertarian Party of Worcester County (LPWC), which formed last year and meets monthly by remote.

Worcester County residents interested in possibly joining LPWC may contact affiliate chair and LAMA Communications Director, Janel Holmes at communications@lpmass.org or Larkin at 978-248-9899.

Franklin County residents interested in possibly forming their own affiliate may contact LAMA Political Director Michael Burns at political@lpmass.org.

Detailed information on the Libertarian party, which espouses self-ownership and non-aggression, is accessible at https://www.lpmass.org.

LAMA is the Massachusetts affiliate of the National Libertarian Party. As noted at Saturdays state convention, 2021 marks the partys 50th anniversary.

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N. Quabbin represented at political state convention, as growing third-party marks 50th anniversary - Athol Daily News