Henderson Councilwoman Declares Coronavirus ‘Mission Accomplished,’ Urges Economic Reopening
Posted on: May 6, 2020, 02:23h.
Last updated on: May 7, 2020, 08:36h.
Henderson Councilwoman Michelle Romero (Ward 1) believes the city has successfully contained COVID-19, and it’s time to get the local economy back up and running.
Romero wrote Henderson Chamber of Commerce CEO Scott Muelrath over the weekend to express her opinion that the worst of the coronavirus is behind Nevada’s second-largest city.
“Coronavirus. Who could have ever imagined that such a thing would accomplish what hasn’t been seen in this country for 100 years – the complete shutdown of our economy, the curtailing of basic civil rights, and the complete division of our citizens on how to properly respond to a global pandemic,” Romero’s letter opened.
After commending Henderson’s emergency response operations center, Romero said Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak’s (D) stay-at-home order, which closed all casinos and resulted in an economic downturn, including more than 274,000 Nevadans filing unemployment claims, has brought out “the worst in humanity.”
It’s Romero’s view that the response is leading to far worse consequences than “anything the virus could do.”
Coronavirus Suppressed?
Romero says Nevadans have come together to flatten the curve and reduce hospitalizations and deaths.
Mission accomplished,” she concluded. “Now is the time to let our intelligent, hardworking people get back to work, while those who are part of the still-vulnerable population continue to take shelter until such time as they feel confident their health is not at risk.”
The unemployment rate for Henderson jumped from 3.6 percent in February to 6.1 percent in March. It will be higher once April’s figures are tallied.
Like all commercial casinos in Nevada and throughout the country, Henderson’s casinos remain shuttered. Notable properties include Green Valley Ranch, Eldorado Casino, and M Resort.
During her 2019 run for the Henderson’s Ward I council seat, Romero said her top three priorities, if elected, would be “public safety,” “education,” and “economic development.” Romero was easily elected, defeating four other candidates by securing more than 60 percent of the vote.
Comments to Romero’s letter were mixed.
“The economy will come back; people who lost their lives won’t. Sit down. Mission is far from accomplished,” said Lisa Barbour on Twitter. Another, JJ Henson, commented, “Finally, someone putting people before politics. Nevada statistics no longer back up Sisolak’s actions and he can no longer deny or restrict our constitutional rights.”
Outspoken Critics
Romero joins Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman in questioning whether Sisolak and state health officials are handling the coronavirus crisis in the best way possible.
Goodman made national headlines last month when she was interviewed on CNN by Anderson Cooper and seemingly suggested that she was open to allowing Las Vegas to serve as a “control group.”
“I know when you have a disease, you have a placebo, that gets the water and the sugar and then you get those that actually get the shot,” Goodman told Cooper. “We would love to be that placebo so you have something to measure against.”
Her comments came just a week after she called Sisolak’s handling of the pandemic “total insanity.” Nevada has 5,664 coronavirus cases, and 276 statewide deaths.
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Last Comments ( 13 )
Interesting that you noted the governor's party affiliation but not the councilwoman's. Dont know her but I'm guessing from her stance she is not a Democrat.
Hi Mary, council members are not supposed to be affiliated with parties. Per the city govt site: "The Mayor and four city Council members are elected at large on a nonpartisan basis."
Life is a risk. Complainers above are changing the goalposts. The confinement was supposed to reduce the curve and protect the medical system. That happened. The sky is falling numbers (inclusive of the confinement in place) which were trotted out by "experts" and the media never materialized. Now they want to make this about their own personal risk of death and crystal ball forecasts of doom.
You lost my vote you crazy tool. Protect our healthcare workers. Screw your bottom line. Open up testing! Do your job and take trumps hand out of your butt. No more foolish Republican nonsense. Dems value life. Republicans value nothing but profits.
Honestly, there is no perfect solution to the virus or the casino economy reopening. Obviously we could see a sudden spike if casinos reopen en-mass without taking things very seriously, step by step. Also obviously, people need a way to return to a paycheck, or face losing everything and going on welfare. So what's the best way forward? It may involve mandatory masks at all times, no-touch temperature scanners, sealed drinks, escorts to slots with disinfectant wipe downs before game play, and only 1/4 of the usual capacity. It might sound like an unfun overreaction, but lets start there and see where we are week to week. If the casinos must open, and they must, and the virus is still spreading, and it is, then lets do this as smart as possible. My 2 cents
Not a mistake to reopen. Just look how scared these people are and they sound like they know what they are talking about. Pitting this people again others that don't believe all they have been feed by whomever they listen to. Some doctors are getting heat to put coronavirus by some deaths as a cause of death and of course money will be sent from the federal government to the hospitals. I have listen to other doctors and scientist that are complexed and don't agreed. But if you think about what is going on and everyone can go to Wal-Mart but not the beach or church, does that make sense, or in san fran how they let all homeless out on the streets to defecate in the streets and needles all over the streets forever this has been going on, and that was ok. I worked there and saw it. Let prisoners out of jail because of the virus and put law a bidding citizens in jail that need to open there business. So much more, if people would think for themselves and stop thinking the government knows all. Someday soon you will see what you have done to Amercian if you don't wake up and think about what's happening.
I petsonally dont believe this was an accidental ladratory or wet market mishap. 70k people dead in the US, now children are becoming ill with kawasaki disease thats related to covid 19. People wise up, Trump stood up to the Chinese because of the crap they ship to us while haking our technology, social security numbers, birth dates and we post freely on social media our personal lives. China might be closer than we think at emvading our own soil.
What a bunch of brain washed sheep.....open open open , there are risks involved every breathing hour, get on with life and maintain safety and most of all commun sense which obviously for a lot of people missing. Vote Trump 2020.
These kind of "Mission Accomplished" statements are just going to mislead the public as usual. What does that even mean? It's one thing if you want to provide some kind of safety timeline on a transition that can monitored for everyone that might be returning to work. No one is returning back to the "good ol' days" of Pre-Covid right now.
Wow. What an idiot. As numbers and deaths are still rising. Maybe you should put people's lives before money. We see going to have another shutdown if we open the city back up. And you are putting people like me at risk . Yeah sure I could stay home but no where will be safe because everyone is going to be continuously spreading it. Not to mention the new strains already evolving. Big mistake.
How you even Dare to try to reopen businesses, When the virus is going Up the line isn’t flat we are having More infected people And more deaths every day, we are going to Open and with that we will killPeople that’s what will happen , look at lake mead is already full of people nobody respects social distance and many even mask they dont use , I want to see all this politicians going to Same Places where all this crowd goes, I want to see the mayor going every day to the casinos , they won’t do that whey will Protect themselves they don’t care what will Happen if some Thousand of People Die
Just because YOU think it's over it's not over just the first people are going through this. Now the others are going to have it. Don't be stupid and greedy.
Oh wow! Did I miss her getting her doctorate! . My family consists of several doctors and nurses who do believe it is a crisis and gradual reopening is the best for public safety. I think I take their advice and professional opinion over a council woman.