P.O. boxes and Census
The 2020 Census informs decisions about critical funding for the public services to help our families flourish and the infrastructure that helps our communities thrive.
Starting on March 12, homes with mail service started receiving an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census.
Those with P.O. boxes do not receive mail at their home, and so will have their invitations delivered by Census workers.
Because there are many residential properties behind locked gates, as well as privacy concerns, and other aspects that make some homes hard to access, it might be difficult for Census workers to deliver invitations to every P.O. box in the county.
For this reason, we are encouraging people who use P.O. boxes to go to the Census website directly at 2020Census.gov. to self-respond. (See “Responding to the 2020 Census without a Census ID.”)
You can also submit your response by phone at 1-844-330-2020.
Shape your future. Your response matters!
Rosemarie Muller
President, League of Women Voters of Hawaii County
A cavalier view
I ask that this newspaper take a more responsible role in our community.
Every time you give space to outdated or incorrect information with no editorial comment, your voice fails.
Contrary to your own editorial policy, you gave far more than 300 words of space to the fatuous arguments of Mr. Tom Beach (Tribune-Herald, Your Views, April 22). I don’t expect you to provide scientific peer review for all emerging news, but I do expect you to attempt to follow journalistic standards.
Mr. Beach neglected to recognize a group that is highly susceptible to the 2019 novel coronavirus: health care workers and first responders, because of their potential levels of close exposure to many sick people.
His personal willingness to sacrifice the “old and feeble and young and weak” is not only cavalier but illogical.
A wave of infections on the island would subject our health care and emergency response systems to high levels of staff casualties. Surely, Mr. Beach would not want his own doctor or hospital overwhelmed.
Mr. Beach does say, “We need to get everyone tested for free. Those with the virus get quarantined. Those who don’t have it … go back to work. Now.”
Well, yes, Mr. Beach, that is indeed the Holy Grail we’ve been seeking. It’s going to be a lot easier to implement if it becomes available before, instead of during, a big wave of infections.
In the meantime, we need to calibrate our reopening. As soon as we can implement that universal, free testing (with instant results, and re-testing as needed, I might add), and effectively quarantine all those who test positive, you and I can agree on many pragmatic actions. But not your faux-Darwinian ethics.
Kathleen Friday
Hilo
