Riedel: Time to start moving again

It’s time to roll! It’s time for Ohio to start moving forward again! 

It appears as though the impact of this virus is not as dramatic as we once thought it might be just a few weeks ago. Up to this point I have agreed with the decisions that our governor has implemented for our safety and well-being. I am not playing armchair quarterback here. Hindsight vision is always 20/20. 

I respect and appreciate the bold leadership that the Governor and Lt. Governor have provided up to this point. We have been in uncharted waters ever since this began, but the data is now showing that the virus is not as widespread or as deadly as once thought it would be. 

I understand that the social distancing and extra hygiene precautions that most of us have been adhering to has had a major positive impact on slowing its spread, but there is also reason to believe that there is a chance this virus was here long before our experts knew it was here. I am a firm believer, like our President, that “the cure cannot be worse than the disease”. 

Our economy is on the brink! If we don’t start our economic engine up now the damage could take years to repair and along with that additional death and despair due to poverty, depression, and hopelessness! Our hospitals are not seeing anything close to what was projected earlier, as far as COVID-19 patients goes, and many of them are in financial hardship. We certainly don’t want our current healthcare system to get crushed because of the decisions we’ve made as a government. Some parts of Ohio have not been as adversely impacted as others. 

Not all of the state needs to be treated the same way. For example, what is good for Paulding or Auglaize County may not be good for Franklin or Cuyahoga County. I believe our governor should delegate more authority and decision making to our county health departments. By allowing more local control, Ohio citizens will begin to feel more empowered because they, once again, will have a voice in the matter. 

In the days ahead I will continue to work with Governor DeWine, Lt. Governor Husted, Congressman Latta, Congressman Jordan, fellow members of the General Assembly, and local government officials to help navigate a plan forward! 

I need your help as well. Please send me your thoughts and ideas to help our State and Country work through our current situation. In particular, I would like to hear from business owners for ideas to starting your business back up and open right away! 

Please send your suggestions/ideas in a bullet point format, concise and to the point, to my office email at Rep82@ohiohouse.gov. You can also call my office at 614.644.5091 with any thoughts or questions. 

I will use this information to work with my peers in the General Assembly to formulate a path forward for Ohio. 

It’s time for action now! Our governor and his team have shown bold leadership up until this point, now it’s time for them to show strong leadership in opening Ohio back up for business! Let’s roll!”

Editor’s note: Craig Riedel is the representative for Ohio’s 82nd district, which includes Van Wert County.