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Letter: Hold Tim Corrigan accountable

“If you don’t like our restrictions, and you don’t like mask wearing, get vaccinated. That is all you have to do now; if we get enough people vaccinated, we are going to lift all the restrictions.”

Those are the words of Commissioner Tim Corrigan as quoted in Steamboat Pilot & Today this past weekend. It takes a special kind of hubris to make that kind of comment as a sitting county commissioner. But then again, that kind of hubris has prevailed over the past 13 months across this country where government leaders have unnecessarily squashed the freedom and livelihoods of millions of Americans in the name of “following the science.”

New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo, brashly ordered thousands of elderly COVID-19 patients back into assisted living facilities, which resulted in the tragic death of over 10,000 elderly people. California’s Gov. Gavin Newsome, implemented some of the strictest lockdowns in the country resulting in a decimated economy and some of the worst COVID-19 hospitalization and death rates in the country. Fortunately, both governors are being held accountable by their constituents as both governors’ corruption and incompetence has been exposed.



In Routt County, Tim Corrigan, Beth Melton and the rest of the public health board have led with the same level of arrogance albeit — and fortunately — without the same deadly consequences. They proclaim they are “following the science,” yet they’ve failed at every turn to apply logic and balance to their public health policy. Following the science means nothing when logic, reason and balance are not applied.

A year has passed, and everyone understands COVID-19 is deadly for those over age 70, which is less than 15% of the Routt County population. Today, that population is over 80% vaccinated. For the remaining 85% of the county, COVID-19 has better than 99% survivability. That’s why that population has seen so few hospitalizations and no deaths from COVID-19. Yet for Routt County to fully open, Tim Corrigan is demanding every citizen of Routt County receive a vaccine that remains in an experimental status and has shown serious side effects for many otherwise healthy people.



Tim Corrigan isn’t about good, balanced public health policy. He is about power and control. He is about following the political propaganda despite the science. It’s time for Routt County to stand up, stop being treated as hostages and hold Tim Corrigan and our government leadership accountable.

Rachael Jacobson

Steamboat Springs


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