The real health crisis in New Jersey starts with one bureaucrat (Opinion)

Sadly, we still have the charade of COVID protocols dominating the conversation in government and the media in New Jersey. Despite that, the government's own reporting shows that the health crisis of COVID is over and most nations and states are dropping COVID protocols.

Instead of actually ending the outrageous and, in my opinion, very harmful mask mandates and vaccination segregation and discrimination, the Trenton bullies are doubling down. They are empowering the NJEA to extend the mandate past the governor's extension to March 7 and are looking into other measures that could seriously harm our kids.

How many kids will be segregated and discriminated against because they haven't received the COVID vax or the booster?

How many special needs kids will continue to suffer without full access to the programs they need?

How many parents will continue to suffer from the choice between taking a jab they don't want, and may not need, and losing their livelihood?

How many hospitals will continue to be understaffed due to vax mandates leaving them unable or unwilling to provide critical care to those suffering from everything but COVID?

It's time for the health commissioner to do her job. Hopefully, she will be held accountable for the deaths of thousands of New Jerseyans at the hands of her misguided and reckless policies.

But that aside, it's time for her to focus the state's resources to help the tens of thousands of New Jerseyans, both adults and kids, suffering from emotional, physical, and phycological trauma from the past 22 months. How about the thousands suffering and dying from addiction?

The Biden plan is a joke. Yes, the "crack pipe" giveaway is hyperbole. But in the president's plan, the distribution of "safe smoking kits" is real and is a repeat of decades of failed American policy toward addiction. Even the distribution of Narcan is misguided as it does not come with any strings attached.

I've spoken to cops across New Jersey who tell me that they often administer Narcan to the same overdose victim in the same week, sometimes in the same day. Perhaps the state should partner with the recovery groups I've worked with over the years to make sure that people who need help and want to recover get it.

Perhaps the state should eliminate all COVID protocols following their own interpretation of science. Instead, they continue to move the goalposts.

My friend Tommy Hudanish heads up the Nicholas Hudanish Foundation, which is focused on helping kids overcome adversity to avoid the dark road of addiction in the first place. He called into the show to share his thoughts on how politicians on both sides sat back and allowed the governor to run over people's rights with deadly results.

Now the so-called GOP opposition has taken to Twitter to congratulate themselves in the "end" of the mask mandate.

Of course, people who think know that the mandate is not over, it's actually extended, and the aftermath of this "end" could be disastrous for thousands of kids who have special needs or who have not received the COVID vax. The decision-maker who is hurting our kids the most in my opinion is the health commissioner, Judith Persichilli.

She's been a disaster from go, not just because of her March 31 letter forcing long-term care facilities to take sick people back from hospitals, which clearly caused thousands of excess deaths among our most vulnerable, but with her school "guidelines" that have more to do with political science that actual medical science.

Her phones do not accept calls to a live person and the mailbox is full. The website provides a paper (yes, paper) form that you can fill out and mail. Good grief! I thought the governor campaigned on modernizing our state government? Anyway, best thing to do is to stand up for kids and let her have a piece of your mind.

Send Judy an email here: judith.persichilli@doh.nj.gov

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.

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