Montclair Council Candidate: Coronavirus Is Test For Local Gov't

MONTCLAIR, NJ — According to a candidate for the Montclair Town Council, the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is threatening to “turn neighbor against neighbor.” And it’s the responsibility of local government to lead the way, he says.

Peter Yacobellis, who is running for town council this May, recently issued a statement in the wake of multiple fatal COVID-19 cases that have left Montclair mourning.

• See related article: 2 In Montclair Die Because Of Coronavirus, Officials Say
• See related article: Montclair Coronavirus Update: State Of Emergency, Schools Close

Yacobellis wrote:

“As the global health crisis being caused by COVID-19 and the coronavirus escalates in our communities, so too does the level of fear and distress among our families and neighbors. While the crisis has prompted an unprecedented response by governments around the world, it has also presented unprecedented challenges for our leaders. In times of crises like these, we turn to our government for answers, for protection and for solutions, but most importantly, we turn to them for assurance. We are reminded of the crucial role that government serves. Unfortunately, these times of crises also serve to expose the fractures and weaknesses within our leadership, the catastrophic consequences of their failures, and the separate and stand-alone crisis of widespread fear, uncertainty and panic that results when we do not trust our leadership. When a response that seems extreme on day one is inadequate on day three, when the spread of misinformation is being fueled by fear and political agendas, it is crucial that we have confidence in the competency, preparedness and transparency of our government.”

Yacobellis continued:

“When we find ourselves dependent upon a government we do not trust, our sense of uncertainty and vulnerability intensifies. If we do not trust or disregard the government’s leadership in a crisis, we may act in a way that exacerbates the situation. We are seeing this in our individual responses to the coronavirus, and in addition to impeding our ability to contain the virus, it is threatening to turn neighbor against neighbor.”

Yacobellis offered the examples of Gov. Phil Murphy and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo – for whom he’s previously worked – as elected officials who are setting a good example for their peers.

“While it is not usually the purview of a small town’s local government to deal with a global pandemic, this crisis is requiring leadership at all levels of government,” Yacobellis wrote. “It is teaching all of us how urgently our communities need competent, transparent, responsive and trustworthy leadership, and a government we can trust to be prepared and to take responsibility for the present, future, long-term and emergency challenges we face.”

Gov. Murphy recently issued a "stay-at-home" order, saying that “it’s no time for business as usual.” As of Saturday afternoon, 1,327 people in the state have tested positive for COVID-19 and 16 have died from the illness.

• See related article: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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