This Modern World

a cancer to our democracy. We have to have a transparent and open and honest conversation about what democracy looks like, and I hope that they know that there is integrity in our elections here in the state of Wisconsin, and I hope that as we continue to have these conversations, people recognize and actually tell the truth that Biden and Harris won this election fair and square.

Is there anything else that you want to say to your constituents?

I think it’s really about making sure that we can continue to uplift this community in the middle of this pandemic. We don’t have a health department and that could be a little frustrating, but we also recognize where Milwaukee County can have influence. We set up this Unified Emergency Operation Center to work with the healthcare systems, emergency management, as well as our public health officials, so we can try to find ways to still have one Milwaukee County voice. And it’s been going well so far, but I want folks to know that as we continue to talk about this vaccine distribution, we just need patience. This is something that is unprecedented. Unfortunately, we weren’t getting the leadership that we needed from the federal level, but I’m just asking folks to stay patient and bear with all of us as we continue to roll out this vaccine, making sure our most vulnerable residents and our frontline workers get this vaccine to make sure that they are as safe as they can be. But we also have to make sure that we are educating folks on the efficacy and safety of this vaccine to make sure that individuals are making the best decision for themselves and their families. And it is our hope that, when we roll this out for the public, many people actually get the vaccine to protect not only themselves, but their loved ones as well.

Louis Fortis is publisher of the Shepherd Express and a former state legislator and economics professor.