By JIM WOJCIEHOWSKI
In November of 2020 I became active in attempting to communicate with the Anchorage Assembly and then-acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson concerning fresh data regarding Covid-19. The vast majority of my assembly meeting presentations and emails communications included scientific references, as well as peer-reviewed and medical journal articles with links to the source material.
Occasionally I would receive a reply asking specific questions concerning the data. Many times the replies would cite mainstream media opinion pieces in CNN, USA Today, or the New York Times, never actual source data. Over time, the responses dwindled.
Four months ago I began asking Mayor Dave Bronson and the 11 Assembly members two simple questions. I told them I would be happy with a simple “yes” or “no” answer.
1) Do you support mandatory Covid vaccination to maintain employment, enter businesses, receive healthcare, or fly (vaccine passports)?
2) Do you support mandatory Covid vaccination for school children to attend classes?
I received answers from Mayor Bronson, Assemblywoman Jamie Allard, and Assemblywoman Crystal Kennedy. The answers from all three could be summarized as a firm no for both questions.
Not understanding why the remaining nine members were reluctant to answer two simple questions I persisted asking in numerous emails. To this day I’ve yet to get a reply from the “silent nine.”
These are important questions, especially considering four of the nine members who remain silent are running for reelection this April.
I’m a resident of District 5 and neither of my Assembly representatives will answer. One, Forrest Dunbar, is running for reelection.
Last week I decided to reach out to other candidates running for assembly seats. At the time of this writing I’ve received answer from three candidates.
Stephanie Taylor, District 5 candidate replied, “For the record, I support freedom over force. No and No.”
Randy Sulte, District 6 candidate replied, “1) I am against vaccine mandates. It is a personal choice between you, your family and your physician. 2) I do not support mandatory Covid vaccination for school age children. Again, this is a matter for the child’s parents, guardian and physician.”
Kathy Henslee, District 4 Candidate replied, “These are important questions. I do not support vaccine mandates for adults or children. Adults can make informed decisions about their health and parents have the best information and intentions for their children. I support freedom, choice and medical privacy. These are some of the things that make America such a great place to live!”
Henslee, in her reply, asked me how I would answer the same two questions.
As a member of a higher-risk age category, I completed the two shot Moderna series in February 2021. My wife and I also volunteered at the Anchorage School District vaccination location in the spring of 2021. Obviously, I am not anti-vaxx. A couple of sitting members of the Assembly have, however, labeled me as both “anti-vaxx” and a “Covid denier.” These are labels thrown about by those not willing to have a civil debate.
I am emphatically against Covid vaccine mandates. I retired as a family practice physician assistant and throughout my career I always involved my patients in the discussion of a treatment plan. There is no place for a one-size-fits-all approach to medicine. You must always weigh the risks vs. the benefits on an individual basis. Mandates remove that ability for health care providers and patients alike.
Jim Wojciehowski is a retired physician assistant who has attended numerous Anchorage Assembly meetings and has testified about the Covid policies of the former mayors and Anchorage Assembly.
