A retired nurse told the Anchorage Assembly that the masks the general public is wearing, and the way they are wearing them, is completely ineffective in stopping the spread of the Covid-19 virus. They must be replaced constantly if they are to do any good, and also must be replaced after they are touched. The only possibly effective mask for the public is an N-95 mask, and those are very difficult to wear, but the same rules apply — no touching.
A chiropractor, and Air Force veteran told the Assembly that the last mask mandate pitted people against each other and made the community hostile.
“It’s unacceptable to pit people against each other and it’s unnecessary. there are a minimum of 12 studies that show, pre-pandemic and during the pandemic that masks don’t work. I’ve said this before. I’ve showed you the science. You didn’t want to listen to me,” he said. Austria instituted a mask mandate in April of 2020, but by that fall the virus was surging, even with the mandate, he said. Coronaviruses run rampant in the fall typically, he added.
Natural immunity, monoclonal antibodies, Vitamin D, Ivermectin, Quercetin, are the appropriate treatment for many, he said.
Dozens of Anchorage residents lined up to testify for the fourth night.
A retired construction worker explained that masks don’t work for men with facial hair. Assembly Chair Suzanne LaFrance cut him short when he started to say that anyone condoning homosexual lifestyles is not in a position to comment on people’s health practices. LaFrance would not let him finish his statement, curtailing his right to petition the government. He had not been allowed to complete his three minutes permitted at the podium.
A mother from Rabbit Creek said her 6-year-old son, who has asthma, was separated from the rest of his class because he wears a face shield due to the difficulty of breathing with a surgical mask, and put into an empty classroom by himself.
“That sounds like abuse, not accommodation,” the woman said. “You’ve given overzealous authority to mask-wielding psychopaths to chase people down in public places in order to harass, bully, and discriminate against them, all in the name of doing the right thing,” she said.
“If it is truly about health … then shut down the fast food … close the grocery aisles where the cookies are, make everyone get out and walk 30 minutes a day,” another woman told the Assembly. “This is about control, not health.”
An Alaska Native contractor told the Assembly that doing heavy work and wearing a mask is unreasonable. “And if I don’t wear a mask, you’re going to take my money from me, fine me as a business owner? Must I remind you, we’ve already been doing this. I walked through the stores of Anchorage and was judged for not wearing a mask … I already was threatened physically in public multiple times for not wearing a mask. I already experienced my mother going blind even though a doctor told her she should not wear a mask, because your mandates forced her to wear a mask at work,” he said. He mentioned the increase in youth suicide, and children deprived of sensory experiences. “I did not comply the first time, and I’m so happy to see the community will not comply this time.”
Assemblywoman Austin Quinn-Davidson, who no longer appears in person at Assembly meetings due to her fear of Covid, interrupted the testimony repeatedly to say that it was not relevant. Assembly Chair Suzanne LaFrance returned to her habit of admonishing the crowd for clapping, telling them they were being disruptive.
When Mayor Dave Bronson asked testifier Elizabeth Walsh who on the Assembly was qualified to make health decisions for her, she replied, “None of them, Mr. Mayor.” Chair LaFrance scolded the mayor and said his question was out of order, to the audible derision of the crowd in the Loussac Library.
Assemblyman Chris Constant continued his practice of pointing out people in the audience that he didn’t like, due to their loud vocalizations. Assemblywoman Jamie Allard said he appeared to be practicing intimidation.
Nate Paulsen testified, “I see through this ordinance and I think Anchorage will see through this ordinance … It is a set up for smearing mayor in case he does not enforce it. We the people elected the ‘end the mandate guy’ for a reason. The majority has spoken. To the Assembly members from District 4 and 5 who introduced this ordinance, the will of the people is against you.”
About midway through the evening, the testimony, which began a week ago Tuesday, was about 140 against the mask ordinance, to 32 in favor of it. The Assembly has also received much written and email testimony.
When Dr. Russell Biggs approached the microphone to testify, Assemblyman Constant walked out of the room.
Biggs, the author of the recall petitions against Assemblyman Felix Rivera and Meg Zaletel, spoke as a 20-year physician, many of those years working with critically ill cardiac patients. He worked in infectious disease control in the Harris County Jail in Texas.
Biggs spoke about the mandates in general and the blatant political leverage the Assembly has used to misuse millions of dollars of federal CARES Act money. Although he didn’t talk about the science of masks, he noted that fully vaccinated, fully masked members of the Assembly (Zaletel, Quinn-Davidson, Petersen, Rivera, and Perez-Verdia) are so afraid of the virus they can no longer show up at meetings to face the public.
“It is duplicitous and cynical and signals that the best, most effective measures available are either never enough or that our elected leaders are craven opportunists who are politicizing a public health emergency for political advantage,” he said.
As the Assembly paused for a break the large crowd broke into a chant, “We will not comply! We will not comply!” about 15 times.
