Letter: Saratoga County 'dismal' in addressing coronavirus pandemic

I read the article concerning the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors' decision to send emails to supervisors of small towns asking them to recommend age 65-plus residents to receive 400 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. This is appalling. As an over 65 county resident myself, I am dismayed and disappointed that our local county government thought that this was a good practice. Thankfully, the supervisors of small towns refused to go along with this plan. It is reminiscent of fascist states where closed-door government decisions are susceptible to those with money or access to power. Why not just sell these doses to the highest bidder? Rather than asking local officials, without guidance or criteria, to select candidates for the vaccine, perhaps our county leaders could use online or telephone application systems like all other counties in the Capital Region. Saratoga County, thus far, has a dismal record in addressing the pandemic.  There is no apparent transparency, no worthwhile contact tracing, no systems in place to register and distribute the vaccine to the public, and a health commissioner whose name and contact information is not even on the county's website. I am grateful that Times Union reporters uncovered this story and that the paper published it. I hope scrutiny of this situation will continue.

Nancy Halleck

Saratoga Springs