‘Let’s quit making it political,’ Tarrant County judge says in urging vaccinations
Among his messages to constituents at Thursday’s State of the County address, Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley made two clear: Go get vaccinated, and be wary of misinformation.
The address, at downtown’s Worthington Renaissance Hotel, ranged from the economy and growth to elections and American Rescue Plan funding as well as Whitley’s continued narrative he’s pushed about the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations.
Though COVID-19 numbers are beginning to drop, Tarrant County is still experiencing high community spread. As of Thursday, the county had recorded 351,161 cases since the start of the pandemic and 4,410 deaths, according to its COVID-19 dashboard.
Whitley said that he knew people were getting tired of the pandemic, but that it’s become political.
Over the past week, Whitley told the audience, 123 people had died after contracting the virus — 89% were not fully vaccinated.
“Folks, get the vaccination,” he said. “Let’s get this thing over with, let’s quit making it political. Hell, Trump was right there, he got his vaccinations.”
Whitley, a Republican, expressed his frustration with his party, and at one point held up a cellphone and called them “a blessing and a curse.”
“They have made us all experts about a lot of stuff that we don’t know nothing about,” Whitley said. He was met with applause before saying cell phones increase division because people can find what they want to hear.
Whitley said he trusted his doctor and what they tell him to do, and said he doesn’t need to take to the internet or social media to find ways to not trust the doctor.
“So please,” he said, “Put the politics aside. Get a vaccine. Let’s get on with our lives and move on to more important things as we go forward.”
Financially, Tarrant County is “sound,” Whitley said. It has the lowest combined tax rate of the state’s six largest counties, he said. The county has experienced substantial growth the last 10 years, jumping from more than 1.8 million people to more than 2.1 million, according to Census data. Whitley said the area’s growth wasn’t concentrated in a specific area, and even though a consultant said the county didn’t need to redistrict, he said the commissioners still decided to look into it and see what needs to be done.
The county will hold five public meetings through October to gauge constituents’ opinions on redistricting. Whitley said he hoped officials would be finished by November.
The county’s $408 million in American Rescue Plan funds are anticipated to have an impact that may last decades, Whitley said.
The first wave of funding is divided into four sectors, according to a slide shown during the presentation: preparing for the future, improving public health and wellness, revitalizing the economy and strengthening the community. Whitley said there’s a needs survey out to determine where the funds should go, and that a report should be back in the next two weeks.
Initial priorities were childcare, education and mental health, Whitley said. One project that has funding set aside is a mental health jail diversion program to prevent jail time for people who may be experiencing a mental health crisis.
