The Latest: Kansas mayor resigns over mask mandate threats

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

The Latest: Kansas mayor resigns over mask mandate threats

The Associated Press
December 15, 2020

KANSAS — A western Kansas mayor announced Tuesday that she is resigning, effective immediately, because of threats she has received after she publicly supported a mask mandate.

Dodge City Mayor Joyce Warshaw said she was concerned about her safety after being met with aggression, including threats via phone and email, after she was quoted on a USA Today article on Friday supporting the mandate, The Dodge City Globe reported.

“I understand people are under a lot of pressure from various things that are happening around society like the pandemic, the politics, the economy, so on and so forth, but I also believe that during these times people are acting not as they normally would,” Warshaw said.

The commission voted 4-1 on Nov. 16 to impose a mask mandate, with several exceptions.

Ford County, where Dodge City is located, has recorded 4,914 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to the state health department. The county has about 33,600 residents.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-europe-coronavirus-pandemic-germany-coronavirus-vaccine-13716eb0fc91706d09333d00e31a36f6

[dem4decades]

1. The Trump Gestapo will be taking names of those that aren't pure.

[gratuitous]

2. Law enforcement authorities refusing to enforce the mandates

Why shouldn't the babies and the bullies threaten public officials? No down side. Death threats can be winked at and shrugged off. And if the public official is a woman, all the better.

[Progressive Jones]

3. The lowest quality Americans at work. nt

[chowder66]

4. My nephew was doing geological surveying there and said Dodge City

made him nervous due to the amount of people not wearing masks and he's a Republican.

[PlanetBev]

5. Boy, talk about getting out of Dodge

I don’t blame her. If it were me, I’d be on the next stagecoach out of town.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

6. I know I shouldn't laugh but...

[winstars]

8. Same here but... Couldn't Wyatt Earp take care of this issue??? Dodge City!!!

[KY_EnviroGuy]

7. More Trump/GOP hangover, further dividing our society.

Republicans learned decades ago how to dog-whistle and lie their way into power and never suffer consequences.

She said "I do not feel safe in this position anymore" and probably felt her family was in danger.

This is not a good time for our cities and town to be forced to change leadership, so Dodge City will suffer for this loss. Here's her letter of resignation:

December 15, 2020
Nick Hernandez and fellow Commissioners;

It is with a heavy heart that I am submitting this letter of resignation from the commission and
the mayorship effective immediately today, December 15, 2020. Life has dealt out many
challenges in our world that have perhaps caused many people to act inappropriately but I do
not feel safe in this position anymore and am hopeful in removing myself this anger,
accusations and abuse will not fall on anyone else and will calm down.

I will always call Dodge City home and hold the town and community in high esteem. It has
been an honor and a privilege to serve this city and has given me some of the best memories
of my life. Dodge City is a wonderful place to live, work, play and raise a family. I look forward
to watching fellow commissioners continue to move this great community to even higher levels
of success.

I want to thank all of the city employees for their help and support while I served. You all are
amazing and are absolutely the heart of our city. I can’t begin to thank each and everyone of
you enough for all you do…but know you are appreciated.

I want to thank my fellow commissioners who have educated me, worked with me, and been
there as a team for the best interest of our beloved community. You are incredible people and
Dodge City is very fortunate to have voted you to the commission. Kent and Rick, you are the
rocks that we have learned from and you are both absolutely amazing and it gives me peace to
know you will be there for at least two more years.

Thank you to you, Nick Hernandez. It has been a pleasure working with you and it gives me so
much pride to know that I was a part of bringing you and your lovely family to Dodge City. I
feel the city is absolutely in the right hands with your knowledge base and professionalism.
Thank you!

Thank you to the citizens of Dodge City that have been there and supported me appropriately.
We may not always agree and that is understandable but alway know that I have no regrets
with any of my decisions as a commissioner and/or mayor. I truly made every decision for the
best interest of all of you and Dodge City.

Sincerely,
Joyce Warshaw

Found that letter at: https://www.dodgecity.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1159

More on this in their local paper: https://www.dodgeglobe.com/story/news/local/2020/12/15/dodge-city-mayor-joyce-warshaw-resigns-effective-immediately/3913222001/

Mayor Warshaw resigns effective immediately
Vincent Marshall
Dodge City Daily Globe

In an interview with the Dodge City Daily Globe, Warshaw said she does not have any regrets regarding voting in favor of the mask mandate. Warshaw said she feels her life has been threatened and reasoned that it is because she finds society to be unpredictable at this point.

Regarding investigations into the threatening emails, Warshaw said that some of them have been turned in to the police. “This is harder for me than people realize,” Warshaw said as she began to cry. “I really love this city with all my heart. “I still believe in this city and I believe in their ability to not harm one another.”

Regarding investigations into the threatening emails, Warshaw said that some of them have been turned in to the police.

Regarding the threats made toward Warshaw, Dodge City Police Chief Drew Francis said, "We are looking into the substance of the communication to determine an appropriate course of action."

This is 100% on the GOP's shoulders.

KY......

[Hermit-The-Prog]

9. Republican death cult -- the party of terrorists.

[ProfessorGAC]

10. So Mayor, They Win?

Way to stand up for your principles.
In a region where nearly 1 out of every 6 is infected, more than 90% since late October. 15% of the county infected in 6 weeks, and she bails because of these threats.
Is she moving? If not, how does resigning protect her? People don't know where she lives?
I question her motives.

[Warpy]

11. Does she know phone calls and email accounts can be traced?

Yes, the latter his pretty hard to do if the sender is at all sophisticated, but it can be done.

Her call should have been to the FBI, not to the press to resign.

Still, if the vicious trolls were mentioning her children and the schools they attended, it would have been a tough decision.