La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

Dear editor:

On March 25 Gov. Jay Inslee decreed that construction is not “essential activity” shutting down residential and commercial building projects, leaving some with unfinished houses.

The order allows construction on government projects, but takes away thousands of private-sector jobs, with builders and contractors forced to cancel orders. Inslee’s mandate kills many trades, hurting families and the economy. Now some construction companies, roofers and others may have no choice but to leave the state to find work.

The construction industry already uses safe protocols, and the private sector should not be punished in this time of economic downturn. We should allow construction trades to continue to work as long as workers are practicing CDC guidelines, the same as the public-sector workers.

Private-sector construction workers are entitled to equal protection under the law and their rights are being violated by our state government. People who would live and work in the private-sector projects in homes, apartments and businesses are being discriminated against in favor of those who would live, work or do business in public-sector projects of the same sort.

This policy lacks a rational explanation. Does the COVID-19 virus go after private-sector construction workers more than public-sector construction workers? Are public-sector construction workers more immune to this virus than private sector construction workers? Of course not. Then why the policy? Private-sector construction should be treated the same as government funded construction.

Bill Bruch

La Conner