As we struggle to fully comprehend the devastation caused by the recent deadly tornadoes, one source of comfort comes from something said by Mr. Rogers, the children’s television show icon.
“When I was boy and I would see scary things in the news,” he said, “my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
We have seen so many of them in the aftermath of the severe weather, just as we have seen them in the wake of other tragedies large and small. Many have made helping others the cornerstone of their career.
Rep. Buddy Wheatley
They have always been among us, but we have seen the true impact of their work in recent days and in the more than 21 months since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the commonwealth.
Those helpers include our first responders, our medical professionals, our educators and a host of other frontline and essential-support personnel.
There is no adequate way to thank them for what they have done, but there has been a growing agreement across the country that, since the arrival of the pandemic, they deserve more than our gratitude.
Earlier this fall, Governor Andy Beshear proposed using $400 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to provide bonuses for these workers. Other states, as well as communities here in the commonwealth, have already taken this step, and I believe it is important that we do the same.
That is why the Kentucky House Democratic Caucus has taken the lead by providing a forum for the workers themselves, so they can tell their own stories about why their professions should receive these bonuses.
The first meeting of our Essential Workers Work Group, of which I am chairman, was held on December 6th. Those testifying included representatives from nurses, firefighters, EMS, law enforcement and correctional officers.
In their presentation, those speaking on behalf of nurses cited a recent survey showing that at least a fourth of their profession planned to leave their current job in the next three months and 16 percent said they hoped to leave the field altogether.
Severe staffing shortages – and the increased workloads that go with it – and other states offering higher salaries are three of the main reasons driving this nursing crisis, which on Thursday prompted Gov. Beshear to declare a statewide emergency.
The others who spoke at the meeting offered similar stories as the nurses. Those with the Kentucky Professional Firefighters Association reported that, of the nearly 4,000 paid firefighters in the commonwealth, 2,700 have had to quarantine at some point, and they’ve worked 234,000 hours of overtime.
Covington Police Department Sgt. Justin Bradbury detailed his family’s own difficulties after he contracted COVID early in the pandemic, adding that it took a year-and-a-half of medications and therapy to help his 10-year-old daughter cope with seeing her father so ill.
The committee has one more scheduled meeting set for Wednesday this week, when educators, food-service workers, and others in essential-support jobs will get to tell their own stories. You can watch this meeting on our caucus Facebook page starting at 1:30 p.m. EST.
Dozens of other people have also provided written testimony, and the workgroup will be accepting submissions through the end of the month. If you would like to be part of that group, please email your comments to shellee.hayden@lrc.ky.gov.
Once this information is in hand, it will help the caucus immensely during budget negotiations when the upcoming legislative session starts on Jan. 4th. I will work with my fellow legislators and Governor Beshear to come up with a fair plan that rewards those who have risked so much for so many.
The issue promises to be one of the more prominent debates during the General Assembly’s 60 meeting days, and your input in this process is crucial.
If you have any thoughts about our work during the next few months, please let me know. You can write to me at buddy.wheatley@lrc.ky.gov, while the toll-free message line for all state legislators is 1-800-372-7181.
Rep. Buddy Wheatley represents a portion of Kentucky’s 65th district in northern Kenton County.
Rep. Wheatley is correct in praising helpers and idea of helping other people. Keep him in office.