As my readers know, I usually only write of positive happening, usually involving holy people, but several issues- as a result of the anti-vaxxers- has gotten my ire!
Staffing shortages at Washington State Ferries resulted in 51 canceled sailings on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route between Sept. 9 and Sept. 13. and I have no numbers for the past two weeks, which I am sure was worse!
The Coast Guard dictates that if even one crew member is absent, the ferry cannot sail. At present some crew members are holding us all “hostage” as they are rebelling against Gov. Jay Inslee’s order that all state employees, including ferry workers, to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18. According to the latest reports about 600 of the ferry system's roughly 1,800 employees have submitted vaccine verification.
They can talk all they want “down south”, as I call Olympia, but the bottom line is the islanders here are suffering. We have been told not to travel in the next few weeks except for necessity, so doctor appointments, made months ago, have to be changed, or you get to the ferry, as happened to us yesterday, and are told, sorry ferry cancelled. One of our Oblates came from the mainland and was told no tickets being sold for day trippers as they might not get back- she fortunately is staying 3 days.
Islanders, as well as ferry staff are angry, as we have no other route of travel, unlike the islands south of us, which have bridges connecting to the mainland.
Last week, and granted it was an old ferry that broke down, we got home on the 5:30 PM ferry from FridayHarbor at 12:20 A.M. – this with 2 puppies in the car, limiting our peregrinations about the town. Monday one of our nuns got home after 10 PM from the mainland, on the cancelled 5:30 PM.
We are told to “speak out”, write, etc. But after living here over 30 years, I can tell you no one hears us! I fear mutiny could be around the corner in our part of the world!
There must be accountability, leadership and creative solutions. We happen to live in one of the richest states in the country, but at times one would never know it. All we get are promises, with not much being done to change, so people have lost the faith in our government- across the board! Time to "storm" Heaven!!
