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Riverside, CA – Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said on Friday he will not be enforcing Governor Gavin Newsom’s will against the people of Riverside County when it comes to treating COVID-19 violations as criminal acts. Bianco said, in response, Newsom threatened to withhold state and federal funding from the residents of Riverside County, punishing the people further.
“We’ve all recently learned about the new regional approach to combat covid-19 and pending closure and stay orders at home of our governor. We were also told that there was a possibility for him to withhold federal and state funding from counties that did not enforce orders. Ironically, it wasn’t that long ago, our same governor loudly and publicly argued how wrong it was for the president of the United States to withhold federal funds from states that don’t comply with federal laws,” Biaco said.
“The dictatorial attitude towards California residents while dining luxuriously, traveling, keeping their business open and taking their children to private schools is very eye opening about their attitude towards California residents, their true feelings about the virus and is extremely hypocritical,” he added. “These closures and stay at home orders are completely ridiculous. The metrics used for closures are incredibly flawed, are not Representative of real numbers and they are disastrous for Riverside County. When doctors are so divided about this virus, it might be time to use some common sense. Keeping money and support from our hospitals struggling with normal patient increases along with patients having covid-19 is irresponsible.”
Bianco said Newsom is deflecting his own poor adherence to the COVID-19 executive orders by imposing harsher penalties against the residents of the state, who for the most part are following the rules and recommendations by the CDC and state authorities.
“It seems part of the new goal is to divert attention from their personal behavior and others, and do what I say, not what I do, turning public opinion against the California Sheriffs. He expects us to arrest anyone who is violating these orders, quote him and take his money, close his businesses, make them stay at home and take away their civil liberties, or he will punish us all. I think all jobs are essential to someone,” Bianco said. “Leaders don’t threaten, try to intimidate or cause fear. Bullies do it. As has been our position since the beginning of this pandemic, the Sheriff’s Department is asking and expecting Riverside County residents to act responsibly and do whatever they can to protect themselves and their family from getting the virus. Wear your mask and practice social distancing. Governor’s office and state have threatened to take action against offenders, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department will not be blackmailed, bullied, nor used as a force against Riverside County residents to enforce Governor’s orders.”