I am saddened by Mayor Ethan Berkowitz’s resignation. As he himself stated, he made a mistake that has cost him dearly, but it was an error in judgment concerning his private, personal life, not one that affected his constituents.
As a resident of Anchorage, I am very grateful for Mayor Berkowitz’s leadership, especially during the pandemic. He listened to the local medical community and scientists and followed the recommendations of our country’s most knowledgeable health experts and the CDC, and he instituted protocols that, while unpopular with many, kept us safe. He did not take the easy way out and leave adherence to pandemic safety recommendations such as mask-wearing and social distancing up to individuals; he did the right thing and made the difficult and sometimes unpopular, but medically sound, choices to keep COVID-19 from spreading by instituting rules that applied to everyone.
I understand his decision to resign, but I will feel less safe without his guidance as mayor.
Karen Bendler
Anchorage
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