DEAR MR. PRESIDENT:

Dear President Joe Biden:

First of all, I do want to congratulate you for saving Democracy and restoring faith in the presidency.  

• You have been honest and mostly effective.  
• The $1.9 trillion stimulus package will be wonderful for the needy and a boost for our economy.
• Your rejoining the Paris Agreement was right, and the path you have chosen to restore the environment is sensible.  
• You are careful about foreign policy, but that is not a serious issue today, so your caution is understandable.  You can do only so much at once.
• On the COVID-19 Pandemic, you understand why we still need to wear masks and the pace of augmenting the availability of vaccines is sound.

However, your policies on what we should do now is many times confused.  Seems that there is too much of an abundance of caution, and adjustments dribble out too slowly.  Sometimes you should consider decisiveness.  The American people can be a lot more supportive than you think.  The Republican Party will criticize anything you do anyway.

For example, as part of your initial 100-Day Plan you could have very simply stated:

• We need to open up schools as fast as possible.  You didn't necessarily have to say that mothers can thus go to work and stimulate economy recovery, but the implications should have been obvious.
• Teachers are front-line workers and should be given a similarly high priority for vaccinations.
• In mid-January there was sound evidence that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine would soon be approved, with at least 20 million dosages to be made available by the end of March.  You could have thus been dogmatic in saying:
• I would like states to set aside 6.5 million (about a third of dosages to be made available) of this one shot vaccine for teachers and workers at the K-12 level.
• Through this manner, all schools can safely re-open by April 1.
• But pass on responsibility to your Department of Education to look into the matter of possibly extending the current school year by a few weeks to make sure all facets of the educational process are adequately covered.
• High school seniors should be allowed to graduate in a timely manner, a vague statement, but useful enough for high schools to do what they want.

One matter needs to immediately be addressed.  Too many citizens are only reluctantly planning to be inoculated.  The latest Pew survey shows that 31% won't.  Something must be done now to maximize confidence or provide inducement to proceed.  Don't continue what has been your game plan these past seven weeks, which is to fly trial balloons here and there to test public reaction.  Do the following now, hopefully during your Thursday address to the Nation:

• Encourage those who have had two shots of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines and one of the Johnson and Johnson to wait three weeks, and go out...have fun...join crowds of others who have similarly done so.  Dine at restaurants, attend sporting events, travel, etc.  Be positive and optimistic to reverse the attitude of those doubting skeptics.
• Indicate that your administration will arrange to have a photo ID (see "passport" described below) of those who qualify.  This piece of plastic will work like a credit card, where equipment will be designed to allow you to flash this symbol of freedom to regain your life.
• Anyone or organization finding a way to "cheat" will be severely punished.  Details will  be forthcoming.
• Professional sports should open up as many seats as can be made available for this group of individuals.
• So will movie theaters, etc.
• Details will be provided by my 100th day in office.

Unfortunately, over the past month your administration has mostly discouraged people like me who long ago had our second dosage and still admonished not to travel?  Why?  We are safe.  When the odds are high that you will be right, go ahead, BE DECISIVE!!!  Science is never 100% reliable anyway.

What I'm leading to is that you should take the global lead in developing a national and world system, using the latest American technology, to allow people the privilege of doing things, including traveling.  

• We quickly need a COVID-19 international passport with photo as a badge of access and honor.  This simple card can replace the obsolete passport.  The computer has all the information information, why do we need to have a book stamped?
• Through this means, a higher percentage of the population will demand to be vaccinated.  I hope.
• If they don't have this freedom passport, they will not be able to enter restaurants, theaters, stadia, cruise ships, and much more.  These deviants will suffer.
• If that does not work, for there might be some backlash, provide bonuses to bring the vaccination rate up to 90%.  15 Craigside, where I live, is past 97%, and so too can be the nation.
• Some thought needs to be given to how differentiation can be streamlined for travelers on planes, busses and similar transport modes.  A combination of tests and this passport should provide privileges, like not wearing masks while on board.  The staff will know who you are through the seating chart.

Even though you can say the above now, the reality is that this international COVID-22 passport will not be internationalized until way into 2022, for here is a map of when the world will be safely inoculated:

In closing, thank you for your presence in the White House.  I wish you continued success in your efforts.

Aloha.

Patrick Takahashi, Senior Citizen

Will I send this letter to the White House?  Nah.  Wouldn't hurt, though, if someone reading this does go ahead and transmit it to someone you know who works there.  Funny how a simple thing can go a long way.  My whole life has been a series of one in a million to billion odds events that came true.  I should let you know that I spent three years writing the first draft of responding letters dealing with my subject for U.S. Senator Spark Matsunaga (this photo was taken more than 40 years ago).  I'm not sure if any one of them truly influenced his, or my, attitude on any issue.  A preponderance of them, however, does sway priorities.

-