The Ohio Roundtable filed a Freedom of Information request with Dr. Amy Acton of the Ohio Department of Health to allow all Ohioans to “see the math” behind the construction of Dr. Acton’s latest model which is controlling public policy decisions in Ohio.
The Ohio Roundtable, a division of the American Policy Roundtable, made the announcement here. The APR organization says it addresses public policy as a non-profit, non-partisan mission to America.
The Ohio Star asked the Ohio Department of Health to identify who the Ohio State University (OSU) epidemiology researchers were that helped it create a controversial coronavirus projection that is driving public policy. The health department passed the hot-potato question to OSU Director of Media Relations Benjamin Johnson, who did not reply to our question.
Now, the Roundtable organizations are also trying to gain insight into the process.
“From the start of this crisis, Dr. Acton’s models have driven public policy in Ohio,” said Rob Walgate, vice president of the American Policy Roundtable. “These policies are now creating tremendous hardships across the state at every level. Unemployment is skyrocketing, civil liberties are evaporating, people are being spied upon, harassed and threatened with arrest for standing too close to each other.
“And all of this is justified by Dr. Acton’s models and her singular focus to flatten the curve. In the process, her orders are flattening our economy, destroying people’s lives, and trashing our civil liberties and all without a single vote of the Ohio General Assembly. While promising transparency Dr. Acton has openly admitted to “guesstimating” on her numbers. Now, her latest model is buried in secrecy at Ohio State University and no one is permitted to see the math. Therefore, we are filing this formal legal request which, according to law, the Department must meet promptly. We want all Ohioans to know that we are trying to open the door to transparency for everyone in this state.”
The Roundtable organizations are calling for these measures:
- Protecting the most vulnerable
- Increasing hospital capacity, resources and equipment;
- Responsible social distancing and the creation of new vaccines and therapies.
More discussion is online here.
– – –
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
Photo “Mike DeWine and Amy Acton” by Mike DeWine.
