Florida Gov. DeSantis strikes good balance between coronavirus and the economy | Letters Hereâs what readers are saying in Tuesdayâs letters to the editor. Â Published Dec. 15, 2020 PolitiFact completely missed the point of Gov. Ron DeSantisâ statement when he said âthe states that are locked down are increasing at twice the rate we are.â Itâs not about our rate vs. other states. Itâs about the fact that locking down the economy has done little to help the infection rates in the states that have gone down that path. We seem to have come to this false narrative that states are faced with a choice between public safety or the economy. Too many seem to be ignoring the fact that poverty kills people as well. It just kills slower than COVID-19 by doing it through depression, stress, and drug and alcohol abuse. Of course, that also means that it does not show up in the paper as part of a daily death count. Fortunately, our governor understands this trade-off. As Politifact proved, increasing restrictions may or may not reduce infections, but it will most certainly force more businesses into bankruptcy, swell the unemployment ranks and further strain our state and local budgets.