Reader finds grades unjustified and personal

To the Editor:

Regarding the “2025 awards and grades for openness in conducting public business” article in The Northwoods River News, I must protest. The choice of awarding Robert F Kennedy, Jr a grade of “A” without providing any reliable data to support your pronouncement is offensive to those of us who know better — which is most of us in the health professions. I have yet to see him offer any reasoned, expert interpretation of health data, and his comments lack any educated understanding of probability, specifically understanding risk vs. benefit of any treatment, especially in regards vaccines. He has no credibility in the world of reputable medical science. Even more unjustified is your complete and personal dissing of the Oneida County Public Health Department Director Linda Conlon with a grade of “F.” Specifically, you make a special point of criticizing Ms. Conlon’s vaccine science recommendations, which by my assessment are always based on very well-researched studies and rational understanding of risk vs. benefit and are vetted by regional and national expert advisory groups. Besides years of experience, Ms. Conlon has great expertise and credibility because she relies on verifiable science. This means she relies on recommendations that are based on studies that are unbiased, include control groups, and produce the same results upon repeat testing. Who should you trust? Do you trust an expert with years of experience and training in the requisite field of study, or do you trust someone with none of those? I have absolute confidence in the value and work of our local health department and its director. 

Christopher G Koeppl, MD, FACP

Pelican