Coronavirus In Minnesota: Republican State Sen. Eichorn Compares Homelessness To Camping
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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Republican State Sen. Justin Eichorn tweeted a video Tuesday night in which he compared a homeless encampment to a vacation campground.
In the now-deleted video, Eichorn stood in front of a homeless encampment in St. Paul, and said "as you can see behind me today, we've got a nice little tent city set up here. Unfortunately, in greater Minnesota, Gov. Walz has campgrounds shut down." Addressing the governor, he added, "if you're OK with this, we should certainly be OK with our resorts in greater Minnesota, campgrounds being open."
The freshman senator, who represents Itasca, Beltrami, Cass, and Hubbard counties, noted that it's "by our nature in northern Minnesota we're distanced." Campgrounds have a plan to open safely during the time of the pandemic, he said.
Within hours of Eichorn deleting the video, Minnesota Democrats re-uploaded it to Twitter. As of Wednesday morning, it has more than 30,000 views.
"Living in a tent on the streets because you are experiencing homelessness is not a fun vacation outing. We have a housing crisis - which was exacerbated by this pandemic," the DFL said in a statement. "It says a lot about Senator Eichorn's values when he looks at a homeless encampment in St. Paul and his first thought is, 'I'm angry we can't go on a camping vacation right now' ...not 'how can we end the epidemic of homelessness in our state?'''
During the stay-at-home order, around 19,600 Minnesotans do not have a permanent place to stay. Of those experiencing homelessness, 84% have pre-existing health conditions.
READ MORE: Coronavirus In Minnesota: Homeless Are Among Most At-Risk For Contracting COVID-19
Eichorn released a statement late Tuesday night in which he said "The video posted today was an attempt to convince the Governor to take heed of the dismal economic conditions folks in my district and across Minnesota are facing." He noted the struggling tourism, timber, and taconite industries in northern Minnesota.
"The video may have missed the mark, but Governor Walz's blanket extension of the stay-at-home order only exasperates the pain that my constituency feels," he said.
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