Why, yes, this is the way it is supposed to work. Different areas require different responses. Heck, different parts of different states require different responses. What’s needed for small parts of New York, such as NYC, Long Island, Buffalo, Albany, are quite different than the rest of mildly suburban/rural NY.
Across U.S., a vast disparity in responses
Mark Estee spent his Tuesday laying off 100 cooks, waiters and dishwashers, having been forced by city decree in Reno, Nev., to close two restaurants that had been thriving just days ago.
Less than an hour down the road, in Nevada’s Carson Valley, the threat of coronavirus had inspired no such restrictions. Estee’s three other restaurants were preparing to serve dinner, a hearty mix of pasta, burgers and beer.
Such is the state of America’s patchwork response to the pandemic sweeping the globe. In some places, governors, mayors and county leaders have instituted aggressive action that is changing the fabric of life: shelter-in-place orders, business bans and school closures. In other spots, authorities have been far more lax, allowing routines to carry on more or less as normal.
The divide in responses showed some signs of narrowing Tuesday: Nevada’s governor was reported by multiple news outlets to be preparing to announce the shutdown of restaurants and bars late Tuesday evening. The governor of West Virginia did the same, and he appeared chastened as he announced that his state had become the 50th to record a coronavirus case.
I wonder what the other eight states will do?
In states that had already taken tough measures, the response only escalated: North Carolina’s Outer Banks announced it was setting up checkpoints to keep nonresidents out of the popular barrier islands. New York’s mayor said he was considering ordering the city’s nearly 9 million people to stay at home, as San Francisco did a day earlier.
But in other states, another day passed without the sort of robust action that public health officials say is needed to stem the virus’s spread.
The disparities across the country set the U.S. response apart from that of nations that have moved in a unified way to try to tamp down outbreaks. The gaps are increasingly drawing the ire of state and local officials who have acted decisively to halt the spread, but worry their efforts will be for naught if their neighbors don’t follow suit — and if Washington doesn’t act more proactively to set the tone.
This is federalism. It should work this way. The federal government can provide guidance, but, it’s much better of governments closer to actual people to look towards policy. Los Federales have limited knowledge of what’s going on here in Raleigh, nor in the more light suburban/almost rural area to the east. Even the state of North Carolina may not know as much. What is necessary for Raleigh could differ from, say, Zebulon and Wendell. Dare County, which is a big part of the Outer Banks, has stated no one but residents, despite there being zero known cases. In fact, only a handful of NC counties have any cases, and it is Wake County, where the capital city, Raleigh, is located (and an international airport) and Mecklenburg, home of Charlotte and another international airport, have a bunch of cases.
There have only been 100 deaths so far. Compare that to the 20-40 thousand the CDC estimates from the regular flu this year. Regardless, states also have different Constitutions and statutes laying out their authority, for which the federal government really does not have said authority. You’d think they would, but, no, theirs is extremely limited, and that was done on purpose. Most states make it tough for the government to crack down, also on purpose. You can figure out why. Here in NC, the Lt. Governor is questioning the restaurant bans
Lt. Gov. Dan Forest questioned the validity of Gov. Roy Cooper’s order Tuesday afternoon to shut down in-house seating at North Carolina bars and restaurants, saying the governor doesn’t have the authority to do it.
Forest said the governor didn’t get concurrence from other Council of State members before announcing his decision Tuesday morning, failing to satisfy a requirement in the section of state law that lays out his emergency powers.
“Thus, he does not have the authority to issue this part of his executive order,” Forest said in a statement posted to Twitter about 4 p.m.
It’s not that Dan doesn’t agree: he does, heard him say it on the radio. But, there are laws in place.
“It’s one thing to disagree, it’s another to create a chaotic situation in the middle of a pandemic,” Weiner said in a statement. “The governor is taking action to protect the health and safety of North Carolinians and does not need concurrence. The governor and the secretary of (the Department of Health and Human Services) have the authority to do this under state public health and emergency powers law.”
It’s dangerous applying power in this manner: where does it stop?
Anyhow, federalism.
Yikes! The DJIA is lower today than when Trump took office. Is it Trump’s fault?
According to Treasury Sec Mnuchin the unemployment rate might jump to 20% (our guess is that he expects it to be much lower so that it’ll seem like a victory if it’s only 10%). Is it Trump’s fault?
This is the problem with taking credit for good fortune for which one isn’t responsible.
Trump didn’t drive unemployment down, he inherited steadily increasing employment.
Trump didn’t cause the DJIA jump (maybe some with the initial stimulus – tax cuts for the wealthy).
Trump predicted 3,4,5 even 6% growth in the economy. It’s been much like it was with Obama, 2-3%. This next quarter or two or three is likely to be negative as the recession solidifies. Is it Trump’s fault?
We had 9/11 + the Iraq invasion, then the Great Recession which all added trillions to the debt, and in our years of plenty Congress still spent like drunken sailors and the GOP reduced taxes to stimulate the economy. Now we need to borrow trillions more.
Yikes! The DJIA is lower today than when Trump took office. Is it Trump’s fault?
No, it’s the Lefties’. The panic is all their doing, abetted by a lot of power-hungry Democrat governors. Did you see where Newsom wants to impose martial law be cause there are 12 dead in CA? Out of a population of 40 million?
But you just love the idea of people’s savings wiped out, mass unemployment, no food, no basic medical supplies.
According to Treasury Sec Mnuchin the unemployment rate might jump to 20% (our guess is that he expects it to be much lower so that it’ll seem like a victory if it’s only 10%). Is it Trump’s fault?
He’s been listening to all those Lefties and their computer models.
And, no, it’s the fault of the people shorting the markets. The big excuse today is world dead reached 200,000. 200,000 out of 8 billion. That’s .0025%.
Hear about the diamond Princess? of 3700 people on board, 83% didn’t get the Red Chinese Germ Warfare Flu. Of the most at-risk demographic (80+), 3/4 didn’t get it.
Only 7 died. That;’s 1/5 of 1%.
This is the problem with taking credit for good fortune for which one isn’t responsible.
Tell it to Zippy.
Trump didn’t drive unemployment down, he inherited steadily increasing employment.
No, Zippy wasn’t counting anybody out of work for more than 6 months. Even then, unemployment had stagnated.
Trump didn’t cause the DJIA jump (maybe some with the initial stimulus – tax cuts for the wealthy).
It jumped the day after he was elected.
Trump predicted 3,4,5 even 6% growth in the economy. It’s been much like it was with Obama, 2-3%. This next quarter or two or three is likely to be negative as the recession solidifies. Is it Trump’s fault?
And you can’t wait to hear that word, recession, can you?
Between Jerome Powell and Democrats’ wanting to drop the country’s business for impeachment, it’s been a tough couple of years, but Zippy’s growth was 1.2%, so yeah, Trump’s done well for the country.
We had 9/11 + the Iraq invasion, then the Great Recession which all added trillions to the debt, and in our years of plenty Congress still spent like drunken sailors and the GOP reduced taxes to stimulate the economy. Now we need to borrow trillions more.
No, we had the War on Terror then the Second Great Depression. Trillions? Wanna bet?
Trump isn’t The Magic Negro and he isn’t Gropin’ Joe.
And, in case you haven’t got enough fingers and toes, 12 out of 40,000,000 is .00003 of 1%.
But he won’t move the bums off the streets and make them clean up.
There is firm evidence of market manipulation, mostly in massive short selling. Then there is the remarkable media reporting, largely a bunch of lies or obfuscation or cherry picking data, much like jeff does.
This virus is not significant enough for the hysterical reaction among leaders world wide and the intentional destruction of the economy. I think Trump is riding with the tide just to avoid conflict. The infection rate is one per ten thousand and death rate is one percent or less. Of course there are swings in experience, such as experienced in Italy. The kids on the beach are likely not at increased risk of illness. I say and watched that folks buying toilet paper, sure enough, they were all Democrats– no thought for others, greed, stupidity, and all the traits we see in Jeff and john.
I’d appreciate your linking some of that evidence. Right now I have to go on the excuse of the day.
dookie,
So you’re blaming the response on mass hysteria involving corporations, major religions, state and local govt’s, federal govt’s, epidemiologists, the medical profession, and on and on. It sounds like the usual suspects who claim that the Earth is warming!
Are you making any changes in your life to avoid the Trump Virus?
excrement,
He did nothing of the sort. This is another of your lame straw men.
Are you making any changes in your life to avoid the Trump Virus?
No such thing, but I’m not doing anything for the Red Chinese Germ Warfare Flu, either.
I take it you’re hiding behind the furnace in Mommy’s basement, cowering in terror.
I’m sure that’s where all the Charmin is being used.
Why did you buy 50 packs? Are you that big a coward?
excrement,
He did nothing of the sort. This is another of your lame straw men.
Are you making any changes in your life to avoid the Trump Virus?
No such thing, but I’m not doing anything for the Red Chinese Germ Warfare Flu, either.
I take it you’re hiding behind the furnace in Mommy’s basement, cowering in terror.
I’m sure that’s where all the Charmin is being used.
Why did you buy 50 packs? Are you that big a coward?
dookie WAS invoking mass hysteria over the worldwide response to the Trump Virus
Actually, I haven’t missed a day of work over this. In the office every day.
My mother died years ago, so I’d appreciate you leaving her out of your BS.
He was? He just mentioned a virus. Not the Red Chinese Germ Warfare Flu, Kung Flu, Wu Flu, Lung Pao Flu, or any other specific phony bug.
Actually, I haven’t missed a day of work over this. In the office every day.
Work? You don’t work. You’re an Ozark hillbilly who has a small arsenal of firepower out in the boonies.
That’s what you tell us. Along with how you visit the sick and help the poor, you don’t have time for work.
My mother died years ago, so I’d appreciate you leaving her out of your BS.
And here you said all manner of nasty things about everyone here, including relatives, and you never bothered to ask if they were dead or not.
Your rules. Can’t cry about it now.
excrement.