Let them eat ice cream

Published 04-23-2020

As many in the country look forward to a phase in return to what will be our new normal of everyday life, it’s been interesting watching the absolute clown show that has been passed as state governance during the Corona Virus crisis.

From Michigan to New York, California to Virginia, even Georgia’s governor has had a turn in the hot seat. Not many governors have cloaked themselves in glory in their efforts under emergency declaration.

Some states have done better than others, less quick to take draconian measures that limited or curtailed personal freedoms, especially freedoms enshrined in the constitution.

But so much of this crisis has been used as a platform for bailouts and cashing in.

Take New York City for example.

No, seriously, someone really should take it off our hands.

Mayor DeBlasio was so serious about stopping the virus, he closed down mass transit and effectively stopped the spread... just kidding. The subways are still running in New York City, funneling workers all around the city. And since so many were ordered to stay home by the governor, the MTA limited trains and buses, causing overcrowding. Masks were just made mandatory a little over a week ago. In the meantime, over 65 MTA workers have died from COVID-19.

The failures of New York, from start to finish, are glossed over by a national media that finds it’s center in, you guessed it, New York City.

New York has been hit harder than most other cities and states, making up a bulk of the nation’s numbers. And it seems that New York City was especially unprepared for any type of pandemic. One doesn’t need to see refrigerated trucks outside hospital morgues to figure it out. Once again, the federal government is expected to ride to the rescue.

And instead of looking inward to fix the problems that surfaced during this crisis, publications like the New York Times would rather point fingers at states like Florida for opening beaches.

A really big dose of the Big Apple tending to their own garden before critiquing someone else’s would be in order, in my estimation. But that’s never stopped them before.

I know its asking a lot from government to be thoughtful and nuanced. The tools in the government toolbox usually involve items more comparable to a wrecking ball and hammer. Small business, the life blood of our communities and towns, are being decimated during the lockdown. But have no fear Main Street, Congress bailed out the universities and colleges under the PPP program to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars, many with fat endowments sitting untouched and untaxed.

While funding was running out and negotiations stalled to further fund the lending program, Speaker Pelosi did an interview for late night television showcasing her freezer full of expensive chocolate ice cream.

Marie Antoinette was considered out of touch, Pelosi is out of her gourd.

With over twenty two million Americans out of work, and sectors of our economy wondering if there will ever be a recovery for them, the Speaker of the House laughing over the necessity of chocolate while playing political games with people’s livelihoods and businesses is beyond reckless.

It’s also how you get law abiding people breaking a government stay at home orders to protest an overreaching executive in front of the state capitol. Even if it’s from their cars.

I’d assume Speaker Pelosi has security to keep the rabble rousers away from her estate’s expansive lawn and sheltered from her folly.

The assumptions of those in power, continuing largess in the forms of grants and contracts, can not go on forever. They may think it can, but like this virus has shown, reality rears an ugly head when you least expect it. You don’t get to print trillions of dollars every time something bad happens, and not have any consequences from that either.

Now, we have a chorus of states looking to shore up budget and pension shortfalls under the guise of COVID. Illinois has already raised it’s hand and sidled up to the government trough, Governor Cuomo has already mentioned the money his state is out, and necessary funding edicts were made to New York’s Congressional delegation.

Meanwhile, those of us in flyover country need to make do with a $1,200 stipend in a recovery package that will more than likely cost taxpayers over $10,000 per person to fund by the time this is over.

Crumbs and nonsense. That about sums up the government response to the middle class.

But hey, our Congress is home safe and protected, so that’s what’s important.

Meanwhile, President Trump has become a one man show. Multi hour press conferences outlining full government response with an eye for both the overarching facts and policy, while also understanding the crisis at an individual level.

There have been mis-steps at all levels, including some from Trump’s team, and secondary crises stemming from the actions of other nations and actions of inept bureaucrats.

I expect the heavy hand of government when we are in the midst of a crisis. I expect limits to our freedom in times of trouble.

But I also expect our leaders to be informed, especially in matters of public health, when enacting mandates and lockdowns in the name of public health.

I expect our leaders to be better informed than the 3,000 or so random people I follow on Twitter (though I’m not holding much hope for that one).

I expect communist governments like China to lie to their citizens and the rest of the world on a regular basis. About everything. Regular non-communist governments aren’t that much better on the honesty scale.

I expect more from “corporate global partners” who have enjoyed every benefit and blessing of being an American company, propped up by our security and consumer dollars, who think they owe nothing to Americans first and foremost.

Some days are more disappointing than others.

But I am thankful I can still buy gardening materials in Tennessee, even though shopping for groceries has become more treasure hunt than mundane errand, and our Governor has made statewide mandates one of the last tools in his toolbox rather than the first. The politics have stayed out of our Tennessee’s COVID response for the most part. Most of the local grumbles I have heard would be just as common on Main Street in Newman... rural areas have much of the same sensibilities, no matter the geographic location.

The parallels crack me up a lot of the time, and this surreal time is no exception. Complaints about closing down the country because cities are too packed, and not enough common sense are repeated wherever I go... usually just the store, mind you, at least until the end of the month.

The regular order has been found lacking by many Americans, Trump is one of the signals of it. Lights and sirens kind of signal. The corona virus response is just the latest example of how badly it has failed.