All things political. Coronavirus Edition. (12 Viewers)

[Maxp]

I fear we are really going to be in a bad place due to the obvious cuts to the federal agencies that deal with infectious disease, but also the negative effect the Affordable Care act has had on non urban hospitals. Our front line defenses are ineffectual and our ability to treat the populous is probably at an all time low. Factor in the cost of healthcare and I can see our system crashing. What do you think about the politics of this virus?

 

[Saintamaniac]

I have lived in MD for over 30 years now. Hogan is a moderate Republican, considered to be a centrist by most. He has a high approval rating in an overwhelmingly Democrat state.

He has a high approval rating because he is reasonable, respected, and is able to work with those pesky Democrats pretty darn well.

As a democrat, I really feel we are luck to have him as our governor because he acts like a real leader should and he genuinely cares about the folks that live in MD.

We need more Larry Hogans in this country, while I don't agree with some of his stances/policies, if he ran as president I would have to seriously consider voting for him.....

We have a similar situation in Louisiana with John Bell Edwards being a Democratic governor of an extremely republican state. He did a commendable job cleaning up the mess that Jindal left for him. JBE is a democrat but he's a very conservative democrat and even so, there are many republicans that don't like what he's done simply because he has a (D) behind his name.

If it wasn't for JBE, the COVID-19 situation in Louisiana would be far worst than it currently is. I don't agree with all of his policies but JBE has tried to work with republicans who have fought him tooth and nail on pretty much everything....even the things that they themselves support. It's almost like they are mad because he tried to fix the things that they broke.

 

[The moose]

Who’s jurisdiction does the National Guard fall under?

If the federal government decided that it wanted those tests can they order someone to disclose the location?

Can they be ordered by someone on the National level to stop guarding them?

Normally the states they are from. Govnerors have the power.

Accually the the president needs to formally request them to be activated nationally for each state. So if he does it is to steal that testing stuff

 

[Richard]

I don't understand undermining basic biology

It's all a big hoopla until it hits you or someone you know

For the last three days, my son has waited for the COVID-19 test results to come back so he can find out whether his wife is positive for the virus. She has a serious heart condition, so she would be considered very high risk. While waiting on the results of the test, I couldn't help thinking about the worst case scenario and the affects it would have on my son and their two daughters. Thankfully, they were told late this afternoon that the test came back negative.

The virus became more than statistics for our family this week.

 

[Humperdoo]

For the last three days, my son has waited for the COVID-19 test results to come back so he can find out whether his wife is positive for the virus. She has a serious heart condition, so she would be considered very high risk. While waiting on the results of the test, I couldn't help thinking about the worst case scenario and the affects it would have on my son and their two daughters. Thankfully, they were told late this afternoon that the test came back negative.

The virus became more than statistics for our family this week.

My father is high risk too and just had to be tested. More than a stat for us too.
Glad your fam is well and the test was negative.

 

[The moose]

For the last three days, my son has waited for the COVID-19 test results to come back so he can find out whether his wife is positive for the virus. She has a serious heart condition, so she would be considered very high risk. While waiting on the results of the test, I couldn't help thinking about the worst case scenario and the affects it would have on my son and their two daughters. Thankfully, they were told late this afternoon that the test came back negative.

The virus became more than statistics for our family this week.

Great news glad to hear it.

One of my life long friends has had a heart condition his whole life he has had three heart surgeries before thirty.

He works in management for a big retirement home. He has not had any symptoms yet only two at his work tested positive. No deaths so everything is looking good so far.

He goes to work everyday but is exceptionally careful. That is who I am most worried about right now because he is gonna do his job. He is gonna make sure his people get the best care if it kills him.

 

[FullMonte]

My God that tells you a great deal right there.

Has to do his own leg work to make it all happen then guard it with guns so your uncle that could not do the job doesn't swipe it.

My God we live in sad times.

Here's another similar story...

Short version, Illinois found a supplier of N95 masks, and completed a deal for 1.5 milion masks. They get a call from the supplier saying that they needed a check by 2pm that day or the deal was off because there were other bidders. The comptroller in Springfield cut a check for $3.5 million, and hopped in her car and drove 200 miles to Chicago where she met the supplier in a McDonald's parking lot to hand off the check.

Illinois adjusts on the fly to meet medical supply needs in a coronavirus ‘Wild West’

To meet the deadline of a supplier and get 1.5 million potentially life-saving N95 masks, Illinois’ assistant comptroller raced north on I-55 with a $3.4 million check.

chicago.suntimes.com

 

[FullMonte]

Normally the states they are from. Govnerors have the power.

Accually the the president needs to formally request them to be activated nationally for each state. So if he does it is to steal that testing stuff

Well, it's not quite that clear...thanks to a change of the law in 2007 (I think it was), the president can activate the national guard in cases of insurrection or "natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terror attack, or incident."

So, it's possible that the president *could* try and activate the guard using that law, and if the governor ordered them to stand down, it would set off an interesting legal battle.

 

[The moose]

Here's another similar story...

Short version, Illinois found a supplier of N95 masks, and completed a deal for 1.5 milion masks. They get a call from the supplier saying that they needed a check by 2pm that day or the deal was off because there were other bidders. The comptroller in Springfield cut a check for $3.5 million, and hopped in her car and drove 200 miles to Chicago where she met the supplier in a McDonald's parking lot to hand off the check.

Illinois adjusts on the fly to meet medical supply needs in a coronavirus ‘Wild West’

To meet the deadline of a supplier and get 1.5 million potentially life-saving N95 masks, Illinois’ assistant comptroller raced north on I-55 with a $3.4 million check.

chicago.suntimes.com

Man that sounds like some kinda drug deal.

Unbelievable the levels that our country has to go to get PPE.

 

[Richard]

Here's another similar story...

Short version, Illinois found a supplier of N95 masks, and completed a deal for 1.5 milion masks. They get a call from the supplier saying that they needed a check by 2pm that day or the deal was off because there were other bidders. The comptroller in Springfield cut a check for $3.5 million, and hopped in her car and drove 200 miles to Chicago where she met the supplier in a McDonald's parking lot to hand off the check.

Illinois adjusts on the fly to meet medical supply needs in a coronavirus ‘Wild West’

To meet the deadline of a supplier and get 1.5 million potentially life-saving N95 masks, Illinois’ assistant comptroller raced north on I-55 with a $3.4 million check.

chicago.suntimes.com

So many ways that could have gone wrong. That's why it would have been helpful to have had a federal clearinghouse. States could still have been in control of distribution, but the supplies would have been under federal oversight. That could have eliminated the bidding wars between states.

On another note, my former son-in-law had a little excitement a couple of days ago near his house, but still took time from his job as a police officer to give a public service announcement.

 

[The moose]

So many ways that could have gone wrong. That's why it would have been helpful to have had a federal clearinghouse. States could still have been in control of distribution, but the supplies would have been under federal oversight. That could have eliminated the bidding wars between states.

On another note, my former son-in-law had a little excitement a couple of days ago near his house, but still took time from his job as a police officer to give a public service announcement.

Yeah it could go south like the 69 million New York got hit for in a ventilator scam from a guy recommended to them by the trump administration.

Good story about how scattered that administration really is.

After One Tweet To President Trump, This Man Got $69 Million From New York For Ventilators

The Silicon Valley engineer, who had no background in medical supplies but was recommended by the White House, never delivered the ventilators.

www.buzzfeednews.com

 

[Richard]

Yeah it could go south like the 69 million New York got hit for in a ventilator scam from a guy recommended to them by the trump administration.

Good story about how scattered that administration really is.

After One Tweet To President Trump, This Man Got $69 Million From New York For Ventilators

The Silicon Valley engineer, who had no background in medical supplies but was recommended by the White House, never delivered the ventilators.

www.buzzfeednews.com

Have they arrested the scam artist yet? No, not Trump, the Silicon Valley engineer.

 

[The moose]

Here is a great one.


The IRS is giving checks to people that are not even citizen.

This is a cluster you know what.

IRS mistakenly sends stimulus checks to foreign workers

With no clear guidance on how to return it, foreign workers are holding onto the money or racing to spend it before the Internal Revenue Service realizes the mistake.

www.politico.com

 

[Humperdoo]

Leaked Western intel dossier reveals how China deceived the world about coronavirus

A new research dossier claims China intentionally hid or destroyed evidence regarding the novel coronavirus outbreak, and costs tens of thousands of lives in the process.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Dadsdream]

Well, it's not quite that clear...thanks to a change of the law in 2007 (I think it was), the president can activate the national guard in cases of insurrection or "natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terror attack, or incident."

So, it's possible that the president *could* try and activate the guard using that law, and if the governor ordered them to stand down, it would set off an interesting legal battle.

The National Guard has a dual state/federal mission now.

Units are manned, equipped and funded to perform federal wartime assignments.

Units can be called up and sent overseas by the President as Commander-in-Chief, through the Pentagon, with all the proper congressional approvals and oversights. Once they arrive in the theater of operations they fall under the commander of that theater of operations.

For state assignments, such as natural disasters and civil disturbances, they are under the direction of the state's Governor, through the state Adjutant General.

As far as saying the president *could* try and activate the guard and if the governor ordered them to stand down . . . it's already happened before.

President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard to force desegregation over the objections of Governor George Wallace. We all know how that turned out, right?

"Governor Wallace has refused to respect either the law or the authority of local officials. For his own personal and political reasons -- so that he may later charge Federal interference -- he is desperately anxious to have the Federal Government intervene in a situation in which we have no desire to intervene," Kennedy stated.

"Mr. Kennedy, consumed by his doubtful re-election, has taken complete control. The Kennedy forces are laying the predicate for the jailing of the governor of Alabama," Wallace said in a statement to the press.

Kennedy federalized National Guard to integrate Alabama public schools (Sept. 10, 1963)

President John F. Kennedy SEPTEMBER 10, 1963 -- President John F. Kennedy federalized the 17,000 member Alabama National Guard to allow black students to attend nine previously all-white schools in Birmingham and across the state."Governor Wallace has refused to respect...

www.al.com

 

[Beach Friends]

And now from the great state of Wisconsin, a kid visiting other neighborhood kids will you get you a visit from some condescending deputies:

 

[stevo3]

Just imagine if they were black. Or Middle Eastern.

They'd be heralded as heroes by all of MSM.

 

[stevo3]

If we start to see spikes in states that open up (I hope we do not, but I feel it is inevitable), will people still try to blame China?

It is obvious that states opening up is going to lead to a surge in cases. It doesn’t take hindsight too see that. The CDC guidelines are not being followed.

The blame will lay entirely on these officials making the decision to open up.

It’s not politics, it is science.

No. It's not. There is evidence coming out daily that the shutdown did not prevent the spread as most hoped it would. Rather that more people had actually contracted it and either had mild symptoms or are asymptomatic than anticiptated. That's science. That's data. The CDC and Dr. Fauci have been largely wrong on this at every step of the way. Telling me to "Stay Home or I'm risking the lives of others" is politics.

 

[cuddlemonkey]

No. It's not. There is evidence coming out daily that the shutdown did not prevent the spread as most hoped it would. Rather that more people had actually contracted it and either had mild symptoms or are asymptomatic than anticiptated. That's science. That's data. The CDC and Dr. Fauci have been largely wrong on this at every step of the way. Telling me to "Stay Home or I'm risking the lives of others" is politics.

Can you point to the science and data that support this viewpoint?