All things political. Coronavirus Edition. (7 Viewers)

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    Maxp

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    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?
     
    Richard said:
    If his numbers are correct, it would also mean that the US would be funding $2.1 billion in additional unemployment payments each week for California alone. Taken further, if passed, the Democrat's plan for $600 per person would mean paying unemployed people in California $4.2 billion weekly (assuming a constant number of unemployed). I'm not saying that any plan is inherently good or bad, but 49 other states will be in line at the same pay window and it's good to get a sense of how much things cost. I am sure someone has the figures for how much has already been paid out for the $600 allotment that has expired. I'd guess it's a number that we would all find massive.
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    Around 30 million people are collecting some level of unemployment, I believe. Not all are fully unemployed, since there are partial programs, but let's say 25 million are unemployed. Can we fathom that level of evictions and homelessness?

    This is what I posted on SR..

    Due to the nature of how the pandemic has shut down certain sectors of the economy far worse than others, there isn't really a good perfect solution, so extending the payments is probably the least 'bad' option. If we had more time, a more sector targeted option would be best. i.e. how the heck are bars going to survive for the next few months or year?

    A big factor is how geographically spread we are as families. More so than in the past, (I'm pretty sure on that).

    Basically, everyone who owns or works in a bar, in a perfect world, would just move back in with their parent/kids, and pool resources. There have been economic discussions on the only way to face the housing shortage and 'rent is too damn high' is by going back to multi generational living. Of course, in a pandemic, where the elderly are more at risk, there is a danger to that, unless everyone is stuck at home and hopefully drawing on Social Security and Unemployment or working from home.

    A big positive reason to continue the federal unemployment, or just make a smaller, but repeated stimulus payment, is that many states have really crappy unemployment payments.

    Florida's max is $275/week, if you've made enough money for a long enough time to qualify for the maximum benefits. If you're in a Short Term Compensation Program, like myself, due to reduced hours, you only get a percentage of that. i.e. when we went from a normal 5 days a week full time schedule (40 hours) to 3 days a week (24 hours), which is a 40% reduction in hours, we only qualified for 40% of the $275 from the state, which is $110 (before taxes). So, that's essentially $55 per 8 hour day, or $6.88 an hour. Add in the $600/week, which in my 2 day furlough example, is $300 extra per day of not working, and it comes out to about $44.38 per hour for State and Federal.

    In my case, that is a lot closer to breaking even for me, since I'm working part time. (we actually got moved up to 4 days a week now, so it's even better, for the short term).

    For many that's well over what they'd get paid normally. Call is a stress payment for working through a pandemic. For others, it's a gross underpayment of what they'd normally make. But, at that point, those folks can usually make due with less.

    However, if you were laid off, now that 875/week before taxes is around $21.88/hour. That is probably a good value for many to get by on, compared to the paltry $6.88/hour the state would provide alone. So, what's easier to make do for a month? Approx $1100/month or $3500/month? I couldn't even pay my rent on $1100/month. I'd wager a lot couldn't in south florida.. maybe in the sticks.

    How little the State of Florida (and a few others) pay in Unemployment Insurance, when you look at it from the perspective of white collar workers.. is so pathetically low. How on earth is $275/week or $6.88 an hour going to do anything useful for someone who was making $30-60/hour? How does that help anyone get by until they can find a new job? If even an option.

    Then I followed up with this, regarding total costs...

    Honestly, looking at it, it's not that big of a cost, compared to other parts.

    As of June there were about 30 Million people receiving unemployment benefits. Not sure if all of them quality for CARES Act money, but let's assume they do.

    $600/week, over 13 weeks, for 30M people.. That's $234Billion. Not chump change, but also, less than the approximately $290 Billion spent on the stimulus checks to all Americans, The $500Billion for the Treasury to use however, the $350Billion for the PPP.

    Make it $400/week, and it's $156 Billion.

    I'll use myself as the example again, the $600/week, with me missing 2 days a week was almost a break even point. With me now only missing 1 day of work a week, it's a slight advantage to me. So, in a way, it's a bonus for still working through this.

    If I were actually laid off or furloughed.. no way the $275 from Florida plus the $600 from the Fed would pay my bills. I'd be able to cover rent, electric, water, and maybe some food. Lots of things would have to go. Would probably have to sell a car..
     
    It's not surprising that the media has largely ignored the horrible job that Cuomo has done with Covid. It's good that the AP recognizes Cuomo's nursing home problem.
     
    Here you go everyone. Any federal aid to support the unemployed, or additional costs to deal with the pandemic are being shut down by Trump, if ANY money goes towards the USPS to help shore up operations during the pandemic or that would help them support additional mail in voting.

    www.yahoo.com

    Trump says he is holding up coronavirus aid to block Postal Service funds for voting by mail

    The president said on Thursday that he is willing to block a relief package because it contains money for the U.S. Postal Service that would shore up election infrastructure amid the pandemic.
    www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com

    President Trump on Thursday said he is withholding approval for a coronavirus relief package because Democrats want to include funds for mail-in voting.

    The president said Democrats want $25 billion for the U.S. Postal Service, $3.5 billion of which would be used to shore up infrastructure amid logistical challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is predicted to keep some voters from going to the polls in November.

    “They want $3.5 billion for something that will turn out to be fraudulent, that’s election money basically,” Trump said in an interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo. “They want $25 billion, billion, for the post office. Now they need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots. Now, in the meantime, they aren’t getting there. By the way, those are just two items. But if they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting.”

    Trump has frequently alluded to what he describes as massive voting-fraud conspiracies affecting millions of votes, but the White House has not provided any evidence to support the claims, and some states already use the process safely. He has cited reports of problems distributing and processing mail-in ballots in local elections, including applications for absentee ballots sent to “dogs” and “dead people.”

    Trump himself has voted absentee by mail from the White House, as have a number of his staffers.
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    Giving folks money, is important, but making sure there are funds to allow the infrastructure, like mailing, schools, business, etc to be able to operate at potentially additional cost, is equally important to actually making this pandemic going away. Just giving folks money, with no other targeted fixes, just keeps people on the government' dole, without any support to lower the levels of the local pandemic numbers.
     
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    Food for the weekend thought... Be well all!
     
    Last edited:
    SaintForLife said:
    Is Trump the governor of New York and the President at the same time?
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    That's exactly what lack of leadership looks like.

    And this is how he reacts in time of crisis?? Shirks responsibility to States to come up with own guidance.

    All we needed was for him to be the President. What we got was a city alderman
     
    efil4 said:
    That's exactly what lack of leadership looks like.

    And this is how he reacts in time of crisis?? Shirks responsibility to States to come up with own guidance.

    All we needed was for him to be the President. What we got was a city alderman
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    Cuomo is real leadership? 😂 What's your opinion his nursing home disaster?
     
    SaintForLife said:
    Do you think the "pandemic playbook" would have stopped Covid?
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    Well I think having at least read the plan would have been a start.

    It is not like the playbook was not written first by the Bush administration.

    Or so you think that we as a nation had an organized strategy?

    If you do that is a riot!
     

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