All things political. Coronavirus Edition. (4 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?

 

[SystemShock]

Israel does

End of discussion.

 

[SystemShock]

So...I'm not sure if this is a form of protest, or what

I'll allow it.

 

[DaveXA]

Meanwhile Tate Reeves just removed all mask mandates in Mississippi (except for k-12) and businesses are at full capacity.

Texas is on it. They've removed all mask mandates also, apparently. I guess we've got a few guinea pigs to test out SFL's theory.

 

[SystemShock]

Meanwhile Tate Reeves just removed all mask mandates in Mississippi (except for k-12) and businesses are at full capacity.

Why not k-12? It is not going to matter.

 

[DaveXA]

Why not k-12? It is not going to matter.

I'm guessing it's two-fold, no vaccines available for kids and in person schools are magnets for communicable diseases. So I think mask mandates at schools would make sense.

 

[SaintForLife]

Meanwhile Tate Reeves just removed all mask mandates in Mississippi (except for k-12) and businesses are at full capacity.

Osterholm addressed that exact point in his recent interview I posted last week. He said he wouldn't want to be a governor or mayor dealing with Covid. Eventhough he was recommending not removing restrictions he said the politicians are in an impossible situation. How do they advocate to keep things restricted while the numbers are down and business and people are desperate for things to fully reopen.

 

[MT15]

They should leave the indoor restrictions in place. The weather is warming up and people can eat outside again. Mask wearing inside costs a business owner nothing.

Texas and Mississippi are being very reckless.

 

[MT15]

Getting rid of the mask mandate is just insane at this point in time. Houston is the only city in the country that has demonstrated every known variant right now. Texas only has 10% vaccinated, IIRC. Abbott is doing real harm to his constituents, yet again. One business is just not going to listen.

 

[DaveXA]

Getting rid of the mask mandate is just insane at this point in time. Houston is the only city in the country that has demonstrated every known variant right now. Texas only has 10% vaccinated, IIRC. Abbott is doing real harm to his constituents, yet again. One business is just not going to listen.

Ultimately, it's going to be individuals and companies being responsible for their own health. I'm not a fan of dropping the mandates, but if that happens, until the CDC drops their guidance, and I feel like it's reasonably safe, I'm going to mask up. Hopefully this will all be moot in a few months.

 

[wardorican]

Osterholm addressed that exact point in his recent interview I posted last week. He said he wouldn't want to be a governor or mayor dealing with Covid. Eventhough he was recommending not removing restrictions he said the politicians are in an impossible situation. How do they advocate to keep things restricted while the numbers are down and business and people are desperate for things to fully reopen.

It would be better to keep mask mandates, but open up businesses more.

The worst thing is to add exposures to people in retail shops that folks have no reason to remove their masks. Unlike a restaurant, where you can't eat through your mask.

When you remove mandates from the State, then it becomes up the County. If the County punts, then each business has to decide and the poor workers in certain areas have to deal with irate, jackass customers who feel like being difficult.

 

[wardorican]

Senate looks like they're pairing down the eligibility for the $1400 payments a bit, and maybe tweaking unemployment after Aug.

Stimulus checks: White House agrees to tighten eligibility rules for $1,400 direct payments – sources

President Joe Biden has agreed to more narrow eligibility rules for the $1,400 stimulus checks.

www.yahoo.com

According to the sources, individuals making over $80,000 a year will no longer qualify for the payments — the cap in the House bill was $100,000. The limit for heads of households will be $120,000 a year, compared to $150,000 in the House bill. The ceiling for couples will now be $160,000 a year, versus $200,000.

Moderate Democrats have also been pushing to lower the enhanced unemployment benefits to $300 per week, down from $400 per week. The House bill extends the benefits through Aug. 29, but progressives like Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) have been fighting to extend them through September.

 

[DaveXA]

Senate looks like they're pairing down the eligibility for the $1400 payments a bit, and maybe tweaking unemployment after Aug.

Stimulus checks: White House agrees to tighten eligibility rules for $1,400 direct payments – sources

President Joe Biden has agreed to more narrow eligibility rules for the $1,400 stimulus checks.

www.yahoo.com

I'm fine with some tweaking, but this will just delay when the bill is actually voted on and passed. Making people wait another month doesn't seem like a good idea.

 

[Nebaghead]

I'm fine with some tweaking, but this will just delay when the bill is actually voted on and passed. Making people wait another month doesn't seem like a good idea.

They will just have to reconcile at the house and everything being changed already has approval from the house so it’s a formality.

 

[DaveXA]

They will just have to reconcile at the house and everything being changed already has approval from the house so it’s a formality.

I hope so. Just feels like they're dragging their collective feet a bit here.

 

[insidejob]

I hope so. Just feels like they're dragging their collective feet a bit here.

Hey, at least the feet are moving now at all. They only shuffled around for a minute for the entire year of 2020.

 

[B4YOU]

Senate looks like they're pairing down the eligibility for the $1400 payments a bit, and maybe tweaking unemployment after Aug.

Stimulus checks: White House agrees to tighten eligibility rules for $1,400 direct payments – sources

President Joe Biden has agreed to more narrow eligibility rules for the $1,400 stimulus checks.

www.yahoo.com

Dems planning to lose in ‘22. People vote their pocketbook. Swing voters who got a Trump check but not a Biden check will vote for Republicans.

Just reduce the payment for dependents and keep the income limits. The party will push for a $10k student loan payoff, but $1400 is too much if you make over $80k.

 

[DaveXA]

Dems planning to lose in ‘22. People vote their pocketbook. Swing voters who got a Trump check but not a Biden check will vote for Republicans.

Just reduce the payment for dependents and keep the income limits. The party will push for a $10k student loan payoff, but $1400 is too much if you make over $80k.

They (politicians) pick some weird hills to die on. I'm a bit surprised the feel the need to reduce the limits. And yeah, it's gonna be weird when people who got the full benefit last year gets literally nothing this go around. They're not going to forget that, particularly in 2022. They already are not including the minimum wage. Just go ahead and pass the one that passed the House and let the Republicans birch and moan for a bit. It will last about a week and then they can just move on to the next thing.

 

[nolaspe]

Texas is on it. They've removed all mask mandates also, apparently. I guess we've got a few guinea pigs to test out SFL's theory.

And I'm in NOLA like... I'm so relieved I get my 2nd vax dose in a week...