{Updated 10/1} If you are a fan of the guy in the White House and a friend of this blog, you may want to skip this one. I don't mean to offend a friend.
I blame Donald Trump and his incompetence for the Pandemic. A teacher friend shared that when people say that, it devolves in a screaming match and she never really learns why someone blames him. So I thought I would explain why I blame him for chaos we are living under.
First some background. I worked in the film industry and education among other fields. I can move an army through the desert. I understand logistics and purchasing. I've collaborated with the Army, Navy and Secret Service in my career. My family background includes construction (which I have helped in) and law enforcement. I've lost my job due to COVID, so I have some skin in the game.
So this is what should have been done by a TRUE leader:
1) Don't tear apart the Pandemic Team. The history of our Pandemic readiness as a nation dates back to George W. Bush. He was on vacay at the ranch and read a book on the 1918 Pandemic. (A President that reads...how novel!) He read that they occur every 100 years or so and was looking at the calendar and came back to Washington and gave orders to start preparing. Obama continued and enhanced. Trump tore it apart. Gotta love a lack of foresight and planning on a leader's part.
2) Freeze the borders immediately. Donald's excuse: "Well if they are Americans, you have to let them in." So quarantine them on an army base or hotel or outpatient hospital. Hawaii is doing this. Other countries did this. 14 days and a clear test and DONE.
Los Angeles' own patient zero was from Wuhan who flew into LAX TWICE while ill... the second time, he was too ill to move and had to be hospitalized. Think of the plane-loads of people he infected. This should have never been allowed to happen!
3) Mask mandate. Fauci / Birx et. al have openly admitted they did not suggest masks because they knew there were not enough and feared medical personnel would have NONE. This is where LEADERSHIP is crucial! A good, effective leader could prevent panic by saying the following:
"Listen folks, we believe a mask is crucial to stopping this, but PLEASE do not run out and buy an N95. We are desperately trying to make sure our medical teams have those. A simple fabric mask will do. So I'm going to call on all the fabulous makers and sewers we have here in America. Get that quilting fabric you've been stashing away out and SAVE LIVES! The CDC is posting patterns on their website and the White House website will have it too. Please make masks for all your friends... and honestly we are so short on N95s, make some covers for your nurse and doctor friends too! THIS COUNTRY NEEDS YOU!
And I know it's uncomfortable to wear them but the thing is, you can be spreading the virus without having ANY symptoms! So please do your part and wear a mask! I'll wear mine every time you see me in public. Just know when you see me wearing a mask, I'm doing my part to save the lives of my family and wonderful staff. YOU DO THE SAME and we'll get through this quickly!"
And then you wear a mask everywhere. Be photographed in it. Make it normal! Make it heroic! And never, ever make fun of anyone who choses to be so heroic!
4) Purchasing clearinghouse. The USA had the ability to order supplies: PPE, masks, gloves, gowns, ventilators etc. in bulk at a Federal level. If I were purchasing on this level (for 50+ states and territories), I would have worked on percentages. Ex: If New York had 55% of the cases, NY would have first crack at 55% of whatever we bought on a given day. If CA had 20% of all cases, they could have 20% of available PPE. If someone had enough gowns, they could just stay in inventory.
Items would be sold to the states at cost.
As it was, states were bidding against one another and would think they had locked in supplies only to be outbid again. There were stories of comptrollers being lead to parking lots by highway patrol to get to the PPE first. California was paying $5.50 for N95 for healthcare workers when the going rate was half that. Desperation breeds fear and costs money. By having the Federal Government work as a centralized clearinghouse (something our military has vast experience in), it prevents panic and saves money.
5) Standardized Re-opening plans. If the Federal Government had set a clear standard for what the numbers of cases should look like before you open restaurants / bars / gyms / churches / schools, there would have been far less pushback. They don't have to mandate but come up with a plan. Even the Department of Education HAS NO PLAN. Everything is left up to the states. What could have been standardized across the country is willy nilly and based on politics, not saving lives. Which leads to spoiled baby Americans saying, "Why to they get to go out to eat when I have to stay home." More discord and pushback.
6) Let the science do the talking. Trump made every press conference about HIM. A genuine leader with concern for his people would have popped in and said, "Ok, this is what we are looking at today: {Update on numbers}. We have cut a deal to {buy PPE / manufacture vents}. Wear your mask folks and now, I'm going to let the scientists fill you in on the rest.
Talk about what the government can do (your strength as a leader) and let the smart scientists do the heavy lifting, without regard to your own electability!
7) Just be honest with us. I know that's a hard thing for dear misleader to do with over 20,000 lies on the books (Why are we o.k. with that?). Americans will tolerate a lot. They will band together and pull off AMAZING things, when under clear, direct leadership.
8) Pay people to STAY HOME! (Can't believe I left this out!) Other countries did this. In Korea, they basically paid for groceries and utilities and that's it. All rent / mortgage's suspended. Did you skip the key word there: mortgages. I'm a landlord. I rely on my rental income to make MY bills... my mortgages were not suspended (Heaven forbid we hurt the big, bad banks!) but my rental income was. It just makes no sense the way our Government has tackled this! How's the whopping $1200 you got way back in April holding out???
How different would things be if we had someone kind and compassionate in the White House?
I can only imagine... but I do know this for sure. We would all be out having a cocktail or lovely dinner after getting off of work if these things had been done.
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