Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[AlabamAlum]

Iran refuses US aid. Cites China's conspiracy that the US engineered the virus.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/iran-leader-refuses-cites-coronavirus-conspiracy-theory-200322145122752.html

Fine. Fuck them.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Right Before the Cuomo news conference, I tuned in to Governor Ron Desantis of FL. Talk about a guy having his shit together. Not worth detailing his plan. Suffice it to say, understandable, precise, works to protect the most vulnerable while not shutting everything down (essential services for now). Within the next few days, possibly two weeks, the data will be available to start to make informed decisions on how to get the economy back up and operating by putting less vulnerable workers back to work.

Besides this, he mobilized his own National Guard. Not sure why Trump had to authorize the activation of the NG for NY, CA and WA. The FL National Guard has deployed 4 mobile field hospitals and called up 300 medics to man them. They aren't needed yet but will be ready if the need arises. There are also assisting on running 5 mobile testing facilities - all health care workers and first responders can be tested there. Others must meet CDC screening requirments to receive testing - this is done at the site.

Despite having a huge population of vulnerable seniors, a passel of assisted living facilities and nursing homes there are adequate hospital beds, ICU beds and ventilators for now. There are reportedly only 2 deaths in all of FL's senior living facilities. Florida has the 5th most positive COVID-19 cases in the US behind NYC, CA, WA and NJ.

Clearly the management of the COVID-19 crisis varies by state. FL looks pretty good and I'd run Desantis against Trump any day based on what he appears to have done without calling on the Federal Government for disaster relief (it is available) and by how clearly he articulates what the problems aare and what solutions are on offer.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Until they figure out how to do that dance you have to be in lockdown. We don't have the beds or supplies at the moment to do that. Cuomo also said NY might need 30,000 ICU beds where they currently have 3,000.

Getting low risk people back to work and treating the seriously ill are separate problems. I get there's an indirect relationship in that the more people you put back into circulation with increased potential for them to get exposed the more likely they'll potentially get really sick and need a hospital bed.

But the data is robust enough at this point (the 95/5) that the rewards of restarting the economy outweigh the risks of that happening using a well thought out risk stratified approach in doing that like Cuomo seems to be talking about.

[froot loops]

Yeah I'm not as optimistic as you are on this.

[iam416]

Until they figure out how to do that dance you have to be in lockdown. We don't have the beds or supplies at the moment to do that. Cuomo also said NY might need 30,000 ICU beds where they currently have 3,000.

Right. What we need to know is what the expected increase in mortality is. It's obivously going to increase, but by how much. At some point in the relatively near future we're going to start having some really fucking hard discussions. As or right now, we're mostly all in the shelter in place mode. But that won't last.

[iam416]

I tuned in to Governor Ron Desantis of FL

By all accounts, he's been really good overall. He was hugely popular before this. Meanwhile, his venerated opponent is making Marion Berry blush in terms of hotel room antics. Voters really got that one right.

Yeah I'm not as optimistic as you are on this.

I'm full-on catastrophe at the moment. I don't see any conceivable way this doesn't end horribly. So, I'm with Froot and probably even more pessimistic. I'm talking OSU playing Clemson pessimistic.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I think both DeWine and Cuomo have been really good

[froot loops]

I think we can get to what Jeff is talking about but not in the next few weeks. We don't have the tests or equipment needed to do that.

[iam416]

DSL

Honestly, if you look back -- Mardi Gras and "The Arnold" were at roughly the same time. Franklin County *could* be looking like New Orleans right about now (we'll get there soon enough, I suppose). But, DeWine was willing to cancel The Arnold. I thought it was crazy at the time, but it probably bought us some real time.

FYI, the City of Columbus public health expert pushed for it -- Ginther did not want to do it. DeWine came in and was willing to own it, which made it possible. Ginther eventually got on board with that cover, but, as a matter of politics, it only happened because DeWine was willing to take the bullet.

[Dr. Strangelove]

If Cuomo had a failing it's (maybe) that he deferred too much to De Blasio to handle City affairs. And De Blasio went to the gym instead to get in a few last reps.

And yeah, how The Arnold was handled was big.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Italy new cases and new deaths decline for the second day in a row. Too early for some optimism there?

[Whitley]

Amy Klobuchar announces her husband has it. Hasn't been around him in 14 days so not self-quarantining.

Senate needs to pass this thing or allow remote voting, pronto.

Why would Sen Kloubacher not be around her husband for the last 14 days? That strikes me as odd even for a couple that has been married 26-7 years.

[Whitley]

I think both DeWine and Cuomo have been really good

I was disappointed in Whitmer when I read that she was not going to penalize churches if they had over 50 people in church. The reason she cited was a separation of church and state. Also was disappointed in her reasoning for not having shelter in place. THe Michigan Chamber of Commerce was against it along with the Detroit Regional Center. The SBA of Michigan also objected Saturday too saying that closing businesses down too quickly could lead to long-term damage. Of course, that would require people actually being able to....I don't know...being alive to go to said businesses.

There is an easy way around the SBA of Michigan objection. It is pretty simple---just say there is a hold on all bills (and future ones happening from the point of an order) until the crisis has passed. That would give the state government time to assess what is needed to jump start the economy.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Well, the Senate still can't get the Bill they want passed. It failed again, this time 49-47 and there's still missing Senators due to COVID infection to exposure. I think McConnell and Schummer know that having those votes won't make a difference. The D's are going to get what they want before the bill passes the Senate.

I've got the entire House proposal. I'ts 1000 pages long and I've already burned my eyeballs out today at the computer reading shit. Not gonna due it so, I'll have to take it at face from the article I just read that says this about the Pelosi/Schummer offering:

The Democrats' bill, which is more than 1000 pages long, would prevent corporations from using taxpayer money for stock buybacks, boost unemployment insurance, strengthen the child tax and earned income tax credits, and inject nearly $40 billion into schools and universities to stabilize funding.

It also directs billions in grant funding for states to carry out this year's election through the Election Assistance Commission.

Aside from the school bull shit which should not be a federal issue - that's just me - I do like the idea that there are provisions in it that limit what corporations can do with the money they get from the government. Frankly, I don't really care about the school stuff ....... just get it done. Whether I'm eating cat food or not when I hit about 84 will be determined by passing the fiscal stimulous, coupled with the Fed using it's so called Bazzooka (and good on them if you haven't heard what they did today - and finding some rational way to risk assess who goes back to work and getting them there. My favorite local restaurants in Fort Lauderdale are depending on these three things. They'll all go under (independently owned little guys) if this doesn't come together by the first of April. I think Wiz would be for this too.

[iam416]

The Democrats' bill, which is more than 1000 pages long, would prevent corporations from using taxpayer money for stock buybacks, boost unemployment insurance, strengthen the child tax and earned income tax credits, and inject nearly $40 billion into schools and universities to stabilize funding.

It also directs billions in grant funding for states to carry out this year's election through the Election Assistance Commission.

You quoting the D talking points or something?

C'mon.