Muh Muh Muh My Corona (virus)

If we concede the point that Covid is just the flu, and all of this is just an over reaction ...

Exactly how deadly would an outbreak have to be before “Conservatives” would accept some sort of rules to fight a pandemic?

I mean if Dustin Hoffman and Cuba Gooding we’re running around trying to find the monkey before it was too late, would “Conservatives” then be like “OK this time the cure isn’t worse than the disease, and maybe we need to stay home?”

 

I'm sure other districts will make similar choices, but how do they deal with the economic shortfall that is almost definitely coming in most of the country? I'm talking about cuts in state funding and the expense involved in most plans for re-opening.

 

I think governments needed more transparency to explain the "why" in some of the examples. I won't defend every move every government made. Some seem unfair or, now that we know more than we did four months ago, less effective. The economic toll is horrible and shouldn't be minimized.
I will say that in general the rules seem designed to give people reasons to stay home, avoid large gatherings with people outside the family structure, avoid places where people linger for hours, avoid people in close quarters.
The difference isn't being in a boat vs. a car.
The difference is going to the lake gets people out, sometimes traveling from long distances with the potential of moving the virus long distances and makes tracing difficult, draws a crowd and encourages people to linger in crowds. We seem to know now that being outside is a mitigating factor, but I get the basic thought of doing things that discourage conditions that seem ideal for COVID-19 to spread.
If local governments were acting in good faith on the advice of science and medicine, they tried to their jobs to protect people.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/busi...rth-it-hasnt-made-difference-covid-19-crisis/

Economists at the University of Wyoming estimated the economic benefits from lives saved by efforts to “flatten the curve” outweighed the projected massive hit to the nation’s economy by a staggering $5.2 trillion.

 

Krugman thread on same.

 

Who is the President when the monkey gets out? That is all they care about.

 

Masking and airborne transmission

Reducing transmission of SARS-CoV-2

 

No earthly idea.

 

I don't know, either. I just cringe when I hear or read about districts discussing capital improvements at this time. I'm not saying they aren't necessary. I don't doubt your district's need for a new high school. I'm just drawing on my experience covering school budget meetings and votes and I know that kind of thing probably isn't going to go over well right now.

I'm sure districts can put the savings from this year aside quietly and put it toward a new high school or some other need like that in the future, but all it takes is one parent asking about using that money to address the expected difficulty for '20-21 and you've got a problem getting a budget vote passed. I know that personally I felt the district where I live was doing the right thing when I read that they are putting this year's savings into the '20-21 budget.

 

So. Much. Grifting.

 

Capital and operating funds are distinctly separate in public school systems, and one cannot be used for the other. So if districts have money in their capital fund, there is no reason for them to not go ahead. I understand the optics suck, but it is a law that those budgets cannot be intermingled.

 

Most senior citizens are not going to be fooled for one second by fake stats.

Most people regard flu season as background noise. For older folks, it's a deadly serious. Covid-19 isn't the flu but right now, it's flu season everywhere,