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| I spent most of my working career as a health and social services planner and administrator including writing the first comprehensive state plan for a statewide emergency medical services system, and statewide alcoholism and drug abuse system, was state director of both offices and I coordinated Alaska's health and social services response to the Valdez oil spill appointed by the governor of the state.
Here is what I think needs to get done.
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Dr Osterholm, director of infectious disease research and policy, on Morning Joe, said this morning that only 5% of people in US have been infected and until 60% to 70% are infected and we attain 'herd Immunity" we will have constant breakouts, so this is a long term problem. He said it is as predictable as gravity. The video is on youtube and is 14.23 seconds, but I couldn't find it on my computer ?, saw it on TV. It is worth a listen as the picture he is painting is 180 degree opposite the one Trump is painting.
He also said, and I agree, the thesis is that we must have a vigorous unified federal government response to deal with this long term e.g. what do we do about everything. Protecting the vulnerable, having an economy that can at least allow people to "survive". and take care of the myriad things people will need to survive, like food and shelter, and at the moment the Trump administration and the Republicans are doing not only nothing substantive, but making the situation worse!
All of this is going to take a unique government response, not unlike FDR had to do, coordinating health and social services with experienced planners and a federal government that can assist and coordinate the response as the LEAD agency. The feds cannot lead from behind as Trump wants.
This is just the beginning, not ending as Trump and some right wingers think. And Dr Osterholm said states like Georgia are a disaster waiting to happen. And IMO that goes for much of the red states who are not taking this seriously like Nebraska, Georgia, Florida, Texas and the six southern states coordinating their opening up which is a terrible idea.
The red state Republican governors need to learn the importance of a vigorous state and federal government response! Hell there are still several red state governors who have not even extended medicaid which is nuts and cruel.
But at the same time way too many poor people are in very bad shape financially and need either work or money just to survive and it will get much worse as time goes by, so we must have a coordinated response like we had in WWII when people planted "victory gardens", rationed gas and everyone worked to help the war effort.
We now need everyone to work together to survive this pandemic. Going back to normal is a long way in the future and may never come!
Which means we need to invent a whole new type of society going forward with much more income equality. We need to share the wealth so everyone survives as best we can. |
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