FEDERAL AND STATE AID

Federal Aid So far as I know, the SARS COVAD-19 problem is the first in which the Federal government has been involved.
After the famous San Francisco Earthquake, the Federal Government gave no money to the city for rebuilding. Eisenhower had a hard time getting the Interstate road program through congress until he said it was for military defense purposes
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The item appealed to for the Federal Government to get involved in state problems is called the "Interstate Commerce" Clause [U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 8)].
The Federal Government getting involved in natural disasters in a state is relatively recent - 1979: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders on April 1, 1979.

Today government involvement in natural disasters is common. The governor of the state has to declare a Natural Disaster to start legislation.

Requests for Federal Aid for natural disasters is not always given.  Recent examples involve flooding in Nebraska in 2020 where the damage was not deemed sufficient to obtain Federal Relief.  The sum requested for one flooding was $3 million where it was felt that the state should be able to handle it.

I worked for the Federal government for 34 years and it was very difficult to get Federal research money for many disasters.  Landslides, for example, were considered a local problem and not available for Federal Aid and therefore research.  Earthquake scientists were able to show that earthquakes were not just a local problem but an interstate problem so earthquakes got research money.

 Volcanic eruptions seem to be an exception.  Damage done by the eruption of Kilauea Volcano in the Big Island of Hawaii got Federal-aid even though it is a local problem, but it is complicated because FEMA tried to get its money back from some individuals:
The 100-plus-day eruption covered more than 13.7 square miles in molten rock, destroyed 716 residential structures and displaced more than 3,000 people, according to the county’s website*

State Aid State Aid seems very uneven whether aid is given and is left up to each state. Thus we have some states that never did shut down during the Sars Coronavirus Pandemic although Mayors may have begged for it. Many states refused the increased Medicaid aid of Obama.  Still, states where state aid has been refused, seem to have approval by voters in the state.

* https://www.civilbeat.org/2019/06/big-island-fema-wants-its-money-back-for-aid-to-volcano-victims/

REAL MEN DO NOT WEAR FACE MASKS

I suppose in this time of politicalization, even wearing masks to prevent getting and given the coronavirus disease to others is politics.

Not long ago, there were the red straws with the president's name on them.*  You got 10 of these for $15 or $1.5 ea when bendable compostable straws were about $0.9 ex:.
The straws as advertised are nine inches long and bright red — the same shade as Trump’s ubiquitous “Make America Great Again” baseball caps — and they’re branded with a laser-engraved “TRUMP” on one end. The description touts the straws as being reusable, recyclable, BPA-free and made in America.**

There were conservatives who wrote that they got the straws to stick it to liberals.  Actually, I have nothing against people buying packets of red straws at a highly inflated price as a souvenir, but, if they are bought to stick it to liberals, I do wonder who actually is getting stuck?

Now we have it with masks.  It turns out that many conservatives do not wear masks when they are supposed to as a statement against liberals.  Well, I actually have nothing against people not wearing masks when they are supposed to.  They are just playing probabilities that even if they do not wear a mask to a big event, they will not get coronavirus even if others do because the number who will get the disease is a fraction of the group.  But there is a small probability that they will become infected and then infect others that is pretty selfish, I think.  But hey say this is some sort of statement against those "commie" liberals who cares about others getting infected?

Incidentally, I'm surprised that you apparently cannot buy red masks with Trump printed on them to "stick it" to liberals to prevent coronavirus spread.  Perhaps it is felt that this would be too soft a "stick" and would actually want to do some good.  Can't have that.  Cowboy, take off the sissy face mask.

* http://stopcontinentaldrift.blogspot.com/2019/07/conservative-and-liberal-straws.html
** https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/19/trump-2020-campaign-selling-10-plastic-straws-for-15.html

OK, I DO HOPE THE ECONOMY STAYS BAD

President Trump says “I think some people don’t want it [economy] really to come back, for political reasons, which is sick,” Trump continued, offering no evidence to support his claim. “But the people — the real people, the people that want this country to be great, and great again — we can say they want to get back.”*

OK, I confess.  I'm one of those who would like to see unemployment increase on election day, but I never wished for anything like the coronavirus debacle.  President Trump has poor instincts and he seemingly will take the wrong turn every time.

Things are in a terrible mess because of President Trump's moves in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.  My worry is that it is all happening too soon and that all these lives being lost are wasted.  But I can hope, I guess, that a crushed economy will be more visible and not better by election day.

Trump has no empathy and people dying do not bother him.  That is why he could walk away from our Kurdish Allies and leave them to be slaughtered by the Turks.  An increased death total from coronavirus will not bother him at all.

The politician most on top of the coronavirus matter has been Joe Biden who was worrying about coronavirus as far aback January 27, 2020.**
Trump’s demonstrated failures of judgment and his repeated rejection of science make him the worst possible person to lead our country through a global health challenge.

The outbreak of a new coronavirus, which has already infected more than 2,700 people and killed over 80 in China, will get worse before it gets better. Cases have been confirmed in a dozen countries, with at least five in the United States. There will likely be more.**

While President Trump played nice tunes in his tweets, not all Republicans agreed:
Peter Navarro, Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, wrote in a memorandum addressed to President Trump:


"The lack of immune protection or an existing cure or vaccine would leave Americans defenseless in the case of a full-blown coronavirus outbreak on U.S. soil. This lack of protection elevates the risk of the coronavirus evolving into a full-blown pandemic, imperiling the lives of millions of Americans."***

Then there is California, America's most populous state, that closed down in mid-March!
California's 40 million residents should stay home indefinitely and venture outside only for essential jobs, errands and some exercise, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday, warning that the coronavirus threatens to overwhelm the state's medical system.****
..............................................................
 He said the state has taken over a 357-bed bankrupt hospital in the San Francisco Bay Area, soon will announce the purchase of a similarly sized hospital in Southern California and may use dormitories at the state's public colleges and universities.****
In a separate address published March 17, Gavin Newsome said: "Asking our restaurants to close down for the moment, provide takeout if they wish, and operate in that frame. That will focus our alignment across the state of California, and we believe it’s necessary."****
Because of these actions, the number of deaths from COVAD-19 in California puts them in 5th place in the U.S. in spite of its being the most populous state.

CONCLUSIONS:  So we will give an A+'s to a Democratic Presidential candidate(Joe Biden) in January, an A to Governor of America's most populous state  (Gavin Newsome) in mid-March, and.an A- to the Republican Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy (Peter Navarro) in early April.
Though late to the party of recognizing there is a problem, President Trump eventually did do some things so I give him a D.

* https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/08/trump-says-democrats-dont-want-economy-to-recover-244812
** Joe Biden, "Trump Is Worst Possible Leader to Deal with Coronavirus Outbreak," usatoday.com, Jan. 27, 2020
*** Maggie Haberman, "Trade Adviser Warned White House in January of Risks of a Pandemic," nytimes.com, Apr. 6, 2020
****https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/governor-projects-56-of-californians-may-be-infected-with-coronavirus-in-next-8-weeks/2289281/
https://la.eater.com/2020/3/17/21183590/california-governor-gavin-newsom-shut-down-covid-19-coronavirus-statewide-dine-in-restaurants

DOES VICE-PRESIDENT PENCE HAVE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE?

There was this curious announcement that Vice President Pence and President Trump would be keeping their distance from each other for a while.  The last time I saw a picture of Mike Pence he was wearing a mask.  So far as I know of, the last time Mike Pence has been seen in public was May 7th.

Supposedly Pence has been tested for coronavirus with a negative result.

Just what is the Vice President doing with his time if he is not ill?

INFRASTRUCTURE

There are 32 million people out of work now.  It would be a good time to have a major infrastructure program as costs would be inexpensive.  Well, there is talk about a $2 trillion infrastructure bill,* but Republicans don't do infrastructure** so my guess is that nothing will become of it.  In this age of coronavirus, could a major infrastructure program be done safely?  But safety seems to be disappearing among the most vocal Republicans.

Here is an account of Penn Station in New York City.***

Apparently, most deaths are occurring among meatpackers, jails, and homes for seniors
  As of this date (May 9, 2020, we have no virus cases that we know about.

* https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/30/schumer-trump-democrats-agreed-2-trillion-needed-for-infrastructure.html
** https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/30/koch-network-slams-2-trillion-infrastructure-cost-agreement-between-trump-democrats.html
*** https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2019/11/29/penn-station-robert-caro-073564

EIGHTY-NINE YEARS ON THIS PLANET (Biographical)

Today April 24th is my 89th birthday which means that I have been out of my mother's womb for 89 yrs., so I have begun my 90th year of living.  How is it?

As for me, I'm doing all right.  I say I am still kicking, just not very high.  Though I might walk around my apartment at Penick Village continuing care facility, I am spending more and more time in an electric wheelchair as a result of arthritis in my spine and always in it if I leave the apartment.  The wheelchair gives me great mobility, and I can tour the halls of my large apartment building without a problem to see the art on the hall walls (Note: This does not count as exercise.).  I do have some problems with concentration and sometimes I have to go back and reread a passage or wind back the TV program to clarify things, other times I just move on.  I do some simple cooking such as bacon, sausage, toast, and egg breakfast.  In addition, I have a lady who comes in to help me twice a week for 2 hrs each and sometimes does some shopping.

The biggest news every day regards what is called novel coronavirus or COVAD-19 that is in the 2003 SARS family and is very contagious.  Often the coronavirus will consume an entire news program.  In the United States, there are 822,000 official cases of infection and 45,494 official deaths (From February 29 through April 22nd).  Both of these numbers are actually minimums as they are for hospitalization only and do not include estimates of those who stay at home and die at home or at retirement centers.  The figures could easily be double those reported.  We are not getting our weekly house cleaning so a couple of weeks ago, I bought a vacuum cleaner.

In North Carolina where I live, the number of cases of the novel coronavirus cases has topped 7,000 (7,220), and the number of deaths is 242 and counting, of course.

We have been confined to our apartments for about a month  We walk outside and can go to patios outside the building in small groups if we stay 6 ft apart and wear masks.  In reality, most of us drink wine while visiting which is difficult to do while wearing a mask.  Last Sunday I joined two different groups by invitation so I had a lot of social life for me.  And two days later I visited the Christensens.

In the outside world, everything is locked down right now to prevent virus infections from getting any worse.  All professional sports have been canceled for the year or delayed. No restaurants are open or barbershops and beauty salons, or movie theaters.  With me, the lack of beauty shops will become a problem at some point.  Because I have rods in my back, I cannot trim my own toenails so I will need a Pedicure.  I had a dentist's appointment in mid-May [Cancelled for a second time.] and a Doctor's appointment at the end of May.

President Trump has said we are at war, though he will take no responsibility for anything.  It does feel like war because the store shelves carrying toilet paper are empty and you can't buy any hand sanitizer (alcoholic), among other things. [Note added May 8th:  You still cannot buy these things.]

Many but not all Republicans have become tired of the lockdown and have taken to demonstrations to open things up and they are supported by the President.  The Attorney General is getting into the act as mandatory lockdown is in opposition to freedom as mentioned in the constitution so they would like to just let the virus rip through the populace and open businesses.  They also point out that the number of expected deaths is not that different from automobile deaths, and we tolerate those.  I could add death from guns that are about 30,000 per year.  But since these comments, the coronavirus deaths have blown by these other figures.  [Added May 8th, 2020: minimum deaths are now 76,020 for the U.S. and counting so you can see how rapidly things are adding up.]

There are some things I feel are strange.  I think this period would be a great opportunity for terrorists to attack, but they seem to be quiet.  Maybe terrorists feel the coronavirus is terror enough.  In the previous administration (Obama) there was an Ebola outbreak.  The American public went bonkers and sure they were going to die, but there is an Ebola outbreak of more than 2,000 infections going on in the Democratic Republic of The Congo in Africa at this time, and it barely gets mentioned.  I haven't heard of any cases getting to the U.S., however.