By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
APRIL 17, 2020 | An old adage is that government at the local level is the best government.
That’s been seen recently in the way governments at the different levels have handled the COVID-19 pandemic.
Government at the city and county level, in general, sought swifter action in putting emergency rules in place to fight COVID-19. Across the nation, these county and municipal governments have been urging governors to move faster in keeping citizens at home, and to shut down normal business operations.
Many governors seemed to resist the recommendations from the lower governments. Several states have no stay at home policy at all. Governor Kristi Noem, a South Dakota Republican, said statewide orders would limit the rights of individuals in her state. Arkansas and Alabama are among other states not ordering social distancing. Governor Brian Kemp’s slow ordering has given Georgia a “D” rating for social distance actions.
Finally, ever so slowly, the governors eventually made their moves in most states. Some states, such as Arkansas, held back. You wonder if we will see the spread of COVID-19 continue longer in these non-complying states than in others. Meanwhile, the Federal Government, led by President Trump, was maintaining the COVID-19 was not such a threat, and saying this would soon pass.
Again, the lower level governments (the states) were looking out better for their people than the higher federal government, as shown by President Trump.
Meanwhile, at the same time, President Trump was attempting to take advantage of the pandemic by holding daily televised briefings. These soon fell into nothing less than campaign rallies by the president, with little news out of them. The president continued to denigrate people across the land, including his own staff, on the way they handled the crisis. He, of course, felt no fault.
One governor who has been most vocal in warning about the COVID-19 problem is New York’s Andrew Cuomo. His state has been the hardest hit and is the epicenter of the virus. As early as March 7, Cuomo declared an emergency in New York.
The COVID-19 virus has seen great leadership from leaders in many states. California and Washington took early measures. The mayor of San Francisco, Calif., London Breed, was among the first to see how no action could help spread the virus faster. So, on March 12, she ordered San Francisco schools to close and people to stay at home, and it’s still in place.
Showing even more leadership later on, Governor Cuomo now is looking forward to the pandemic peaking. He is already working with other governors of northeastern states to plan how to proceed in returning their states to more normal, at the appropriate time when the virus shows major signs of declining.
It all adds up for a new distinction for local and state governments, while the federal government and President Trump give conflicting information and poor leadership.
That simple, lowest level of government, is coming through this crisis beautifully.
Give Yourself a treat, and at the same time, help the local economy. Order takeout from one of your favorite restaurants. Many are open and will appreciate your business. It’ll award your favorite chef for being open during this pandemic. And you get a tasty meal out of it, right in your home.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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