California Senator Dianne Feinstein (D) said Thursday that she planned to introduce an amendment to the next coronavirus economic relief bill that would block stimulus funding to states that refuse to implement mask mandates.
This strikes me as a vindictive Brian Kemp style maneuver being proposed by our side to score political points. You can do better than this, Sen. Feinstein.
Just wear a freakin’ mask
BUT do not wear it Trumpian style
It’s the wrong way!
ICYMI:
Trumpian gaslighting on Covid:
A document prepared for the White House Coronavirus Task Force but not publicized…
18 states where Covid are in RED Zone because they had more than 100 new cases per 100,000 population last week.
11/18 red zone states have more than 10 percent of diagnostic test results came back positive
A healthy economy requires a healthy population.
Even if this sounds like a good idea (which I don’t think it does), just because a mandate is in place, that doesn’t mean it will be enforced, which might just make things worse.
What a dumb idea. Let’s punish tens of millions of people suffering deprivation as a result of the coronavirus because they happen to live in red states where the authorities already would rather let them die than do anything about it.
I was gonna say Trumpian.
This collective punishment approach won’t work on the dedicated death cult states. If the idiot Rethugliklan guvs won’t expand medicare when it costs their state nothing — it’s free, fer chris’sake — the threat of withholding funds to prevent more deaths won’t be received with any better result.
Death Culters gotta death cult.
This is a poison pill for those “pro-virus” Republicans. And Trump will never sign it anyway.
I respectfully disagree.
Either you are for protecting public health or not, and if your not, why should the rest of us fund your nonsense?
We withhold Federal funding from states for various programs unless certain criteria are followed. Education funds, the 55 mph speed limit (repealed), .08 alcohol for drunk driving.
What is more important than public health?
I agree. I think the bill should create a federal cause of action against any government official, including governors, making them personally liable for Covid-19 deaths and injuries caused by their malfeasance.
The other option is that if states want federal money they need to do all they can to prevent the spread of Covid-19, rather than trying to score cheap political points on the Fox News Darwin Award game show that goes for today’s GOP.
while feeling really good to “own the repubs”… it is short sighted. we support the other states because they are in the union, not because they have this or that statue in place.
This is a slippery slope which will eventually give the fed government the power to defund sanctuary cities or other states with policies the fed doesn’t like.
Carrots have better optics than sticks so a better solution would be to chain future corona funds to something progressive, like adopting Vote by Mail as a standard or some other election security policies.
We already fund the ‘nonsense’ of smokers, the morbidly obese, junk food junkies, etc.
Actually, it’s only free for the first three years. Then states have to absorb the cost. Not that they shouldn’t expand medicare as it is cheaper and more efficient that people being forced to seek emergency care at everyone’s expense, but the argument is always about money when in fact, the R’s can’t stand anything that smacks of socialism or welfare (social security and so many other things be damned).
It’s really about ‘those people’ not being able to take care of themselves, etc, blah, blah. And, the times they are a changin’.
This is spectacularly wrong-headed, for at least two reasons.
First of all, we’re talking primarily about economic stimulus that is aimed at everyone suffering from the economic consequences of COVID-19. That part has nothing to do with public health.
Second, to the extent that any of the stimulus funds include actual public health funding – e.g., testing PPE, aid to hospitals – why on earth would you deny those things to residents of red states? You’d rather have people die needlessly because their governors are Trumpian bootlickers?
Finally, why withhold funding at all as a means to force states to mask up? It’s squarely within Congress’ commerce clause authority to respond to a nationwide pandemic by requiring states to take health and safety measures to address it. Feinstein is grandstanding where she should be legislating.
This is a slippery slope which will eventually give the fed government the power to defund sanctuary cities or other states with policies the fed doesn’t like.
This statement is so weak it’s bordering on nonsense.
Sanctuary cities aren’t endangering the public health nation wide. Regarding this particular argument, there is no “slippery slope.” And no, election security/vote by mail should not be part of some kind of incentive package.
I;m tired of sane, reasonably healthy people justifying not just abject stupidity but dangerous stupidity. And not just for themselves but all of us. There must be a penalty for this kind of behavior because the death cult won’t respond to anything else.
EDIT TO ADD: I’m not saying this to “own” anyone. I’m saying this out of fear of what the Fall might bring with both flu season and COVID-19 coming together.
This is why Democrats always lose.Wearing mask helps, Republicans stupidly made masks political issue, do the right thing while screwing your enemies.That is what politics is about.
Of course not, if things are so honky-dory in your state that you don’t feel that there is a need to mandate public health measures, then they don’t need a bailout.
