Right at the moment I’m incredibly frustrated with myself. A couple of days ago, a local news station broadcast an interview with MN State Senator Paul Gazelka, a Republican, concerning a collection of frustrated restauranteurs who desperately want to reopen their businesses for inside dining, and cannot because of the emergency policies of Governor Walz (R-MN). He was on the side of these business owners, who may be facing extinction if they can’t get help. I cannot find that damn interview.
So you’ll have to trust me. Or find a link for me.
The part of the interview with Gazelka which really came into focus for me this morning is this: At some point, he says he trusts the common sense of Minnesotans to follow health guidelines.
Meanwhile, the news station has been consistently showing scenes of packed bars, etc, full of unmasked people, shoulder to shoulder.
And the Minnesota Covid-19 situation? From MDH:
Gazelka may wish it would go well, but it isn’t.
Here’s the problem: humans, individually, are not equipped to measure and understand the problems of public health. Add into that non-existent leadership at the critical Federal level, and religious delusions on the part of certain sects, and it’s a really combustible situation.
I’m sure Gazelka means well. I’m not going to doubt his sincerity. But his proclamations of common-sense, which are line with the general GOP tenet that experts suck, are simply wrong.
Those charts above and at the MDH web site, as well as other State web sites around the country, are a measure of the common sense of the average American when it comes to Covid-19.
And it sucks.
And, BTW, that non-existent Federal leadership? Just blame that on Senator McConnell (R-KY) and his fellow GOPers. The House Democrats had a bill ready in May, and McConnell wouldn’t even bring it up for debate.
Gazelka should be screaming at McConnell, not Walz. Walz does not have the resources of McConnell.
