Commentary on Covid, the Infrastructure Bill, and Biden's Budget
Hump Day Evening Edition!
To mask—or not to mask
I have been relentless in my criticism this summer of Florida Gov. Ron Desantis and his reckless indifference to the health and welfare of Florida residents, including public school children. As public schools open statewide this week, I offer my final summation on the topic for the time being, which is to remind that this time last year, Leon County, home to Florida's Capital City of Tallahassee, Florida A&M University, Florida State University, and Tallahassee Community College, had 413 reported Covid cases. Based upon that number, Leon County Schools offered a mix of in person and virtual education, and recommended masking and social distancing for school personnel and students reporting for in person learning.
Conversely, as of this week, Leon County has 1,872 reported cases—a change of 353.27 percent higher, or nearly five times as many cases as last year. Despite these numbers, and despite the fact that over two dozen Tallahassee area pediatricians signed a missive urging for adherence to CDC safety precautions, Leon County will mandate masks while simultaneously allowing parents to "opt out" of having their kids wear masks.
While I understand the politics of the moment and the art of compromise, and am confident that the “opt out” option will indemnify the school system from liability should little Karen and Kenny get Covid, my final words are that parents across Florida—and America—must choose to do the right thing while knowing that most of our fellow Americans will not. Such is why I mask up in public because while I know that many others will not mask up, I choose to protect myself and my loved ones based upon not just the science—but good common sense.
Maskless Masquerade
I debated whether to comment on former President Barack Obama's 60th Birthday party from this past weekend but after seeing photos from the event, I would be far less than balanced if I did not note that the maskless event was as bad of a look as former President Donald Trump's maskless Rose Garden party last September, the one in which he nominated Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court—and fell seriously ill (along with other attendees) from the Coronavirus only a few days later.
Now, I know that Obama defenders will say that party goers were vaccinated—I get that. But I also get that vaccinated people can still contract AND transmit Covid-19 and its deadly Delta variant. For that reason alone, methinks that a small Obama family gathering, or a virtual celebration, would have been better optics; optics are critically important in an era when many Republicans who scoff at the disease or the wisdom of mask wearing and social distancing declare, "Aha! Just look at your beloved President Obama and his family 'partying up' and going maskless with the rich Hollywood elite."
What's done is done, no doubt, but as for Ol' Hobbs, you won't see me at any potential super spreader event until such time as herd immunity is reached—and the deadly threat abates.
Biden Budget and Infrastructure Bills
Earlier today, the U.S. Senate approved the Democratic budget resolution on a party-line 50-49 vote, a move that places President Biden's $3.5 trillion budget closer to adoption. This comes only days after a bipartisan group of senators, in a 69-30 vote, passed a $1 trillion dollar Infrastructure Bill that could provide much needed improvements across America.
This has been a solid week for Mr. Biden, who said with regards to the Infrastructure Bill that, "This is transformational. I know compromise is hard for both sides. But it's important, it's necessary for democracy to be able to function. So I want to thank everyone on both sides of the aisle for supporting this bill. Today, we proved democracy can still work."
President Biden also heaped praise upon Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the GOP leader who has taken a rhetorical beating this past week from former President Trump. Trump, angry and jealous that an Infrastructure Bill was not passed on his watch, is now vowing to take down McConnell and the other 18 Republican senators who placed partisanship aside for the public good.
Stay tuned…
Gov. Cuomo resigns
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned yesterday in the wake of a New York Attorney General investigation that concluded that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women during his administration.
While Cuomo's legal battles are just beginning, with civil suits looming from his alleged harassment victims and potential litigation stemming from his handling of the Covid crisis last year, he will be replaced by Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Hochul, a former lawyer and U.S. Representative from upstate New York, will become the first woman in that state's history to serve as governor, a fact that is rather ironic when considering that sexual harassment against numerous women led to her elevation!
Couple dies within hours of each other from Covid
While perusing my Facebook timeline this morning, I stumbled across this article that details the recent deaths of Georgians Martin and Trina Daniel. The couple shunned being vaccinated for the Coronavirus and after catching what both believed to be colds earlier this summer, have since succumbed to the highly infectious disease.
Quintella Daniel, niece of Martin, lamented, "Uncle Martin was a chemist. He went to Tuskegee, so a part of our hesitancy is because we know what happened with the US syphilis study, so a lot of our hesitancy came from us not wanting to be an experiment to see if it would work or wouldn't."
This saddens me, greatly, because there are SO many Black doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and epidemiologists who have not only vouched for the safety of these vaccines, but they have been inoculated and worked diligently to ensure that their loved ones are inoculated—and that Black folks understand that this ain't the Tuskegee Experiments 2.0!
The Daniels’ tragic deaths remind Ol' Hobbs to continue exercising the patience of Job in pleading with all citizens, especially Black folks who are dying at a disproportionate rate, to take the shot!
Thank you for subscribing to the Hobbservation Point Newsletter—have a wonderful evening!