(Annie Black | April 19, 2020) – As Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak continues to fiddle while the state economy burns, now might be a good time to look back on how it all began.
Recall that on March 13, when the governor issued his original Declaration of Emergency, he said…
“I want to stress that declaring a state of emergency – while certainly a mark of the seriousness with which we’re taking this effort – is not a reason to panic.”
He then proceeded to panic.
Four days later, in a now-obvious over-reaction, he shut down the entire state despite saying in the original declaration…
“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to how we address this issue.”
In fact, he treated Nevada’s rural counties with the same one-size-fits-all directive that was applied to Washoe (Reno) and Clark (Las Vegas).
No wonder no one is taking anything the governor says in this matter at face value.
The governor went on to “strongly urge” that Nevadans “gather extra supplies such as soap, tissue, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and basic pantry staples.”
And then seemed surprised when people immediately began hoarding toilet paper!
The governor proceeded to urge Nevadans to “avoid crowds, large-scale events, and mass gatherings – especially in poorly ventilated spaces.”
Yet when ordering the #SisolakShutdown he allowed public buses, decidedly a “poorly ventilated space,” to continue operating. Made no sense whatsoever.
The governor concluded…
“We have been on this 24/7 for several weeks – working with local health authorities, our federal delegation, and other medical professionals.”
So, if the governor had “been on this” for “several weeks” before March 13, why was he caught so flat-footed and unprepared when he issued his shutdown order on March 17 – especially as it relates to all the Nevadans who have suffered long waits and total frustration trying to file for unemployment?
OK, OK. Water under the dam and over the bridge. So where do we go from here?
John Tsarpalas of the Nevada Policy Research Institute suggests…
“Mandates should be replaced with guidelines, which should vary by regions. Silly to treat Lyon and Storey counties like Vegas, for example.”
Exactly.
It’s clearly time to begin reopening Nevada. And the first step should be to stop the one-size-fits-all shutdown order with a multi-phased liberation plan.
As of yesterday, there were 3,594 cases of the Wuhan virus in Nevada. 2,882 of them in Clark County and 588 in Washoe.
Meanwhile, there are fewer than 30 each in the other 15 rural counties, with five reporting ZERO cases and two others with just one each.
The governor should reopen all those counties completely while urging everyone to continue practicing social distancing and other preventive measures – especially the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.
Those counties should be monitored closely by health officials for any signs of a new flare-up and proceed accordingly. Trust, but verify.
In Clark and Washoe, a more limited, phased-in reopening process should begin.
At the very least, ANY retail store that agrees to follow the same preventive protocols now being implemented in grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies should be allowed to reopen.
Especially liquor stores!
Now…
While all of this – the most serious threat to our health, economy and liberty in state history – is going on, where has my opponent, Assemblyman Chris Edwards, been?
AWOL. Missing in action. The Invisible Man.
Seems he came out of his hole when this all began, saw his shadow, and then scurried back in for another six weeks to wait it out – ignoring all the problems and suffering the #SisolakShutdown has caused the voters of District 19.
This is no time for a wallflower. We need a “wartime consigliere.”
If you agree, please click on the Donate button below and help me get the word out.
Liberate Nevada!
QUOTES OF THE DAY
“The virus and the draconian reaction to it are wearing down a quarantined America.” – Columnist Victor Davis Hansen
“Every day the country is shut down has consequences. It’s time for us to start planning for what we do after the immediate danger has passed and figure out how we will reopen in a world with the coronavirus in as smart and as safe a way as possible.” – Steve Sebelius, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 4/19/20
Annie Black is a Mesquite City Councilwoman and Republican candidate for Nevada State Assembly District 19. You can get more information by visiting www.electannieblack.com
