Troubles in paradise

Politics
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Democrats in California and Hawaii seem to be hitting the limits of their lockdown-forever campaigns. In California Elon Musk has sued the local county for the shutdown of the Tesla plant in Fremont, and has threatened to move the plant to another state. He also reportedly reopened the plant in apparent violation of the lockdown:

Telsa CEO Elon Musk continued to defy California and Alameda County authorities by restarting production at the company’s Fremont assembly plant Monday, saying he was ready to be arrested himself if necessary . . .

In the past Tesla has benefited from billions in state subsidies of electric vehicles and special tax breaks for the plant. Given the massive and increasing deficits as a result of the lockdown, it is unlikely that California will be able to afford the billions necessary to placate Musk. I guess it is time for Tesla to suck tax money from another government teat; this one is running dry.

Meanwhile tourist-dependent Hawaii continues to impose a 14-day quarantine on visitors in addition to an aggressive lockdown. The economy is collapsing and patience is starting wear thin:

“If we let the economy go the way it’s going, there will be, I feel, significant unrest that could lead to civil disobedience. In worst case, civil disturbance and rioting,” Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, the state director of emergency management, told lawmakers Monday.

The actual number of cases in the states remains low so the basis for the lockdowns is tenuous at best, yet California and several other Democrat-run western states are demanding a trillion-dollar bailout:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/california-western-states-pact-call-on-feds-for-241-trillion-in-aid-for-coronavirus-fallout/ar-BB13Wd05

Should the federal government provide massive subsidies to states that commit economic suicide with continued lockdowns?

Why are the governors so intent on destroying their states’ economies?

Will reality actually force these states to end their lockdowns?

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Did you see what the female California pol replied to Musk?

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Yes, I thought that kind of language was reserved only for Trump and his supporters.

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Such a lady!

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Rush Limbaugh speculates that some Democrat governors are intentionally destroying the economy so they can blame it on Trump and allow Democrats to win the presidential election. There may be some truth to that assessment, but it could backfire if red states open and recover while blue states collapse in a never-ending lockdown.

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The spike in infection rates and deaths will be amplified by the media to the point that the red states will be shamed into closing again. Even though spikes after shutdown are fully expected and in fact necessary to attain herd immunity.

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And the increase in testing. Your scenario is definitely possible.

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The mainstream media can be counted on for hyping any outbreaks in red states that reopen, but infections from respiratory virus normally go way down during the summer so the outbreaks are likely to be limited. Limited lockdowns may be necessary if outbreaks occur this fall and there is limited vaccine availability.

As I noted earlier, states with Republican governors have a much lower risk death from the coronavirus to begin with. They may also have much better economies if they reopen while blue states stay locked down.

For background see:
Risk factor identified that triples the risk of death from COVID-19?

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They wrote the script when they pushed the shutdown panic to start with. There’s no conceivable way we can get back to a semblance of normal until their objectives are met. We must be beholden to the government. Freedom must be stamped out wherever it rears it’s ugly head. It has a price that congress has estimated at ~$3trillion.

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Absolutely not.

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Too big to fail.

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It seems that Governor Newsom is trying to bring the benefits of Venezuelan-style socialism to California and is expecting the federal government to subsidize it.

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They all are, Pelosi all but admitted it. Look at the things in the bill.

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14

Let them go ahead and destroy the economies of Washington, Oregon, California, NY and Massachusetts. It wouldn’t affect the electoral vote for Trump at all…even if they incorrectly blamed Trump.

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A reasonable question is what is going to happen in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. They were states that Trump narrowly won and which gave him the majority in the electoral college.

All three have Democratic governors. Pennsylvania and Michigan have seen some bitter divisions about ending the lockdowns.

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Imagine that. When you kill incomes, people get upset. This isn’t rocket surgery.

No, we shouldn’t provide another dollar from the Feds, we should open ALL economies and understand the results are going to be better than the systematic execution of our livelihoods. The lock down needs to end and at risk people should self segregate. We that love them should make damn sure they’re supplied and safe.

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That’s where the battle in those states will be waged.

Colorado and Kentucky too. And others.

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Subsidizing never-ending lockdowns California is not going to win any votes in Pennsylvania.

There are indications that the lockdowns are wearing thin even in California. The LA mayor took a step or two back from earlier statements for the County Health Director about a 3-month extension to the lockdown.

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But it effects me. If my niece and nephew didn’t move out here I would have been gone by now.

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Right. But the question was about the Dem governors of battleground states destroying their respective economies, and then blaming it on Trump.