States working together on reopening plans

[disneysteve]

NJ, NY, PA, CT, DE, and RI announced today that they've created a regional advisory board to work together to plan how and when to reopen things once the COVID emergency has passed.

I think that's a great idea. It will be so important for the states to work together to do this intelligently. If each state is just doing their own thing, it will be a mess. Hopefully more states will join forces in this way.

[Smallsteps]

Just saw a pact between CA, OR and WA.
While I would agree being on the same page is a good thing in doing this as we are in new territory .....
but my first reaction was it also provides some cover for state politicians ..... want to open ASAP and it causes more infection blame your counterparts .... same thing if one state drags their feet letting the economy sink further.
A big game of CYA

[disneysteve]

I think it's harder to point fingers when you're all working together. If NY stayed closed but NJ and CT opened on either side, NY could easily say it's their fault. But if they are all working together and make the decision jointly, they would all share the credit or blame equally.

[ua_guy]

It seems wise to band together as major hubs of population. In absence of any federal direction to begin with, states did their own thing. I think there will be a lot of uncertainty and disagreement about who holds the power to "re-open" -and when. If we've got the major centers of population in lock-step, I think the rest of the country will be appropriately restrained or encouraged to follow their timelines.

[disneysteve]

In absence of any federal direction to begin with, states did their own thing.

Exactly. The states realize now that there is no Federal plan or response so they're on their own. Best to work together to try and make things as organized and logical as possible.

[bjl584]

It is the job of the states to reopen as they see fit.
I was listening to some commentary by a Constitutional Scholar yesterday, and he said as much.
He actually took it a step further and said that it can be drilled down to a local level by county and even municipality where a mayor of a town can decide what is best for their given area.
Our system of government doesn't grant power to the feds or the President to open or close commerce. Despite what some people believe or want.
There is no federal plan because legally there is not really supposed to be.

[disneysteve]

Our system of government doesn't grant power to the feds or the President to open or close commerce.

Who gets to explain that to Trump because he said the exact opposite at his rally yesterday?

[bjl584]

Who gets to explain that to Trump because he said the exact opposite at his rally yesterday?

He can say whatever he wants. It doesn't make it true.

I can recall politicians from both sides of the aisle saying all sorts of things over the years that are inaccurate, wrong, lies, what have you.
Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story.
Especially when votes and money are at stake.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

it makes sense. Just like I'm not against other states in the middle of the country not shutting down. But maybe texas should shut down major cities and leave the rest open. It's up to them. But states who really do intermingle like WA, OR, CA, and the northeast why wouldn't you work to ease it at the same time.

[james.hendrickson]

Following on this point - Oregon and Washington are highly interdependent, especially along both sides of the Columbia River. Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR are adjacent to each other and see a great deal of commuter traffic and heavy industrial trade. It makes perfect sense for the two states to coordinate reopening together.

[disneysteve]

maybe texas should shut down major cities and leave the rest open.

How would that work, though? If you have Dallas closed, for example, but Plano or Richardson or Grapevine reopens, then all the potentially infected folks from Dallas will just drive out to the nearest towns that are open to shop and dine and party. So maybe all of those surrounding towns decide they need to stay closed too to prevent that. Then you just move the goal line and the towns that border those towns have the same concern and also have to stay closed. Where and how do you draw the line?

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Let texas decide for themselves. Let the governor and mayors of those cities decide. They have to live with the repercussions. Florida stayed open and let spring break happen and it doesn't appear that anything bad has happened. They appear to have dealt with it so I think putting it on each state or states in groups to decide and realize what sort of situation you are in.

[disneysteve]

Florida stayed open and let spring break happen and it doesn't appear that anything bad has happened.

Multiple spring break students returned home only to test positive for COVID, which they likely contracted while there, and then likely infected people at the airport, on the plane, and back in their home towns.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

But it hasn't changed the circumstances where ever these kids were from. So i guess no harm no foul. I think we might as well let each area independently decide what is best because like real estate everything is local. Locally you know what your state is like. Mentioned above Oregon really can't open without Washington and really SF can't open with LA. Too much travel between them. Same with the northeast. So they have to decide when it works for them.

That being said rest of the country I guess they get herd immunity and live with it. Not a bad thing. If it gets out of control then there is nothing that can be done. In places that are harder hit then they will open up slower. They will be more cautious. It will cause our economies to falter. However realize that the places that are hardest hit also generate the most revenue for the US. Those states tend to pay more into the Federal Government than the states that are less hit and get more $$ back. So perhaps we won't be paying the Federal Government as much. And perhaps the states that don't see many cases and open up faster it's fine. We probably have to just let it play out. We are not a China who can deem which areas close or not.

[Smallsteps]

While i can appreciate the inter working between states but..................... I think it is insane that people in Washington could be told by California's governor as he said today NO gatherings until 2022 and all restaurants might need to always wear masks and gloves as the new NORMAL .....

No thank you if we did not get to vote for you your input is useless ..... if they think the protests have just started wait for it...... i am sorry that some are in danger but asking the 98 % to give up all freedom for a very small death rate is not OK.
We distanced ....we flattened some curves, we care about others....... but their rights do not negate my rights or freedom.
People will divide even further on this and all we are being fed as " science " is guesses and maybes.