Showing that he’s short-ciruiting under the stress of the rampant coronavirus AKA CoV-2 or Covid-19 crisis, 62-year-old New York Governor Andrew Cuomo went off on 73-year-old President Donald Trump. Using Trump as a foil during an election years, Cuomo complained that Congress hasn’t allocated New York state enough cash, insisting New York needed a $500 billion rescue bill. Why Cuomo singles out the President is anyone’s guess. But in Democrat circles, it’s the fashionable thing to do: Attack Trump. “Governor Cuomo should spend more time ”doing” and less time “complaining,” Trump tweeted. On Monday, April 12 Cuumo told Shock-Jock Radio Host Howard Stern that Trump delivered on all of New York’s requests for federal aid to help battle the coronavirus. Trump’s given Cuomo first dibs on the Army Corps of Engineers, building out more New York hospital capacity.
Cuomo asked Trump for more beds, ventilators, life-support equipment and person protective gear to manage the epicenter of the SARS CoV-2 epidemic with 233,951 total cases and 17,131 deaths, over three times more cases than neighboring New Jersey with 78,467 total cases and 3,840 deaths. While New York’s witnessed a flattening of the curve with respect to new cases, hospital admissions and deaths, it’s still the epicenter of the SARS CoV-2 outbreak in the United States. California, that has double the population of New York at 39,51 million, has 29,176 total cases and 1,041 deaths, a small fraction of New York’s misery. “Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking! We built you thousands of hospital bed that you didn’t need or use, gave large number of ventilators that you should have had, and helped you with . . testing that you should be doing . . .” Trump tweeted to Cuomo.
Cuomo told Trump, “You haven’t done anything!” something Democrats cheered, hoping they can use the coronavirus crisis to slam the president during an election year. Trump got under Cuomo’s skin at a time when New York’s running out of cash, like many states with “shelter in place” orders. Protests around the country in Lancing, Michigan to Raleigh, North Carolina, protesting “stay at home” orders with desperate people feeling the financial squeeze from governors’ mitigation efforts requiring businesses to shutter. More protests are planned over the weekend in Utah, Kentucky,
Wyoming, Texas, Virginia, Idaho and Washington State, asking governors to start letting residents return to work. Congress has shown tone-deafness to the sacrifices expected of U.S. citizens to mitigate the coronavirus outbreak, requiring that most businesses, sports and entertainment close.
After a month of “sheltering in place,” American workers can’t afford to stay home, unlike Congress, state or local government employees whose salaries and benefits are continued whether they go to work or not. Democrats and the media have deliberately tried to pit Trump against his medical advisers that have pushed for strict mitigation measures, requiring most businesses to stay shut. Trump’s medical advisers led by National Institutes of Health Chief of Allergy and Infectious Disease Dr. Anthony Fauci and State Department immunologist Dr. Deborah Birx have worked out a detailed multi-step plan for reopening the country. Democrat governors seem to resist White House efforts to start the slow process of reopening the country. Trump acknowledges that the country will be reopened in phases, where hot spots like New York, New Jersey, Louisiana and Michigan might take extra time.
Protests around the country are a grassroots reaction of ordinary citizens willing to tough out the coronavirus for the purpose of returning to work. No one knows when hospitality businesses like hotels, restaurants, travel, airlines and cruises will get back on track with many customers leery of crowds, fearing contracting the virus. Yet protesters want to send a message to State Houses that they’re ready, whatever the risks, to return to work. “We have given New York far more money, help and equipment than any other state by far, & these great men & women who did the job never hear you say thanks. Your numbers are not good. Less talk and more action!” Trump tweeted Cuomo. “What am I supposed to do, send a bouquet of flowers,” Cuomo quipped sarcastically, refusing to acknowledge what Trump’s done for New York. New Yorkers protesting in the capital Albany, demanded to return to work.
Cuomo’s outburst indicates that his stress level is over the top. Telling Howard Stern Monday that Trump’s the best, then going off on Friday accusing Trump of “doing nothing,’ shows that the coronavirus is getting to the New York governor. Cuomo’s got more time than most U.S. governors that have no excuse not to reopen vital businesses in the their states. New York’s SARS CoV-2 outbreak could continue while the nation watches other states open up. California Gov. Gavin Newsom should learn a valuable lesion from Cuomo what not to do. So far, Newsom has praised Trump delivering all promises to the Golden State. But it’s now the state’s problem to begin opening up at the earliest possible time or face what looks like exploding budget deficits the longer states maintain “shelter in place.”. Governors, county managers and mayors must reopen businesses or face catastrophic financial consequences.
