Gov. Reynolds mismanaging virus crisis

Sullivan's Salvos

By Rod Sullivan
Posted 5/28/20

As you know, Gov. Reynolds “opened up” Iowa back on May 15, despite the fact that infections and deaths both continued to rise.

There was no ramping up. It was “let ’er …

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Gov. Reynolds mismanaging virus crisis

Sullivan's Salvos

Posted

As you know, Gov. Reynolds “opened up” Iowa back on May 15, despite the fact that infections and deaths both continued to rise.

There was no ramping up. It was “let ’er rip!”

That is in keeping with the way in which she has mismanaged everything regarding the COVID-19 crisis. To wit:

• For starters, long before we had a pandemic, she made critical cuts to the State Hygienic Lab.

• Let’s be very clear: despite her extreme overuse of the buzz words “data” and “metrics,” Gov. Reynolds has never used either in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

• We never had adequate testing. We never had adequate tracing. We still don’t.

• The University of Iowa has volunteered to help, but the governor doesn’t want to work with Iowa City liberals. Once she finally relented, we have a contract that prohibits data from being released. This, despite the fact that you and I paid for this data.

• The data we do have has been misused. Remember our “regions?” They were critical. Until they weren’t. With no explanation.

• Ask to see the data? Not happening. She refuses to share this public information with the public that both pays her and paid for the information.

• Speaking of paying – Gov. Reynolds spent $26 million on a no-bid contract with an out-of-state company for testing that never worked. Now those results are lumped in with all the rest, so we cannot see how badly these tests perform.

• The governor traveled to D.C. when Zoom would suffice. She didn’t wear a mask. When she got exposed to the virus herself, the rules didn’t apply to her. Her quarantine was “modified.”

• Reynolds appeared onstage (without a mask) with meatpacking executives – all rich, white men. She has not visited the workers she calls “essential” – people of color who work on the line.

• Black and brown people are affected at a much higher rate. But we refuse to track that data. Meanwhile, the places they work are defined as “essential,” even though they don’t get the PPE other “essential” employees get.

• Other workers? The governor “opened up” so that you lose your unemployment. Now get back to your job. And quit whining about the fact that Iowa’s minimum wage remains $7.25.

• Want to ask questions about all of this? Sorry – four questions per day, no follow-ups. Only two of the four questions are the type of tough ones we need; she simply doesn’t answer those.

• Finally – and most importantly – where is the compassion? We have had more than 15,000 of our fellow Iowans fall sick. Almost 400 have died as of this writing. But all she can talk about is people going out to restaurants.

The whole thing is shameful.