Opinion: Democrat vs. Republican Governance; Wuhan China Virus and Nursing Homes

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference, Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at the National Press Club in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

 

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There is a difference between Democrat and conservative Republican governance. Democrats, inherently statists, are all about control. Their deepest desire is to exert control over every aspect of a citizen’s life. We’ve seen some of the extremes in Democrat-dominated New York City, which forbids the sale of large fountain drinks.

Sometimes that nattering, Karen-like impulse to rule over the most minor things can be fatal. City ordinances against selling “loosies,” single cigarettes, often brought from out of state in an attempt to avoid the absurd New York State and city taxes., force police officers to waste time on minor offenses. Back in July 2014, New York City police encountered Eric Garner selling loosies. In the struggle that ensued, Garner died from asphyxiation. The officers were not indicted. The point here is not the actions of the officers, which have been well addressed elsewhere. It’s that excessive government — nanny stating  — was the precursor to that confrontation and untimely death.

We also see this in the manner in which Republican and Democrat governors (and mayors) continue to handle the Wuhan China virus. Our own Nick Arama reported on how a decision to force infected patients back into nursing homes by Governor Cuomo of New York likely led to the horrific fatality count in New York’s most at-risk residents.

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Read: Yikes: NY Policy Has Required People Who Tested Positive for Wuhan Coronavirus to Be Admitted Into Nursing Homes

How does that compare to Florida, a state known for its large elderly population? Over at Record Online, they have the answer (emphasis mine).

In New York, more than 5,800 nursing home residents have died in connection to COVID-19, the most in the country.

On March 25, New York officials ordered nursing homes to admit infected patients, if medically stable. Then, as deaths mounted inside the facilities, Gov. Andrew Cuomo reversed the policy on May 10 under pressure from advocates and relatives.

In contrast, Florida, which never ordered nursing homes to admit COVID-19 patients, reported 1043 nursing home resident deaths as of May 22, despite having more of the elderly care facilities than New York.

Read: How New York, Florida and other states handled COVID-19 threat to nursing homes differently

New York isn’t the only problem. Other Democrat governors have issues, too. From McKnight’s Long Term Care News:

Five Democratic governors are facing additional heat for their policies that forced nursing homes to take in COVID-19 residents. GOP members of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis sent letters Monday to the governors of New York, Michigan, California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, seeking answers regarding their policies for nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Read: Lawmakers raise the heat on states that forced nursing homes to admit coronavirus patients

That’s how the leftists roll. They demand more and more control, but can never be found when accountability is needed for their actions. Sometimes, however, the entrenched leftists in a Democrat state can be brought to heel by a Republican governor with the stones to do so. Enter Governor Charlie Baker, Governor of Massachusetts. When confronted with Wuhan deaths in a state-run nursing home for Veterans, Baker, through his Attorney General took decisive action. From Fox News:

The lede: Massachusetts AG believes it’s first criminal case against COVID-related nursing home problems

The Massachusetts attorney general has charged two former leaders of a veterans’ home where 76 people died from the coronavirus, alleging that leadership mishandled the situation.

A grand jury on Thursday indicted Superintendent Bennett Walsh and former Medical Director Dr. David Clinton on charges of neglect, stemming from their decision in March to combine two dementia units.
The decision saw the facility pack residents who tested positive for COVID-19 into the same space as those with no symptoms, Attorney General Maura Healey said.

Read: Massachusetts AG charges 2 over handling of coronavirus outbreak in veterans home

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That’s called accountability. That’s the way it’s supposed to work, as opposed to the excuses and deflections by Governor Cuomo regarding his deadly decision. As this affliction staggers towards its inevitable end, we will see more and more differences between Democrat and conservative Republican governance. Democrat governed states and locales will continue to force unwanted, unneeded, and certainly non-science based controls on their citizens subjects. Conservative governors and mayors will treat their citizens like…Americans.

Below are links to previous examples of poor Democrat governance

Read: Opinion: Days of Life Stolen

Opinion: This is a Result of Democrat Governance

Opinion: Democrat Governance and Police Unions

Opinion: Most of This Turmoil Has Been Based on a Lie

Opinion: Black Lives Matter, But Not To Democrat Politicians (Parts I-VII)

Opinion: Remember, the Violence Inflicted on John Lewis, Was the Result of Democrat Governance

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