By Samuel Strait, Reporter at Large – August 4, 2021
Governor Newsom’s handling of the Covid Pandemic is perhaps his most
egregious misstep as governor. Granted there are many, but this alone
is responsible for much of the anger being directed in his direction.
Of all the fifty state governors aside from Governor Cuomo of New York,
Newsom’s reliance on political science rather than actual science
enabled him to assume the powers granted under State of Emergency to
institute draconian mandates on the citizens of California for over a
year. State of Emergency powers granted to a sitting governor are meant
to expedite reaction to a stated emergency in rapid fashion and not to
replace legitimate government. Once the immediate threat was identified
and steps were taken to address the pandemic, Newsom’s powers should
have ceased, restored to the normal channels of government. He did not.
Continuously referring to “science”, of the CDC kind, Newsom
rationalized his mandates and policies based on the pin ball bleating of
Federal and CDC officials without pause, despite the fact that his
policies did not work, nor was there any actual science behind his
mandates. The testing numbers upon which Newsom used, often a month or
two out of date, to justify his actions is now in the process of being
suspended. Mask efficacy has never been formally studied in the United
States, that includes the CDC. Foreign studies universally show that
masks have ZERO effect on both infection and transmission from human to
human. Contact surfaces and hand washing are but minor role players.
Social distancing is completely arbitrary and has no bearing on possible
infection or transmission. Lock downs of otherwise healthy populations
are more injurious than normal activity. And finally, Covid-19 has been
shown to be no more serious than Influenza, with most healthy people
managing the illness in many cases similar to that of an influenza
infection. Treatments for Covid having evolved in a short amount of time
which mitigates much of the seriousness of being infected. Most in fact
being asymptomatic and unable to transmit easily were barely aware of
even being ill.
Vaccines and their effects on people that have been injected have become
another source of friction between the Governor and the governed. Up
until now, in Governor Newsom’s California, a person’s health was an
individual and personal choice. Never before was there any thought that
a person should be mandated to be injected with a vaccine. There have
been before a number of viruses that could kill, yet vaccination was
always a choice left to individuals. While not a complete imperative
Newsom’s California is inching towards requiring all citizens to become
vaccinated or be excluded from normal life in the State. Many have
already done so, yet most of the prized liberty remain elusive in
Newsom’s California. This is not what he has said it to be. Newsom’s
“science”, or should it be labeled “science fiction” does not appear to
relinquish the power of authority over its citizenry vaccinated or not.
By instituting state wide mandates, Governor Newson ignored the fact
that California is a large and diverse state, where local authorities
are better equipped to make decisions more reflective of circumstances
at hand. Del Norte County had little experience with the virus nearly
the entire time the state of emergency was in force. Very few
hospitalizations and still fewer deaths. Yet state government had the
County follow suit with the state wide mandates and as a consequence
devastated the local economy, creating significant unemployment, and on
and on. For what? Not that local officials would have done any better,
but Newsom’s ham handed approach assured that the entire state would
suffer unnecessarily.
Just as federalism should be curtailed when handling the business of
states, state government, in particular the governor’s overreach should
not be allowed to become excessive. Governor Newsom has over the past
nineteen months given the citizens of California a clear message of how
the governor can become a dictator with no curb. This is a man drunk on
power, that uses the power to inflict great harm on those he serves, all
the while setting himself, his family, and friends apart from his excesses.
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