Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Biden COVID-19 adviser says US could manage pandemic with 4- to 6-week lockdown
New York Post ^ | November 11, 2020 | Kenneth Garger

Posted on 11/12/2020 6:18:42 AM PST by The Sons of Liberty

A member of President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus task force said Wednesday that the US could manage the pandemic by enforcing an extended economic lockdown with the government compensating workers for lost wages. Dr. Michael Osterholm floated the idea in an interview with Yahoo Finance, explaining that a four- to six-week shutdown of small to medium businesses could drive down infection numbers. Osterholm said the federal government is in a prime position to use borrowed money to pay for such a lockdown package. “When you look at the personal savings rate in this country, it’s now gone from about 8 percent to over 22 percent,” Osterholm said. “We have a big pool of money out there that “We could pay for a package right now to cover all of the wages, lost wages for individual workers, for losses to small companies to medium-sized companies,” and losses to lower levels of government, Osterholm said. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease & Policy at the University of Minnesota, said other countries in Asia as well as New Zealand and Australia have instituted similar lockdowns. “Then, we could really watch ourselves cruising into the vaccine availability in the first and second quarter of next year and bringing back the economy long before that,” he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Society
KEYWORDS: andagain; biden; caronavirus; economy; lockdown
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-62 next last
To: commish

“Which is why I am completely emptying all my 401K accounts as soon as I turn 59 1/2 the end of this month.”

Researches ways to avoid a higher tax rate to do that also. Just started putting more money away in non-401K accounts (gold, silver, and funds to buy land).


41 posted on 11/12/2020 6:41:41 AM PST by DEPcom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: The Sons of Liberty

They should say martial law instead of Wuhoo flu lockdown.

Because that is what they want.


42 posted on 11/12/2020 6:42:26 AM PST by crz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: glennaro

The America-/American-hating Left is clearly out to annihilate small business ... to crush small business out of existence. Following the communist playbook to the letter ... Destruction of the middle class.

************

The Left senses weakness because they don’t get any serious pushback. So they keep demanding more and more. When you push and there’s no firm resistance, you keep pushing. Simple as that.

Unless we go on offense and demonstrate more resolve against their aggression they will crush everything and everyone in their way.

Its up to us to put an end to it. We need to be stronger ourselves and DEMAND that our elected representative take off the gloves and start fighting the Dems and never give in on anything.

Short of that nothing will change except the degree of our enslavement.


43 posted on 11/12/2020 6:45:26 AM PST by Starboard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: The Sons of Liberty

Why does he refer to “ personal savings’ as a big pool,of money the federal govt can use to pay wages to virtually every American?
My DD cant even get her state unemployment checks from summer.
And if you didnt like your Governors shutting you down, wait until it becomes a national order across the board.


44 posted on 11/12/2020 6:45:36 AM PST by silverleaf (Age Takes a Toll: Please Have Exact Change.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cyclops08
"I am beginning to believe that Democrats will NEVER give up covid powers. They are far too addicted to raw power."

Masks are the new seat belts. If we don't stop this, they will shame us into wearing them... forever.

And I'm serious.

45 posted on 11/12/2020 6:48:14 AM PST by Not_Who_U_Think
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: The Sons of Liberty

I just checked the federal treasury, which on Monday held -$27,219,898,895,662.87 or -$82,344.03 per person in United States of America. Note the negative signs. We don’t have the money for this scheme. And if you think about confiscating all personal savings, then what? They amount only to $1.29 trillion, a small proportion of the federal debt, and banks invest most of that money in financial instruments like loans and treasury bonds. And taking that money would force Americans to forego intended future spending on houses, cars, merchandise, vacations, business startups, educations, and more. Confiscation of financial assets also obliterates trust in the financial system, destroying the economy for a generation.

Instead, Congress must legalize economic activity and quash their spending impulses and possibly also raise taxes. But to raise taxes yet sustain economic productivity requires strong pro-business policies of substantial deregulation and a massive downsizing of the federal bureaucracy.


46 posted on 11/12/2020 6:49:18 AM PST by dufekin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Qiviut

If the Democrats manage to regain the Senate then look for a carbon tax and a value added tax in addition to increases in the rates for income tax. The Middle Class is dead.


47 posted on 11/12/2020 6:49:18 AM PST by technically right
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Senator_Blutarski

Last I heard, amazingly, thanks to Donald John Trump, an actually effective and possibly safe vaccine already exists. It might be ready to go to the nursing homes on inauguration day.


48 posted on 11/12/2020 6:51:34 AM PST by dufekin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: The Sons of Liberty

Total BS. My doctor told me we are nowhere near the needed 50% rate to establish herd immunity. Not even NYC is near that number. There’s no way that hiding from this virus is going to do anything to beat it. It will still be out there.

My MD also said that he believes this was man-made and that Wuhan is basically our Atlanta (CDC center). And that he believes a vaccine will be ready by end of year but that it will take at least a year to get to that 50% mark he used as a level of victory over the virus.


49 posted on 11/12/2020 6:52:28 AM PST by al_c (Democrats: Party over Common Sense)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Sons of Liberty

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — University of Minnesota infectious disease expert Dr. Michael Osterholm — recently tapped for President-elect Joe Biden’s COVID task force — says the “darkest days of this pandemic” are between now and when a vaccine becomes available next spring.

https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/11/10/disease-expert-dr-michael-osterholm-says-were-in-darkest-days-of-pandemic-until-vaccine-available-next-spring/

...So is he proposing to take the personal savings to pay for this lockdown? Does “personal” mean “public” to him?


50 posted on 11/12/2020 6:54:30 AM PST by Rusty0604 (2020 four more years!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Starboard
Living life in fear and ignorance is no way to live. It really isn't.

The physical and psychological harm parents have inflicted on their children resulting from their fear and ignorance of this respiratory virus is a tragedy in every sense of the word -- they have caused their children to lose a year of their childhood.

And the deliberate actions of politicians, of unelected bureaucrats and, especially, of "The Experts" who above all others are most certainly aware of what they've done -- and of what they continue to do -- who have so damaged America and who have hurt -- have done real harm -- to millions upon tens of millions of American citizens is nothing less than criminal.

51 posted on 11/12/2020 6:59:17 AM PST by glennaro (Pity those who mask and cower out of fear; condemn those who promote fear as a virtue)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: Starboard

4 to 6 will quickly stretch into 6 to 8. And then 8 to 10.

Why would they do that after Biden is inaugurated? Wouldn't they want to lift the lockdowns then so they could claim Biden had revitalized the economy?

I'm not counting Trump out yet. Many Freepers assure me Trump's legal team will find evidence of voter fraud before the Electoral College convenes in December. But as the days wear on it becomes more difficult to have faith that Trump can prevail again.

52 posted on 11/12/2020 7:01:42 AM PST by FormerFRLurker (Keep calm and vote your conscience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: FormerFRLurker

However long it takes, the Truth will come out.

Did the Democrats give up after Nixon won overwhelmingly in 1972? They eventually got him. And we will eventually get them.


53 posted on 11/12/2020 7:03:08 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: FormerFRLurker

Why would they do that after Biden is inaugurated? Wouldn’t they want to lift the lockdowns then so they could claim Biden had revitalized the economy?

************

Good questions but you’re thinking like a rational person. The Left doesn’t think in practical ways. Disabuse yourself of that notion. ;)

The Left wants one thing above all else: CONTROL. Everything they do and want to do centers around that once objective. It doesn’t matter what they say; watch what they do.

Also, note especially that the Left emotes more than it thinks. It has a remarkable ability to ignore facts, logic and the lessons of history. It does what makes it feel good.

So a lockdown accomplishes two things: it makes them feel like they doing the “scientific” thing and adds to their power and dominion over us. Its a great twofer for them.

As for the outcome of the election I’m not optimistic that the USSC will do anything positive for us (or the country) in the end. It may all hinge on that.


54 posted on 11/12/2020 7:10:43 AM PST by Starboard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: The Sons of Liberty

This is the “science” of which Biden speaks - damn the economy, which the Dems most likely wish destroyed so they can institute “command and control” just like their Commie heroes.

Not a week goes by that a business in my town goes under. Permanently. The latest were my favorite deli and yoga studio.

This will accelerate that process.


55 posted on 11/12/2020 7:20:39 AM PST by Bon of Babble (In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Baby!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego
How many trillions of dollars would this cost, and where will the money to fund this come from?

When you look at the personal savings rate in this country, it’s now gone from about 8 percent to over 22 percent,”

There's your answer.

56 posted on 11/12/2020 7:22:13 AM PST by Bon of Babble (In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Baby!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: The Sons of Liberty

Any police officer who enforces this is a legit target. If a lockdown happens, start stacking bodies.


57 posted on 11/12/2020 7:32:08 AM PST by nonliberal (Caput gerat lupinium)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: technically right
👍
58 posted on 11/12/2020 7:44:37 AM PST by Qiviut (Fox "News": Unfair, Unbalanced & Unhinged. #Foxit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: The Sons of Liberty

party of science and magic money, folks


59 posted on 11/12/2020 7:55:12 AM PST by sappy (criminaldems)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LibsRJerks

I have no plans to obey, myself. I’m looking forward to dining at underground restaurants.


60 posted on 11/12/2020 8:01:56 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Hope is not a plan. -- Matthew Bracken)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-62 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson