Posted on 03/25/2020 11:16:42 AM PDT by karpov
The bill for the government response to coronavirus will be astronomical. The trillion-dollar “stimulus” is a lot of money, and it will eventually have to be paid for with taxes. The economic shutdowns are even more expensive. The U.S. economy produced about $21 trillion in 2019. If “essential” businesses still open are even half of that, each month of a national shutdown costs the economy almost a trillion dollars. The damage will become harder to fix as businesses fire workers and close forever.
OK, governors had to call a sudden economic stop to get a handle on an out-of-control situation. These precious weeks can bend the curve and buy some time to prepare the health-care system. But governors must also use this time to work with businesses on a plan for reopening the economy in a way that mitigates health risks. The White House is reportedly discussing ways to ease restrictions as early as next week, but local and state officials will have to produce well-considered plans to open up the economy in a relatively safe way.
A blanket lockdown can’t go on. Keeping every business closed and every worker at home until a vaccine is available won’t work. Replacing the private economy with borrowed federal money for months on end won’t work. If this were the plague, with 50% of the infected dying, it might be a different story. But people won’t put up with losing many trillions of dollars to flatten the curve of this virus.
Government officials should mandate safety measures, but those regulations need to be more tailored than a total shutdown of “nonessential” companies. Businesses were doing a good job already: announcing sanitation, social distancing and other protocols to keep operations safe and reassure customers. Visit any airline’s website.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
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So long as about half of the US draws a government check of some sort, what incentive is there from them to open things up and get back to work? They keep tapping the well while at home.
Here’s a deal, everyone who has a government check and wishes to stay hunkered down should do so. Don’t risk anything stay home and stay away from those who work in the private sector and are willing to take the risk of infection in order to not lose everything.
Peaked?
NYC hospitalizations doubled every 2 days. Now 3.4 days...
Optimistic. There will never be a “0” however.
We need a lot of tests, to determine who has developed immunity.
Most people who get it have little to no symptoms. It is hugely inefficient for them to be restricted after that. They need a test to verify that they have the antibodies in their bloodstream.
Once so certified, they can get back to work, travel, and take care of others without protective equipment.
That valuable (and growing) segment of the population, should not be idled. We need them identified, and back to work ASAP.
I’m realizing now that things are going to be OK. The virus is not getting the death rates Democrats hoped for. Soon the USA will be back to business.
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