Don’t expect Aberdeen Mayor Travis Schaunaman to follow the lead of Mayor Steve Allender in shutting down Rapid City’s bars and other recreational businesses. He’s focused on promoting personal choice and avoiding government overreach:
“I don’t think the city has the authority to close down businesses in fear of a virus. If you don’t want to go to an area with a lot of people, don’t go. If others want to make that decision for themselves, I’d recommend they didn’t,” he said by phone Sunday. “We’ll look back on this and we’ll have to determine if this was a special circumstance. There’s a fallout of government overreach and reaction (to business owners and employees). We must be mindful of the impact we are having on the vulnerable people — the people living paycheck to paycheck” [Kelda J.L. Pharris, “Brown County Has First Confirmed Case of COVID-19,” Aberdeen American News, 2020.03.23].
Besides, government responses aren’t sustainable, so just let nature take its course:
He said a prolonged demand for charitable and government handouts to help those whose jobs and businesses have been affected isn’t sustainable.
“My big take away (is) people should not freak out from this — it’s the natural order of things — viruses spread through communities. We’ve experienced this time and time again. Our response will have a bigger impact (on jobs and the economy), and we need to have consideration of that,” said Schaunaman [Pharris, 2020.03.23].
Yeah, Aberdeen! Quit freaking out! Think about the economy! The economy!
In other news, when Moccasin Creek next floods, expect Mayor Schaunaman to avoid government overreach, refrain from filling unsustainable sandbags, and just let the creek follow its natural flow. Additionally, instead of blowing sirens that freak everyone out, we’ll stop issuing tornado warnings, because, after all, tornadoes are part of the natural order of things.
Tokyo Olympics postponed. Is that natural order of things?
This morning, while walking the pup, I ran into a neighbor that was going to work. We exchanged pleasantries and he stated how ” things are a bit unusual.” I had to agree, but then he proceeded to tell me he thought this was “a plot by Obama and all those lying SOBs to get control of the world.” OK,, der den. I was a bit taken aback, even knowing that west river is rather “conservative.” Wow, do I ever feel stupid for believing this is just a health crisis and not a global plot by Obama. ;-) I really do yearn for the days when facts used to matter.
That guy should never be anywhere close to a government position of leadership.
Yes, there is a problem with government overreach. Giving bailout money to foreign companies (cruise lines), hotels and Dear Leader himself without proper rules and oversight to make sure the employees are included (not the elite), while forgetting to include hospitals, as the Republican package did, is not just “overreach,” but criminal graft. I’m sorry, if that Aberdeen butthead mayor doesn’t see this is anything out of the ordinary, and he is not doing his fair share to stanch this pandemic, his municipality shouldn’t get any of my tax money for this bailout, not that the Republicans thought smaller municipalities were priorities for economic relief.
Brother of Minnesota Lt governor, Peggy Flanagan, has died of Covid 19. That is reality.
Senatore Joe Manchin from West Virginia laid it out very well. We want to bailout corporate America and the rest of the crooks and liars and do nothing for those who have no healthcare or have lost their jobs.
GNOem perks up and states “Projections of the spread of the virus suggest that 30 percent of South Dakota’s population may contract COVID-19, Noem said.
“That is literally tens of thousands of people in our state,” Noem said. “I understand that’s scary for some of you. Remember that more than 80 percent of infections are asymptomatic or cause mild illnesses.”
Righhht and who is paying for those without insurance? While you’re in that hospital, with a deductible/out of pocket that is north of $8,000.00 in network, how ya gonna pay for it if your job no longer exists?
republican all like to try to paint a rosy picture but the damn facts always get in the way. GNOem could’ve expanded Medicaid, but no, they all like to watch you suffer.
Schaunaman is a loser. I miss Roger C., as he would’ve flagged this earlier and called GNOem and the rest of the fraudulent liars out on their hypocrisy.
“The Trump administration has held up $40 million in emergency aid Congress approved earlier this month to help American Indians combat the coronavirus — a delay that’s left tribal leaders across the nation frustrated and ill-equipped to respond to the fast-growing outbreak.
The funding has languished in bureaucratic limbo for weeks, despite increasingly urgent pleas from tribal organizations desperate to stockpile essential supplies and keep health clinics operational. Federally run American Indian health facilities are well short on hospital beds and ventilators, some frontline clinics received fewer than a dozen coronavirus tests, and federal officials have already signaled there will be little in the way of reinforcements — telling tribal leaders that all they can send right now are expired respirators” https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/20/coronavirus-american-indian-health-138724
Marlboro Barbie lives and it speaketh, “The country is burning, and your side wants to play political games,” Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) said at one point, gesturing to Democrats.
Didn’t wingnuts write their bill will no inclusion of Dems? Wasn’t it the wingnut party less than two weeks ago insisting corona virus was a Dem hoax?
My best guess is MB wasn’t blowing Schumer any kisses.
Mayor Schaunaman hangs out with the pro-life crowd. He was scheduled to speak alongside pro-life propagandist extraordinaire Dale Bartscher at our now-cancelled community prayer breakfast. I ask any pro-life politicians who prioritize economic impacts over public health concerns in their public statements to explain which 2.2 million Americans they are willing to sacrifice in order to preserve their arbitrary GDP standards.
MFI, furthermore, didn’t the House (Democrats) send a bill to the Senate to give financial aide to displaced workers BUT the Senate went on recess and did not pass it upon return. That is a short memory — even for our GOP friends. I hate that it is made to look like the Senate/GOP originated this whole discussion.
IS this guy a follower of trump. Trump wants to open up the economy and forget about the virus..Does Thune want the big banks to have all the money like 2008 stock buy backs wake up people is Thune only for the one percent .
Make no mistake Thune wants to be heard and do nothing.
This shows a total disrespect for all our healthcare workers.
We have such a great shortage of healthcare workers already, if we loose some of these healthcare workers, we are gonna be in a world of hurt that is gonna take us years to recover from.
I just read that Italy has already lost 23 doctors.
If our medical facilities are overrun with Covid-10 cases, imagine what happens if you need emergency services such as following an accident, stroke or heart attack.
Living in a rural area where we rely upon volunteer EMT’s to man Ambulances Services, there are no extra staff members in most of our small towns. Most towns ambulance services will end up shutting down.
All this so we can keep non-essential places like bars, casinos, bowling alleys and so forth open.
Normally, politicians are climbing over each other to look like they are the ones in charge. Not this bunch. Mayors point to the Governor demanding action and the Governor says… you do it! What is going on?
I can’t help but think back to Janklow. This, sure as hell, wouldn’t be happening.
That’s the worst, most pitiful excuse for leadership in this pandemic I have heard! “The natural order of things???” Somebody needs to punch that idiot in the face real hard.
The Roger Cornelius Memorial cartoon by Marty Two Bulls.
is.gd/Iz1PNX
(This is a fitting place for it, for sure.)
If lightning should happen to strike the guys house and a light it – the FD need not respond, as that’s just the natural order of things. And his insurance need not pay to rebuild – as houses being burnt down due to lightning strike is just the natural order of things.
There are the people who may die of the virus, and then there are the people who may die because, when the hospital runs out of ventilators, doctors were unable to care for them. That is NOT the natural order of things. That is a direct result of society’s choices. Has no one showed him the #flattenthecurve charts? Does he really want to have doctors and nurses traumatized by having to make that choice?
Don’t vote for Billy Sutton bad bad.This is the best we got, and she will be elgible for a Govt pension for her time in congress.Hey Thune how much will you be getting from the taxpayers for pension can we do better.
Heidi, you’re asking a small businessman who has demonstrated his commitment to unfettered capitalism over all else to pay attention to science.
If Johnboy had any empathy, he’d repurpose 75% of the money in his campaign chest and donate it to the state for virus relief efforts.
Obama is being blamed for shortage of masks and respirators, since so many were used for H1N1 in 2009.n They were never replaced because the strategic reserve that stockpiles emergency items and meds has a limited budget and they decided to use their parsimonious funds to stockpile more meds and less masks and respirators.
I see no reason that congress can’t increase the funds for stockpiles, but, as we all should remember, after 2010 Obama had a two hostile houses of congress willing to do him no favors. Dems in congress could ask for increased funding, but, Moscum Mitch won’t let Dem bills get a hearing in the Senate.
At the very least, it wasn’t all Obama’s fault.
one of my vids.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71NrGKrEgPQ
Another:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbV8WZcQ5zw