FAQ You: Governor’s “Plan” Emphasizes Political Cover over Solid Guidance on Public Health
Published 2020-04-29 by
Cory Allen Heidelberger
Last updated on 2021-03-30
Governor Kristi Noem’s mislabeled and misguided “Back to Normal Plan*” includes one page of slogans (“605 STRONG”! “The Road to Recover”—no, no -y in the original draft), one page of recommended actions, one page of criteria for actually doing those recommended actions, and one page of supposedly Frequently Asked Questions. Most of the questions cooked up by Kristi’s high-priced communications team are reasonable—when can churches and daycares reopen? could schools reopen before the end of the school year? do I have to keep wearing a mask in public? does this mean I no longer have to “stay at home”? Most of the Governor’s answers show a focus on political cover rather than useful, evidence-based public health guidance.
Seven of the eight FAQ answers posted begin with a don’t blame me! line:
Free dumb!
Churches were never required to close….
Each school district should make its own decisions….
Daycares were never explicitly required to close….
Masks have never been required….
No business was ever required to close….
South Dakota never prohibited travel to or from other states, or within the state… [Gov. Kristi Noem, “‘Back to Normal’ Plan,” Appendix 2: FAQs, posted 2020.04.28].
We lead with what matters most, and Governor Noem’s FAQ answers make clear that what matters most to her is avoiding any perception that gave any orders that anyone might not like. People asking about schools and churches and daycares and masks aren’t really asking for an explanation of the technical legal status of the Governor’s executive “orders”; people want to know and need to know not what can they do but what should they do to continue keeping themselves safe amidst the ongoing pandemic.
Her entire plan isn’t really a plan; it’s just a pile of actions she asks South Dakotans to “consider.” Even if she could come up with actual plan, she doesn’t want to be held accountable for any outcomes. If more South Dakotans get sick, she wants to be able to say that’s someone else’s responsibility. Her FAQs pass off decisions to individual considerations and “common sense.”
The Governor’s “Plan” says that the FAQs “will be kept up to date with further clarifications.” Maybe we’ll see an update with these frequently asked questions:
Why doesn’t the Governor expand Medicaid, spend more money on securing personal protective equipment instead of unproven drugs, and use her statutory emergency powers to shut down more public health risks?
So, why do we need her? What good is she to the state. What a waste of taxpayer money.
Donald Pay
As I said a few times before to my friends in South Dakota: you are your own Governor. Don’t listen to or count on anything Noem says. She has no clue about anything except how to point the state taxpayers’ camera her way when she has an appointment to fib on Fox News. You need to listen to scientific and medical advise and ignore your state’s leader. Her list of “I didn’ts” makes it pretty clear that Noem agrees with me: she wants you to ignore her, and do what is going to save your own life, the lives of the people you love and even those of the people, like Noem, who you don’t. Ignoring her is the best advise she ever gave you, and should take it.
DaveFromNowhere
Good points vis a vis “don’t blame me,” which could as well be couched as “please congratulate me” (for not having done this or that). But truth be known, what South Dakota is experiencing in terms of COVID19 has little to nothing with what Noem has done nor with what South Dakotans have done.
South Dakota has a population density of 11.3 people per square mile. Minnehaha County has a population density of 239 people per square mile, and Pennington County a population density of 36.4 people per square mile. (One might guestimate that Smithfield packing plant is of the order of several hundred per square mile).
By contrast, New York State has a population density of 421 people per square mile, with New York City being 26,403 people per square mile.
Any “successes” to be bragged about in South Dakota as a whole are clearly a function of a low population density relative to other states when it comes to a contagious disease, braggadocio on Hannity and to her citizen South Dakotans notwithstanding. Population density is merely the luck of the draw for Noem, something she’s milking for all it’s worth.
Debbo
It appears that Kruel Kristi has much in common with other GOP “leaders.” They focus on 2 things, themselves and Mendacious Meathead.
jerry
EB5 Rounds and Thune should sign on to the Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act to have the Pentagon handle and distribute the needed medical supplies around the country, including South Dakota, their home state…or is it? https://www.murphy.senate.gov/download/medical-supply-chain-leg-text
So we have photo op who does nothing slick Mike, and the half dusty.Lord please give us better representation for the state.Give us people who represent the people , not people who are afraid to stand up and call some one out. Lord please.
Donald and Kristi in translation: we’re on our own. We formed a government with the intent of protecting ourselves from big problems by working together, but now that government has been seized by self-serving tyrants who raid the public coffers and tell us to solve our own problems.
DaveFN in translation: the fact that not many people want to live here is the only reason not a lot of people are going to die here.
But Sioux Falls saw that urban spread, thanks to high density, poor housing, low wages, and an employer that cares more about pigs than people. (Full disclosure: given a choice between bacon and some people, I’d choose bacon.) We cant write that off as an anomaly; we have to accept that South Dakota is not all rural utopia (and a lot of rural isn’t utopia). A lot of South Dakota is urban, and we have to pursue urban solutions.
cibvet
Since kristi is a political opportunist it only makes sense that she should stand by the returning workers and welcome them back with a handshake to Smithfield.Same goes for trump. If everything is over and safe, open the white-house and greet the public.
Dana Hanna
Very recently, buried in the bottom of the article in the Rapid City Journal, they mentioned this little fact: that at present, projections from the State health officials, are that, before the virus is done, 30% of the people in South Dakota will get infected with coronavirus. That’s about 300,000 people. Am I right about that? That the projection is 30%? If so, this “Don’t Worry. Be Happy, They Love Me on Fox News” stuff is very likely to make it all come true.
Dana Hanna
Rapid City
Donald Pay
Cory, I don’t think we are on our own. We have very astute scientists and medical professionals who are giving great advise. We have great sources of information, but we have to search those out. You provide many such sources for readers of DFP, and readers add what they find. Sure, we all have to sift through this stuff and make up our own minds. I would do that anyway.
For myself, I do listen to some leaders. I listen to Governor Evers in Wisconsin, who is getting the best advise on COVID-19 from scientists and medical professionals. I listen to Governor Cuomo, who has shown how a real leader reacts.
The best information I get comes from my daughter who has gone through the SARS and COVID-19 outbreak in China, and studiously listens to the best advise from China. They got their outbreak under control, which has not been the case under Trump.
I don’t listen to the salesman of death, otherwise known as Donald Trump, who is a delusional, babbling idiot. Unfortunately, Trump is leading the ineffective federal response and there are the usual cult followers and sowers of doubt, including the Russians, working to weaken America by “liberating” the economy far too soon. Still, federal scientists and medical professionals provide good advise, even if Trump tries his best to override it.
jerry
Don’t fret Dana Hanna, this is how I see it being played out all over America.
“Dozens of Decomposing Bodies Found in Trucks at Brooklyn Funeral Home
The funeral home director said that he used the trucks for storage after he ran out of space in his chapel. “Bodies are coming out of our ears,” he said.” New York Times 4.30.20
Back to normal means back to this. Good news though, there are 6 coolers lined up at Camp Rapid, in perfect formation I might add, that will take your worries away. Yepper, if you bite the covid bullet, you might get cooled off while they wait to cremate ya, kinda like cooking lobster I guess. So we got that going for us. Thanks republicans!! Booyah!!
30 million of us are unemployed, thanks EB5 Rounds, Thune for allowing the old tom cat trump to destroy our economy. Heckuva job their fellows.
jerry
Mr. Pay, Some humor from China at our expense. Check out the video. It speaks volumes of trumps complete failure, with the glowing support of EB5 Rounds, Thune and Dirty.
Buckbear can I Pray to have them voted out of office.
John
Noem is “opening” the state for business. So does that mean the SD state agencies & our buildings are open to the public? Is the state capitol open to the public? Are the state courts open to the public – rescinding their COVID-precautions? Are the state parks, museums, recreation sites, etc., open to the public? If not, why not? Noem needs to do what she’s failed doing – leading by example. Until the government and public institutions are open as before COVID, then Noem has no business “opening” the state for commercial / private business. She needs to end apparent hypocrisy and to lead by example.
o
Governor Noem HAS to get the state open; the President will be here for fireworks on the 3rd.
SD’s budget is in poor shape and Godawful Grifter is gonna stick the state with every cent of expense. Plus, you know that Kraven Kristi will spare no expense on the Show. It’s her proposal.
mike from iowa
Pretty boy Marlboro Barbie finally flexes his vocal cords with another, less than profound, generic statement on aid to states….. Congress allocated $150 billion for state and municipal governments as part of the $2.2 trillion rescue package signed into law March 27. But Republicans are split on whether to loosen restrictions on how that money and any future funds can be spent, or if they should even support additional funding given GOP concerns about “state bailouts.”
“I think we have to look and hard and see what is working, what is not working,” Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, told Fox News when asked about state aid.
So, why do we need her? What good is she to the state. What a waste of taxpayer money.
As I said a few times before to my friends in South Dakota: you are your own Governor. Don’t listen to or count on anything Noem says. She has no clue about anything except how to point the state taxpayers’ camera her way when she has an appointment to fib on Fox News. You need to listen to scientific and medical advise and ignore your state’s leader. Her list of “I didn’ts” makes it pretty clear that Noem agrees with me: she wants you to ignore her, and do what is going to save your own life, the lives of the people you love and even those of the people, like Noem, who you don’t. Ignoring her is the best advise she ever gave you, and should take it.
Good points vis a vis “don’t blame me,” which could as well be couched as “please congratulate me” (for not having done this or that). But truth be known, what South Dakota is experiencing in terms of COVID19 has little to nothing with what Noem has done nor with what South Dakotans have done.
South Dakota has a population density of 11.3 people per square mile. Minnehaha County has a population density of 239 people per square mile, and Pennington County a population density of 36.4 people per square mile. (One might guestimate that Smithfield packing plant is of the order of several hundred per square mile).
By contrast, New York State has a population density of 421 people per square mile, with New York City being 26,403 people per square mile.
Any “successes” to be bragged about in South Dakota as a whole are clearly a function of a low population density relative to other states when it comes to a contagious disease, braggadocio on Hannity and to her citizen South Dakotans notwithstanding. Population density is merely the luck of the draw for Noem, something she’s milking for all it’s worth.
It appears that Kruel Kristi has much in common with other GOP “leaders.” They focus on 2 things, themselves and Mendacious Meathead.
EB5 Rounds and Thune should sign on to the Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act to have the Pentagon handle and distribute the needed medical supplies around the country, including South Dakota, their home state…or is it? https://www.murphy.senate.gov/download/medical-supply-chain-leg-text
So we have photo op who does nothing slick Mike, and the half dusty.Lord please give us better representation for the state.Give us people who represent the people , not people who are afraid to stand up and call some one out. Lord please.
Donald and Kristi in translation: we’re on our own. We formed a government with the intent of protecting ourselves from big problems by working together, but now that government has been seized by self-serving tyrants who raid the public coffers and tell us to solve our own problems.
DaveFN in translation: the fact that not many people want to live here is the only reason not a lot of people are going to die here.
But Sioux Falls saw that urban spread, thanks to high density, poor housing, low wages, and an employer that cares more about pigs than people. (Full disclosure: given a choice between bacon and some people, I’d choose bacon.) We cant write that off as an anomaly; we have to accept that South Dakota is not all rural utopia (and a lot of rural isn’t utopia). A lot of South Dakota is urban, and we have to pursue urban solutions.
Since kristi is a political opportunist it only makes sense that she should stand by the returning workers and welcome them back with a handshake to Smithfield.Same goes for trump. If everything is over and safe, open the white-house and greet the public.
Very recently, buried in the bottom of the article in the Rapid City Journal, they mentioned this little fact: that at present, projections from the State health officials, are that, before the virus is done, 30% of the people in South Dakota will get infected with coronavirus. That’s about 300,000 people. Am I right about that? That the projection is 30%? If so, this “Don’t Worry. Be Happy, They Love Me on Fox News” stuff is very likely to make it all come true.
Dana Hanna
Rapid City
Cory, I don’t think we are on our own. We have very astute scientists and medical professionals who are giving great advise. We have great sources of information, but we have to search those out. You provide many such sources for readers of DFP, and readers add what they find. Sure, we all have to sift through this stuff and make up our own minds. I would do that anyway.
For myself, I do listen to some leaders. I listen to Governor Evers in Wisconsin, who is getting the best advise on COVID-19 from scientists and medical professionals. I listen to Governor Cuomo, who has shown how a real leader reacts.
The best information I get comes from my daughter who has gone through the SARS and COVID-19 outbreak in China, and studiously listens to the best advise from China. They got their outbreak under control, which has not been the case under Trump.
I don’t listen to the salesman of death, otherwise known as Donald Trump, who is a delusional, babbling idiot. Unfortunately, Trump is leading the ineffective federal response and there are the usual cult followers and sowers of doubt, including the Russians, working to weaken America by “liberating” the economy far too soon. Still, federal scientists and medical professionals provide good advise, even if Trump tries his best to override it.
Don’t fret Dana Hanna, this is how I see it being played out all over America.
“Dozens of Decomposing Bodies Found in Trucks at Brooklyn Funeral Home
The funeral home director said that he used the trucks for storage after he ran out of space in his chapel. “Bodies are coming out of our ears,” he said.” New York Times 4.30.20
Back to normal means back to this. Good news though, there are 6 coolers lined up at Camp Rapid, in perfect formation I might add, that will take your worries away. Yepper, if you bite the covid bullet, you might get cooled off while they wait to cremate ya, kinda like cooking lobster I guess. So we got that going for us. Thanks republicans!! Booyah!!
Moses6 —
We’ll do better by voting than praying.
30 million of us are unemployed, thanks EB5 Rounds, Thune for allowing the old tom cat trump to destroy our economy. Heckuva job their fellows.
Mr. Pay, Some humor from China at our expense. Check out the video. It speaks volumes of trumps complete failure, with the glowing support of EB5 Rounds, Thune and Dirty.
Josh Marshall
✔
@joshtpm
this is amazing on many levels https://twitter.com/XHNews/status/1255734356728922113 …
China Xinhua News
✔
@XHNews
China: We discovered a new virus.
America: So what?
China: It’s Dangerous
America: It’s only a Flu
China: Wear a Mask
America: Don’t wear a Mask
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/china-says-were-a-joke-and-alas-we-are
Buckbear can I Pray to have them voted out of office.
Noem is “opening” the state for business. So does that mean the SD state agencies & our buildings are open to the public? Is the state capitol open to the public? Are the state courts open to the public – rescinding their COVID-precautions? Are the state parks, museums, recreation sites, etc., open to the public? If not, why not? Noem needs to do what she’s failed doing – leading by example. Until the government and public institutions are open as before COVID, then Noem has no business “opening” the state for commercial / private business. She needs to end apparent hypocrisy and to lead by example.
Governor Noem HAS to get the state open; the President will be here for fireworks on the 3rd.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-attending-mount-rushmore-july-4-fireworks_n_5eac889fc5b6d7c7fde8b974
Great. 🙄 🙄
SD’s budget is in poor shape and Godawful Grifter is gonna stick the state with every cent of expense. Plus, you know that Kraven Kristi will spare no expense on the Show. It’s her proposal.
Pretty boy Marlboro Barbie finally flexes his vocal cords with another, less than profound, generic statement on aid to states….. Congress allocated $150 billion for state and municipal governments as part of the $2.2 trillion rescue package signed into law March 27. But Republicans are split on whether to loosen restrictions on how that money and any future funds can be spent, or if they should even support additional funding given GOP concerns about “state bailouts.”
“I think we have to look and hard and see what is working, what is not working,” Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, told Fox News when asked about state aid.
This man deserves a noble prize for illiterature.