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Maskless Cabinet Crowds Meeting Room to Affirm Kristi’s Coronavirus Recklessness

As more evidence of the hazards of South Dakota’s one-party regime, consider this photo from Governor Kristi Noem of the cabinet meeting she held yesterday (likely to catch up whatever she missed while campaigning in Georgia):

Gov. Kristi Noem, Twitter photo of Cabinet indoors, not socially distanced, not wearing masks, 2021.01.05.
Gov. Kristi Noem, Twitter photo of Cabinet indoors, not socially distanced, not wearing masks, 2021.01.05.

The Governor assembled her Cabinet indoors. Her people are seated within six feet of each other. Not one in the photo is wearing a mask, and they are all crowded into a room with a person who’s just returned from extensive interstate travel with lots of personal, maskless contacts. Wearing masks, staying six feet apart, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces are the top recommendations from the CDC for preventing the spread of coronavirus, recommendations to which our own South Dakota Department of Health directs us for guidance.

But Governor Noem models violation of those guidelines daily. Her counterexemplary leadership apparently inspires her staff to do the same, putting themselves, their families, and their community at greater risk of coronavirus.

The monitor next to the Governor indicates that some people were able to participate online. That’s a relief. The option to participate remotely should have been available to everyone. But this photo shows a lot of people who chose to prioritize smiling face time with the Governor over public health precautions. That kind of misprioritization is going to be more common in one-horse towns like Pierre, where employment depends on one’s willingness to brownnose that one horse.

And it’s hard to brownnose CDC-defiant Kristi when you’re wearing a mask.

6 Comments

  1. leslie

    12th visible person, likely a woman seated immediately behind own swaggering cowgirl Governor (in front of the leather couch); Lt Gov/Sec Ag/Natl Resources “Bison-head” Rhoden via laptop connection with a few others; 13th person’s open water bottle, all in this corner of this capitol room (high ceilings, tall closed windows). Her shot dog, likely on the floor would have contracted covid anyway.

    Winding down to a catered lunch and light socializing after the hard morning. I trust they took detailed notes? or at least concrete action to knock down covid throughout the state with expert scientific guidance (modeled by LA Mayor Garcetti this week) acknowledging the absolute and immediate medical crisis burning down the USA. A death every 16 minutes in LA. Whistling in the dark.

    I see no brown noses or any evidence of diversity but this should attract new WASP residents (SD’s obvious good dentistry). Our Governor appears as the oldest wise-guy visible in the meeting. Leading her children.

    Where’s Lew and her publicist, behind the camera? Mitch has his John. Rounds has his Joop. Flamethrower Kristi rides bareback apparently.

    I wear skinny brick-red Levi’s too, but keep mah’ iPhone outta mah back pocket, away from butt-dialing! I am older. Wiser? Well, it is not hard.

  2. Mark Anderson

    Cory, she will simply kiss them and make them better if they catch the Chinese flu. After all the fearless leader said the death rate is exaggerated didn’t he? What’s a poor Natasha to do?

  3. Still don’t know when I’ll get my jab. Seems all the vaccine is reserved east-river.

  4. mike from iowa

    Last updated: January 07, 2021, 14:01 GMT
    United States
    Coronavirus Cases:
    21,859,409
    Deaths:
    370,009

    Nearly 4k deaths rung up yesterday.

  5. mike from iowa

    drumpf/noem body count…

    Last updated: January 10, 2021, 01:53 GMT
    United States
    Coronavirus Cases:
    22,699,938
    Deaths:
    381,480

  6. mike from iowa

    Yesterday’s count ended at 377,089. Nearly 4k deaths again. Yikes!

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