Texas Governor Secretly Recorded While Telling Other Politicians The Truth About Opening Up The State

It is a must-listen as he says it is going to lead to an increase of COVID-19 infections. 

Link To Audio 

Republican death panels are a real thing. 

I dont think what he said is all that controversial.    Of course opening the economy will lead to more infections.  The goal is to limit that spread to a rate that does not overwhelm the healthcare system.   

Thats going to be the real test over the next few weeks.

It is not a test. The term test implies the outcome isn't known. He explicitly states every scientific and medical person agrees it will lead to the spread of the disease. He concedes that point. Publically, Republicans are saying we can do two things at once and if we do it sensibly in stages there is no evidence COVID-19 will spread.  These folks are cold-blooded killers that want other folks to die and suffer permeant disability so they won't lose money on their investments. Fuck those selfish assholes. 

You have to consider that Republicans value the health of businesses much more, and the health of people much less, than normal people do. Therefore, "who cares if we have another 10,000 deaths in our great state" isn't surprising to hear at all.

To them, a few extra hundred thousand bodies to bury nationwide will be worth it if their stock portfolios rebound. You've reported a perfect instance of Republican amorality.

It doesn't take a scientist to understand that a quarantined population is less contagious than one that isn't.   Is there anyone on the planet who would state otherwise?    The fact the governor of Texas says as much is not a revelation - its pretty much stating the obvious.

BTW - Gavin Newsom is opening up California next week.   So is just about every governor.     

Not here---"here" being Oregon. There's pressure, but not much. The latest relaxation of restrictions date I've heard is July 7.

There's not much pushback. Oregon is one of the most generous states when it comes to UI, and it has programs to prop up small businesses that augment what the feds have provided, or failed to provide.

Oregon had a $5 billion reserve fund for just such a contingency as this. As a frankly big business-unfriendly state, there are very few big corporations to placate by slathering them with money. Thus, the money is going to the people, and there are very few "Let us go back to work and infect each other" protests.

Oregon pretty much copied Washington's shutdown moves, and did it early. It's being even more cautious than Washington about opening up.

There's one factor that might be helping us. We're a highly internet-connected state, so more people might be able to work from home than in other places.

PJ asked, Is there anyone on the planet who would state otherwise?  

Yes, pretty much every conservative on this board has stated otherwise in one way or another. Every member of the I need a haircut movement would state otherwise as well. Hell, half of them still believe COVID-19 is a hoax. What Abbott was saying to the public is, of course, there will be an increase in COVID-19 cases but that is because we will be testing more people, not because of any policy I enacted. So he knows his policy is literally going to kill and he decides to intentionally deceive the public as to what is creating the increase in cases.  

BTW - Gavin Newsom is opening up California next week.   So is just about every governor.   

Yes, conservatives have successfully manufactured a controversy. Armed protestors storm government buildings, the beach, threaten and even murder low paid retail clerks because they tell them they have to put on a mask to come inside. Trump threatens to withhold federal funds to States that won't open back up and encourages violent white nationalists to threaten to execute and or forcibly remove elected officials that don't agree to open back up. A couple of weeks ago Trump administration officials said they were going to have the Justice Department sue states that won't open back up. That is why elected officials in some blue states are opening back up. 

Neither, Trump nor most of these states are following the guidelines that the Trump administration put in place. Namely, to have a 14-day decline in cases before a state opens up. Then open up in phases with businesses where people can't avoid close quarters, are opened last. Instead, we open beauty salons, tattoo parlors, movie theaters, massage parlors, and dine in restaurants first. 

What people don't get is our food supply lines are hanging on by a thread right now. Opening back up will create a greater risk of food-processing workers and truck drivers that transport the food of contracting COVID-19.  It won't be long before your meal choices include either rice or beans. 

You can certainly argue testing and contact tracing is not what it should be.     I think that’s going to be the thing to watch.

but the goal has never been to wait for the disease to be eradicated before opening the economy.   The goal has always been to not overwhelm hospitals.    

Even wkth masks, social distancing, testing and tracing you will still have more cases in a population of people that is interacting with each other vs a population that is all staying home.   Do you not agree?

I always stated that opening the economy would lead to more deaths.  Kevin called me horrible names for saying this while also wanting to open the economy.  Sometimes difficult decisions must be made............you know, the lesser of two evils, as some call it.

"The lesser of two evils".refers to a binary choice, which isn't the case here. There's a third alternative: keep everyone safe while using the federal government's vast resources to cushion the economic blow.

And is it still the lesser of two evils if you're one of the "extra" deaths? Your spouse? Your parent?.Your sibling? Your child?

Or for that matter, Joe the local bus driver, or Sharon, the local nurse. Are you willing to sacrifice them?