Governor Tom Wolf has done it again. In 2018, to settle a frivolous lawsuit brought by failed Green Party Presidential candidate Jill Stein, he imposed an unfunded mandate on all of Pennsylvania's 67 counties to purchase brand new voting systems with voter verifiable paper trails. Now it's worse - an unfunded mandate on the working poor. With absolutely no consideration to the hardship he is causing, he yesterday commanded all "nonessential" businesses to shutter their doors for the next two weeks. He never bothers to define exactly what makes a business "nonessential." He does make clear that his "order," which really is no order at all, applies to restaurants, nail and hair salons, gyms, community centers and the mall. Some of these people will be able to collect unemployment. Many more will suffer. Servers and nail techs who rely heavily on tips, will see no income at all. But this is for their own good, says Wolf.
I'm sure they'd appreciate a paid holiday, but what Wolf has done is going to hurt the very people who can least afford the sacrifice.
I searched high and low for Wolf's Executive Order and see nothing. I believe there is none. During his news conference, he actually admitted he had no intention of enforcing his edict. But that's small consolation to many people who will see no income. Wolf discussed unemployment and loans, completely oblivious to the reality that many people in this gig economy rely heavily on tips for most of their income. In some cases, they are independent contractors, very much a part of the working poor that caters to the middle class.
I heard some government workers express joy at being shut down because they know they will be getting a paid vacation. But for many people who work hard for what little they earn, this means rents will be late and there will be a little less food in the fridge. In some cases, a lot less food.
Although Wolf has made clear he considers waitresses and hairdressers nonessential, he really has failed to define precisely what he means by a nonessential business. How about a warehouse? Law office? Landscaper?
In a news release, he claims to have offered guidance on what constitutes a nonessential businesses, but that is simply untrue. This supposed guidance lists examples, but provides no definition.
Wolf is a millionaire who drives a Jeep to pretend he is an everyman. But he's really an elitist with no clue what harm he has just done to many hard-working people who break no laws and just struggle to get by.
Now there are those who say these closures are necessary in the war against the cornavirus. The countries that have experienced the best outcomes did nothing like this, but instead relied on quarantines. But let's assume the public health warriors are right. Before closing a place down, a good Governor would take care of those who are negatively impacted. He would also explain more clearly what exactly needs to close. But Wolf has proven repeatedly that he's a bad Governor.
I tried calling in to a townhall conducted by Congressman Susan Wild last night to ask about these nonessential businesses. She had Sate Rep. Peter Schweyer there and perhaps he could explain (1) whether there is an Executive Order; (2) whether it contains a definition of nonessential businesses; and (3) whether the state intends to reimburse the people it has hurt.
The screener was unfortunately unable to hear me, so my questions went unanswered.
If any of you have a link to an Exec Order from Wolf, please post it. It certainly is within his power to do so, but I do not think he has actually entered an order.
24 comments:
Wolf is a shameless copy cat. His Dem bros in NY, NJ and Conn. adopted this heartless order and he felt obligated to follow. A regional circle jerk. This is ruining the lives of more people than it is saving. Most people infected with the virus recover quickly. Our seniors are protected in nursing homes or are self-quarantined due to higher risk. The rest of our population should be free to live a more normal life with sensible precautions. And our governor should not ruin businesses and the meager pay of hourly workers with this cruel edict.
One of those "non-essential businesses" is The Peoples' Republic of Pennsylvania's state-owned liquor stores. The PRP's liquor website is also shut down. For the next 2 weeks, it will be impossible to legally purchase a bottle of hard liquor anywhere in the state. And, with bars and restaurants also considered "non-essential," it will also be impossible to get even a shot of whiskey legally.
Beginning on St. Patrick's Day.
Wolf isn't just an elitist. He's a stupid elitist. Oh, wait. That's a redundancy. Sorry.
Does our completely out-of-touch governor realize what a burden he is placing on local officials? Suppose a few bars remain open on St. Paddy's Day (think of all the green beer they have paid for). Does Wolf expect mayors to divert their police forces' resources to closing down those local businesses? Will he threaten to pull the licenses of nail salons that remain open if local cops don't shut them down? Will he call out the National Guard to enforce his non-order if local authorities don't play the patsy?
You can't fix stupid.
Doc Roc, I believe Wolf is letting state stores stay open one more day. I guess the virus does not affect them until tomorrow.
Great way to further harm the economy. Instead of trying to compel financial institutions to defer loan payments during this crisis this is his plan. BTW under the guidelines that I saw financial institutions are considered essential and allowed and conduct business as usual. Manufacturing plants with perhaps hundreds of employees per shift are allowed to remain open but the lone hair stylist has to close. Makes a lot of sense. Talk about rubbing salt in a wound.
Bernie, I agree with you 100%; he's an ignorant snob!
This will become known as the worlds social experiment preceding the 2020 presidential election. This all being egineered to rid the world of the bad orange man in power of the US.
Not an good way to encourage people to vote Trump out.
His "guidance" is as insulting as his "order," which I have yet to see.
" BTW under the guidelines that I saw financial institutions are considered essential and allowed and conduct business as usual. Manufacturing plants with perhaps hundreds of employees per shift are allowed to remain open but the lone hair stylist has to close. Makes a lot of sense. Talk about rubbing salt in a wound."
His DCED indicates that working capital loans will be made available to small businesses when they become available. Shouldn't they be available NOW so employers can continue paying employees? He obviously does not give a shit. His entire admin is elitist.
In time of crisis, our government issues nebulous edicts and shutters its doors. It's a cautionary tale for those who put so much faith in it. School meal programs are awesome until dependence on them leaves kids hungry and parents apparently unprepared to feed them. The government builds dependence and abandons us when the chips are down. Not good. Not unexpected
I don't believe Wolf or any other person acting as the Governor of PA has the power to easily issue edicts that absolutely control all sectors of society in the state unless he authorizes martial law or something similar that he is legally authorized to do. I am no expert on exactly how he needs to do that. It seems to me however that he is mostly issuing orders to the sectors such as the education system and the liquor stores where he may already have clear authority and issuing more vague directives to other sectors and hoping for mostly voluntary compliance to a logical request. I have only once personally seen a form of martial law put into place in a small section of another state where an armed National Guard force in full combat gear was out in force in civilian areas to maintain law and order during a catastrophe caused by major flooding. That is something most American would never want to see and in fact may not yet be warranted by this health related emergency. If most businesses and people do comply with what he is advising, I am not sure where the harm is in his actions. This could get a lot nastier in the future but as of now I see most citizens voluntarily acting in a mostly responsible way.
Jill Stein has repeatedly been exposed as a Russian asset.
BOH 8:19 said:
"Shouldn't they be available NOW so employers can continue paying employees?"
The state should make the loans available now.
In addition, our representatives in Washington should pass the temporary elimination of the payroll tax that Trump asked for.
Is a payroll tax elimination of 6.2% (for both employees and employers) going to be all that's needed? No, but it immediately puts more money in the hands of both workers and businesses.
Make it retroactive to 1/1/2020 and instruct the IRS to immediately refund any payments already made this year, and it makes a bigger impact.
Again, the prime benefit is that it can be done fast and doesn't require a new bureaucracy to distribute the money.
In addition, the edict is far too broad.
Pennsylvania is a large state, with many parts extremely rural. Not all of the measures should affect every portion of the state.
He's putting the whole state in economic distress.
do these idiots understand that, statistically, there is a human life cost to economic downturns? have they done a cold accounting-based cost benefit analysis?
It should be voluntary for businesses to close. If people are idiots and want to frequent a movie, gym or whatever, that's their choice as is the choice of a business to stay open or close. Think outside the box to keep people for getting too close and you should be able to contain this virus.
Yesterday I spoke with a local LEO outside the state store. He laughed when I asked who will enforce the order if the little diner near me opened up. He said, "sure as hell won't be me!" He later explained that how, in good faith could he shut down a small business at the request of our gov. He explained that the gov asked nicely for these businesses to close. I had a chance to speak with Wolf not long ago. Nice guy, shitty gov.
Is the lottery an essential service? Why hasn't it been shut down?
1:47 ................. 100x your comment.
“Those who give up liberty for security deserve neither.”
Benjamin Franklin
El zorro!!
What about those driving trucks and bringing goods to our stores?
Rest stops shut down. That takes away bathrooms and places for trucks to park overnight. Restaurants shut down. I'm assuming drivers like to eat occasionally.
Wolf's "order" makes it more difficult on the long-haul drivers trying to get to our grocery stores to restock shelves.
4:52-When you live in an elitist bubble like our guv, the common man is, at best, an afterthought.
I'm sure Wolf Home Products is still in operation.
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